Command Line/Driven Interface
Explanation of this and its advantages and disadvantages
Command Line/Driven Interface
Command line interfaces are often referred to as driven interfaces because they need the operator to input data before they can do anything. They need to be 'driven' by the user and without the users ability to drive it will not work (meaning that if the user does not know how to operate it by using commands then it cannot deliver the desired output).
Advantages
- That it is faster - sometimes tasks can be performed more quickly using commands than by using the mouse and all of the features which are offered in a GUI (such as Windows).
- The system is made more accessible - in some cases more features can be accessed using commands which could not be reached by using a GUI.
- It educates - using this form of 'computer language' to input commands the user can learn about the computer itself and educate themselves on how it works in more depth than they could if they were using a GUI.
Disadvantages
- It is very difficult to use without instruction - without being taught how to use it properly a command line interface can be very difficult to use. The user has to learn the structure of commands in general and then be able to apply this to each individual command (the structure is called 'Syntax').
- It can be hard to remember the instructions - actually remembering specific commands and what they do can be very difficult. This is solvable by taking note of the commands for later reference (when they are required) but this further complicates issues and is mostly seen as more effort than needs to be exerted when simpler interfaces are available.