Command Line Interface

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

command line interface
    n 1: a user interface in which you type commands instead of
         choosing them from a menu or selecting an icon [syn:
         {command line interface}, {CLI}]

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

command line interface

   <operating system> A means of communication between a
   {program} and its {user}, based solely on textual input and
   output.  Commands are input with the help of a {keyboard} or
   similar device and are interpreted and executed by the
   program.  Results are output as text or graphics to the
   {terminal}.

   Command line interfaces usually provide greater flexibility
   than {graphical user interfaces}, at the cost of being harder
   for the novice to use.  Consequently, some {hackers} look down
   on GUIs as designed {For The Rest Of Them}.

   (1996-01-12)