text-based

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

text-based

   <jargon> Working under a non-window-based {operating system}
   (e.g. {MS-DOS}) as opposed to a {graphical user interface}
   (e.g. {Microsoft Windows}).

   An MS-DOS text-based program uses a screen with a fixed array
   of 80x25 or 80x40 characters.  Examples are {WordPerfect}
   before version 5.1 and {Microsoft Word}.

   (1995-03-16)