Command Line Interface
CLI
- Definition
- Executing commands on the application from the OS shell environment
How does it work?
The user may a command on the application by starting the application with extra parameters. An application may be a pure CLI application that only allows itself to the run from the command line. But it may also be a GUI application or a service, and still allow users to run commands on it from the command line.
A CLI does not only allow power users to perform routine actions on the applications quicker, it also allows these commands to be scripted and run automatically.
When should you use it?
- When certain application commands should be scriptable.
- For commands that take too much time to set up via the GUI interface