In defense of the command line


 
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The Lounge What is on Your Mind? In defense of the command line
# 1  
Old 08-14-2011
In defense of the command line

Ever since the 80's, I've been appalled at how many people actually think the click-and-wait interface (GUI) is superior to the command line. I suspect that can be explained by most of them never having used any shell other than the atrocious DOS window, but it still amazes.

So I'm pleased to report that I found a very interesting blog post that I could identify with heartily. Here's a sample:
Quote:
The idea that language is for power users and pictures and index fingers are for those poor besotted fools who just want toast in the morning is an extremely retrograde idea from which we should strive to emancipate ourselves.

The problem with the user categorization narrative, is that it uses “it just works” as a cover for saying “people aren't capable” - for implying that millions of natural language speakers would be too intimidated by languages thousands of orders of magnitude smaller than the ones they use effortlessly every single day. It imagines that if we can find the right user-interface “metaphor,” everything will click.
These 2 Users Gave Thanks to KenJackson For This Post:
# 2  
Old 08-15-2011
I do believe that command line will never die.
Take a look in TRANSMISSION, a bittorrent client.
It has daemon, library, command line use and graphical interface(both for QT and GTK).
Well, both GUI camp and CLI camp would love it. I think than every human "need" shell be in the 4th(of TRANSSMISION) or at least as library(so other developers can extend it to UI).
I'm a developer, and using common CLI, because I think it's easier for me to perform my own made scripts("compile"), and so on...
97% of my time on my Debian machine, a GNOME/Xfce terminal is opening, and if not, or I want do something in background, I can always type F9, and then Compiz Fusion widget layer is displayed. A command line waits for me(the cairo-dock CLI) whenever I need it.
I think a combination of GUI and CLI is the best approach.

Even when today GUI is getting smarter(multi-touch and full body), it's always recommended to save an icon in the panel for command line.
# 3  
Old 08-21-2011
It depends on your vantage point. In our office we would get very little work done if we did not have a terminal window on top of our desktop environment, ie we need both. For end users, it is an uphill battle to ask them to use a CLI only.
# 4  
Old 08-21-2011
Hi.

Along the same line, an essay: http://www.cryptonomicon.com/command.zip at C R Y P T O N O M I C O N by Neal Stephenson ... cheers, drl
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