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What is a GUI (graphical user interface)?

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Quick answer

A GUI (Graphical User Interface) is the visual way you interact with a computer — using windows, icons, buttons, and a mouse or touch, instead of typing text commands. It made computers easy enough for everyone to use. GUI stands for Graphical User Interface.

Key things to understand

  1. GUI stands for Graphical User Interface.
  2. You interact via icons, windows, and buttons, not typed commands.
  3. It made computing accessible to non-experts.
  4. It's the opposite of a text-based command line.

People also ask

What is a GUI?
A graphical user interface — the visual, point-and-click way of interacting with a computer.
What's the difference between a GUI and a command line?
A GUI uses visual icons and a mouse; a command line uses typed text commands.
Why was the GUI so important?
It made computers intuitive and accessible to everyone, not just trained programmers.