Understanding Command Line Interfaces and Tools
Tags: cli, programming, devops, cloud
Published: 2022-08-15 00:25:16

Have you ever typed a text or commands in the form of lines of texts into a computer terminal? Then, you've definitely used a command line interface. What most of us are used to,  is the Graphical User Interface (GUI), which is a visual, user-friendly interface through which a user interacts with electronic devices such as computers and smartphones through the use of icons, menus and other visual indicators or representations (graphics). However, some programming and maintenance tasks may not have a graphical user interface and only use a command line. This article aims to help you understand the concept of a command line interface ( CLI for short ) and the different types of CLI tools from cloud providers.
 

## What is a Command Line Interface?
In simple terms, a command-line interface (CLI) is a text-based user interface (UI) used to run programs, manage computer files and interact with the computer. It is a program on your computer that allows you to create and delete files, run programs, and navigate through folders and files. On a Mac and Linux, it’s called Terminal, and on Windows, it’s Command Prompt.

![Windows Command Prompt](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/7bpzv6pvytdwua1gt1i0.png)  
![Linux Terminal](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rfdejeebed7uanql5jvh.png)
Programmers, experienced computer users, or administrators may utilise a CLI. There are specific situations when typing text into the interface will provide faster results than simply using a GUI. Plus, CLIs can offer greater control over an operating system via succinct commands. Operating system (OS) command line interfaces are normally programs that come with the OS. There are software applications that only offer a CLI. This software delivers a prompt, the user responds, and the application reacts to the commands successively. Users enter the specific command, press “Enter”, and then wait for a response. After receiving the command, the CLI processes it accordingly and shows the output/result on the same screen; command line interpreter is used for this purpose.

## Command Line Tools
Developers and those with engineering responsibilities are fond of calling terminal their home. Anyone with a Linux system has to frequently interact with the Terminal in one way or the other. And customization has always been a big part of how much the Terminal can be used to improve productivity, create unique experiences, and manage the system to improve the workflow.
Command line tools are scripts, programs, and libraries that have been created with a unique purpose, typically to solve a problem that the creator of that particular tool had himself. In other words, these tools allow programmers to compile programs and debug them, convert files, and perform a number of tasks for handling the resources required for making applications and other tools.
There are thousands of command line tools that have been developed and  are being used in different areas such as Web Development,
Productivity, Utility, Visual, Entertainment etcetera.

## CLI Tools from Cloud Providers
Cloud providers such AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, IBM, Digital Ocean, Oracle and a host of others usually create CLI tools for interacting with their platforms through the terminal. Example of such is the AWS CLI, Google Cloud Shell, Azure cloud Shell, IBM Cloud CLI etcetera. These tools interact with the various cloud services via an API (Application Programming Interface), which is a set of programming code that enables data transmission between one software product and another.
 
I trust you have been able to gain a better understanding of what a CLI is, feel free to add your comments in the comment box below.