The Command Line Comeback

The transition from the CLI to the GUI abstracted away the laborious verbal communication between humans and computers and replaced it with visually appealing, expensively designed interfaces.

The Macintosh OS was a revolution. Without the command line interface, you either talked to the computer with your mouse, or not at all. The market for people using computers suddenly became exponentially larger, because the interface was more accessible to a less technical audience.

Superhuman, a cult-favorite and modern alternative to Gmail, has an entire command line of its own, activated by pressing Command + K. The app navigation is designed such that your movements are naturally fast. You’re forced by design to use the keyboard, as opposed to a mouse or trackpad.

The command-line interface, or CLI, lets you type text commands to perform specific tasks, in contrast to clicking on menus and buttons with a mouse. Because you can control your actions simply by typing (no mouse necessary), many tasks can be automated or otherwise completed more quickly.

Another growing trend among modern alternatives to legacy products is the comeback of the command line, creating a user interface that’s both powerful and approachable to non-developers.