User inter faces 1.

User interfaces are found wherever digital technolog y

Sof tware inter faces

exists. How you interact with and use this technolog y

Software interfaces are available after the computer

is controlled by the computer–user interface , also

has booted up and the operating system has been

known as the human–computer interface (HCI). A

loaded, allowing the user to interact with the computer

user interface involves various ways of capturing or

or device through an interface. Software interfaces

transferring data between a user and the computer

include online forms for data entr y, dialogue interfaces

system. e interface therefore can be graphical,

such as navigational systems in some vehicles and

text-based, or even audio–video-based, depending on

Amazon’s Alexa on their talking Echo speaker unit.

the application, meaning that it can be a hardware

ere are four main types of software interface:

interface, software interface or a combination of both.

◆
command-line interface

Since a user interface helps the user to interact with a

◆
menu-driven interface

system, it should:

◆
graphical user interface (GUI)

◆
have an attractive design

◆
be simple to use
Command-line inter faces

◆
have a quick response time

Command-line interfaces require you to type in

◆
have instructions that are easy to understand

commands using a special language. is special

◆
have a consistent layout if there are multiple screens.

language makes command-line interfaces dicult

to use, especially for new computer users. In recent

Hardware inter faces

Hardware interfaces such as touchscreens, sensors, (Fig 1.26).

digital cameras and special keyboards are input

devices that were discussed earlier in the chapter. An

example of a hardware device with a user interface is a

games controller (Fig 1.25). e layout of the buttons,

touchpad, joysticks and hand grips together form the

user interface that carries out the various functions.

Fig 1.26 An example of a Windows PowerShell command-line inter face

Menu-dr iven inter faces

A menu is a list of options from which you can choose

what you want to do. Application programs use menus

as an easy alternative to learning program commands.

per form various functions Menu-driven interfaces were developed to tr y to

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