A CLI is made possible by command-line interpreters or command-line processors, which are programs that execute input commands. Alternatives to a CLI include a GUI (including the desktop metaphor such as Windows), text-based menuing (including DOS Shell and IBM AIX SMIT), and keyboard shortcuts.
CLI is a command line program that accepts text input to execute operating system functions. In the 1960s, using only computer terminals, this was the only way to interact with computers.
A command-line interface (CLI) allows you to navigate, run programs or configure your computer system by entering text commands.
In a CLI, you enter commands as text, and the computer's operating system then executes these commands. The computer can be anything from launching a program to managing files to configuring the operating system.