Graphical user interface: Difference between revisions

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{{Redirect|GUI|other uses|Gui (disambiguation)}}

{{More citations needed|date=May 2022}}

[[File:Example of a GUI.png|thumb|240px|A graphical user interface (GUI) showing various elements: radio buttons, checkboxes, and other elements. The image shown uses the [[KDE]] [[desktop environment]].]]

A '''graphical user interface''', or '''GUI'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|u:|i}},<ref>{{cite book |last=Wells |first=John |author-link=John C. Wells |title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary |publisher=Pearson Longman |edition=3rd |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4058-8118-0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/gui|title=How to pronounce GUI in English|website=Cambridge Dictionary |language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> {{Respell|GOO|ee}}; {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|iː|j|uː|aɪ}}, {{Respell|JEE|YOO|AI}}<ref>{{Cite MW|GUI|access-date=2024-12-07}}</ref>}}, is a form of [[user interface]] that allows [[user (computing)|users]] to [[human–computer interaction|interact with electronic devices]] through [[Graphics|graphical]] [[icon (computing)|icons]] and visual indicators such as [[secondary notation]]. In many applications, GUIs are used instead of [[text-based user interface|text-based UI]]s, which are based on typed command labels or text navigation. GUIs were introduced in reaction to the perceived steep [[learning curve]] of [[command-line interface]]s (CLIs),<ref name="computerhope.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000619.htm|title=Command line vs. GUI|website=Computer Hope |language=en|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2007-03-12 |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/mscom/the-gui-versus-the-command-line-which-is-better-part-1 |title=The GUI versus the Command Line: Which is better? (Part 1) |department=Microsoft.com Operations |website=[[Microsoft Learn]] |access-date=2024-01-30 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-03-26 |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/mscom/the-gui-versus-the-command-line-which-is-better-part-2 |title=The GUI versus the Command Line: Which is better? (Part 2) |department=Microsoft.com Operations |website=[[Microsoft Learn]] |access-date=2024-01-30}}</ref> which require commands to be typed on a [[computer keyboard]].

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Designing the visual composition and temporal behavior of a GUI is an important part of [[software application]] programming in the area of [[human–computer interaction]]. Its goal is to enhance the efficiency and ease of use for the underlying logical design of a stored [[computer program|program]], a design discipline named ''[[usability]]''. Methods of user-centered design are used to ensure that the visual language introduced in the design is well-tailored to the tasks.

The visible graphical interface features of an application are sometimes referred to as ''chrome'' or ''GUI''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/C/chrome.html|title=chrome|website=www.catb.org|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ui-chrome.html|title=Browser and GUI Chrome|author=Nielsen, Jakob |date=January 29, 2012|website=Nngroup|access-date=May 20, 2012|archive-date=August 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825022734/http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ui-chrome.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Martinez|first=Wendy L.|date=2011-02-23|title=Graphical user interfaces: Graphical user interfaces|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wics.150|journal=Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Computational Statistics|language=en|volume=3|issue=2|pages=119–133|doi=10.1002/wics.150|s2cid=60467930 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Typically, users interact with information by manipulating visual [[Widget (GUI)|widgets]] that allow for interactions appropriate to the kind of data they hold. The widgets of a well-designed interface are selected to support the actions necessary to achieve the goals of users. A [[model–view–controller]] allows flexible structures in which the interface is independent of and indirectly linked to application functions, so the GUI can be customized easily. This allows users to select or design a different ''skin'' or ''[[theme (computing)|theme]]'' at will, and eases the designer's work to change the interface as user needs evolve. Good GUI design relates to users more, and to system architecture less.

Large widgets, such as [[Window (computing)|windows]], usually provide a frame or container for the main presentation content such as a web page, email message, or drawing. Smaller ones usually act as a user-input tool.

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== Examples ==

<gallery mode="nolines" widths="180px180" heights="180" caption="Sample graphical environments">

File:GNOME Shell.png|[[GNOME Shell]]

File:KDE_Plasma_6KDE Plasma 6.3_desktop_screenshot3.webp6 screenshot.png|[[KDE Plasma 6]]

File:Ubuntu Mate 18.04.1 with MATE 1.20.1.png|[[MATE (software)|MATE]]

File:Wayland demo 2.png|Windows on an example [[Wayland (display server protocol)#Wayland compositors|Wayland compositor]]

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== Post-WIMP interface ==

{{Main|Post-WIMP}}

Smaller app mobile devices such as [[personal digital assistant]]s (PDAs) and [[smartphone]]s typically use the WIMP elements with different unifying metaphors, due to constraints in space and available input devices. Applications for which WIMP is not well suited may use newer [[interaction technique]]s, collectively termed ''[[post-WIMP]]'' UIs.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1109/38.814559 | doi=10.1109/38.814559 | title=Beyond WIMP | year=2000 | last1=Van Dam | first1=A. | journal=IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications | volume=20 | pages=50–51 | url-access=subscription }}</ref>

As of 2011, some touchscreen-based operating systems such as Apple's [[iOS]] ([[iPhone]]) and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] use the class of GUIs named post-WIMP. These support styles of interaction using more than one finger in contact with a display, which allows actions such as pinching and rotating, which are unsupported by one pointer and mouse.<ref>[https://www.cs.tufts.edu/~jacob/papers/chi08.pdf "Reality-Based Interaction: A Framework for Post-WIMP Interfaces".]</ref>