Graphical user interface: Difference between revisions

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A '''graphical user interface''' (or '''GUI''', often pronounced "goo-ee") is a method of [[human-computer interaction|interacting with a computer]] that uses graphical images and widgets in addition to text.

The graphical user interface was invented at [[Xerox PARC]] and most modern general purpose GUIs are derived from it. (Some say GUIs were conceptualized by [[Douglas Engelbart|Doug Engelbart]] and first created by Xerox.) For this reason, some people call this class of interface a PARC User Interface (PUI). The PUI consists of graphical [[widget]]s such as [[window (computing)|windows]], [[menu (computing)|menu]]s, [[button (computing)|button]]s, [[radio box]]es, and [[icon (computing)|icon]]s, and employs a [[pointing device]] (such as mouse, trackball, or touchscreen) in addition to a keyboard. For this reason, many people refer to PUIs as WIMPs (Windows, Icons, Mouse, Pointer). Widgets are often pre-implemented in the form of [[widget toolkit]]s.

Examples of systems that support PUIs are [[Mac OS]], [[Microsoft Windows]], and the [[X Window System]]. The latter is extended with toolkits such as [[Motif]] ([[CDE]]), [[Qt]] ([[KDE]]) and, [[GTK]]+ and ([[GNOME]]).

GUIs that are not PUIs are most notable in [[computer game]]s. Advanced GUIs based on [[virtual reality]] are frequent in research.

There also exist GUIs which are designed for vertical market segments. These are known as application-specific GUIs. One example of such a GUI is the now familiar touchscreen point of sale software found in restaurants worldwide. First pioneered by Gene Mosher on the Atari ST computer in 1986, this touchscreen GUI has spearheaded a worldwide revolution in the use of computer technologies throughout the food & beverage industry and in the retail segment in general.

Similar to GUIs are [[text user interface]]s (TUIs) that display the same types of widgets in a character-cell mode rather than in a pixel mode. Examples include the interfaces of many [[ncurses]] and [[MS-DOS]] applications.