Understanding CLI Standards
The Command-Line Interface (CLI) is a text-based interface for humans, and computer interaction was initially designed as a way of interacting with an Operating System (OS) before the desktop graphical interface was invented. The CLI, as we know it today, was in popular use in the 1960s until the graphical desktop interface was developed a decade later. However, although most computer users are used to the graphical user interface (GUI) and web, there’s been a resurgence of CLI development circa 2017. Popular and new use cases for the retro CLI vary, but its most popular usage is as an additional offering alongside a company’s API for increased platform usage.
In this chapter, you will learn about the comprehensive history of the CLI, what it is today, and a breakdown of its anatomy. You will learn about UNIX’s philosophy and how following its principles will guide you toward the creation of a successful CLI.
By the end of this chapter, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the CLI, how best to design and implement proven, time-tested standards, and why Go, which has become an increasingly popular language, has a compelling case for being the best language to build your CLI.
In this chapter, we are going to cover the following main topics:
- A brief introduction and history of the command line
- The philosophy of CLI development
- Modern CLI guidelines
- Go for CLIs
