A graphical user interface (GUI) is a digital interface in which a user interacts with graphical components such as icons, buttons, and menus. In a GUI, the visuals displayed in the user interface convey information relevant to the user, as well as actions that they can take. Today, it’s hard to imagine computers without GUIs. But, there was a time when we didn’t even have a mouse cursor. Let’s look at how GUIs came to be.
A Brief History of GUIs
There was no GUI before, so people used the CLI (command-line interface) to communicate.
- The CLI was not that pleasant to use, and all the commands were not familiar to the end user. So, the interface was implemented to bridge this void.
- The GUI’s primary goal was to make the apps even more user-friendly.
- People adore it when the assignment they want to do is completed quickly and efficiently.
- The GUI emphasizes that “ease of use” is one of the essential aspects.
- The initial GUI-centric machine operating model was the Xerox 8010 Information System.
- It was designed and built at Xerox PARC by Alan Kay, Douglas Engelbart & their collaborators.
- The frequently requested GUIs are Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X until 2014.
- In mobile devices, the commonly used GUIs are Apple’s IOS & Google’s Android Interface.
Macintosh to Windows
After seeing the GUI during a visit to PARC in late 1979, a team of Apple engineers led by cofounder Steven P. Jobs were so pleased that they incorporated the concepts into two new computers, Lisa and Macintosh, which were still in the design stage. Each device came with a sleek, palm-sized mouse and a bit-mapped screen (however, for simplicity’s sake, this only had one command button, as opposed to the SRI and PARC versions’ many buttons). The software interface had icons that matched the paradigm of the Xerox desktop and used overlapping windows instead of tiling the screen. Additionally, the Apple engineers introduced their own inventions, such as a “menu bar” that can be accessed with a mouse click.
Essential elements of a graphical user interface
The following lists the required parts and how they work.
1. Pointer: It appears on the screen as a marking. The pointer then selects commands and objects.
2. Pointing instrument: It enables the user to move the pointer and select items on the screen, like a mouse or trackball.
3. Icons: It eludes to little visuals on the screen that stand in for windows, documents, commands, and other things. With the assistance of a pointer and pointing device, a user can carry out these commands.
4. Desktop: The screen that is enclosed by the icons is this.
GUI characteristics
- The graphical user interface (GUI) is easy to use.
- Tabs, a menu, pointers, and various other types of elements are among the many features that make up a graphical user interface.
- The software, the document, or a few relevant programs are represented by the icons on the user interface.
GUI’s advantages
- For novices, the user interface is rather easy to understand and uncomplicated.
- Everyone can use it because it is incredibly user-friendly and accessible.
- For the software to function, end users must commit instructions to memory.
GUI’s limitations
- Because it affects users negatively, a poor interface still presents a problem for gamers.
- A user will become confused and be less productive if the interface is difficult to use.
Graphical User Interface Examples
Sketchpad, believed to be the first graphical computer-aided design program, was developed in 1962 by Ivan Sutherland while he was at MIT, and consisted of a light pen that enabled users to create and manipulate objects in engineering drawings in real time with coordinated graphics.
Modern operating systems and graphical user interfaces are incorporated into nearly every interactive application, such as ATMs, self-service checkouts, airline self-ticketing and check-in, video games, smartphones, and desktops. Some popular, modern graphical user interface examples include Microsoft Windows, macOS, Ubuntu Unity, and GNOME Shell for desktop environments, and Android, Apple’s iOS, BlackBerry OS, Windows 10 Mobile, Palm OS-WebOS, and Firefox OS for smartphones.
The Greatest Language for Graphical User Interface Programming
Although there are a number of visual programming languages, each with special benefits for creating a graphical user interface design, C# and Java might be better choices because of their capacity to execute GUIs both as desktop applications and in a browser. Python, HTML5/Javascript, and C/C++ are more choices.
Character User Interface and Graphical User Interface Distinctions
Character user interface, sometimes referred to as command-line user interface or non-graphical user interface, is the process of interacting with a computer application using text instructions that are controlled by a command-line interpreter. Command-line interfaces are typically used by system administrators and software developers to manage computer files, configure machines, and access program capabilities that are not available through graphical user interfaces.
Compared to graphical user interfaces, character user interfaces typically offer more capability and granular control, and they facilitate automation and scripting. Up until the 1980s, the main way to utilize computers was through the character user interface.
Recognition of Speech
Software developers aggressively looked toward replacing the GUI even though it was changing during the 1990s, especially as Internet software features started to show up in broader applications. Specifically, the introduction of “computer appliances”—items that use the embedded microprocessor’s computational capabilities, like personal digital assistants, car control systems, televisions, videocassette recorders, microwaves, telephones, and even refrigerators—made it clear that new navigation and control methods were needed. These new interfaces may be more user-friendly and efficient than before by utilizing significant advancements in speech recognition and natural language processing. However, they would only expand on the revolutionary changes brought about by the graphical user interface as a means of communicating with machines.
