In
human–computer interaction
Human–computer interaction (HCI) is research in the design and the use of computer technology, which focuses on the interfaces between people (users) and computers. HCI researchers observe the ways humans interact with computers and design tec ...
, a command verb is a
verb
A verb () is a word (part of speech) that in syntax generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual descri ...
that appears in a
user interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...
and is used for the user to tell the computer to do something (rather than vice versa). For instance, the words "edit" and "view" and "help" that appear in the
Web browser
A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used on ...
menu are all clearly verbs. Other items such as "file" or "favorites" or "tools" are nouns, but the verb appears in the submenu, for instance, "save", "open", "send", "treat", "add to", or "organize".
A
Web page typically includes a few such verbs also, typically including "search", "log in" and perhaps "edit this page".
A reflexive user interface is one in which commands and perhaps other controls are defined in the interface itself.
User interfaces
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