Command-line shell

A command-line interface (CLI), also known as a command-line shell, is a means of interacting with software via commands – each formatted as a line of text. The concept of interacting with a computer via text evolved over two decades, transitioning from physical hardware to sophisticated software. Before the CLI, computers were programmed using physical switches or punched cards. The shift toward a "command" style interaction began with the use of Teleprinters (Teletypes). Early systems like the Whirlwind I (1951) at MIT began utilizing typewriter-like inputs for direct control, moving away from batch processing where you'd hand a stack of cards to an operator and wait hours for a result. Devices like the Teletype Model 33, introduced in 1963, allowed operators to type a command and receive a printed response from the computer.