Text-Based User Interfaces
Text-Based User Interfaces (TUIs) are interfaces that use text characters, rather than graphical elements, to interact with users, typically in a terminal or console environment. They include command-line interfaces (CLIs), menu-driven systems, and full-screen applications like those built with libraries such as ncurses. TUIs enable efficient, keyboard-driven interactions and are common in system administration, development tools, and legacy or resource-constrained systems.
Developers should learn TUIs for tasks requiring automation, scripting, or remote access, such as server management, data processing, and DevOps workflows, where graphical interfaces are impractical. They are essential for building lightweight applications, debugging tools, or utilities that run in terminal environments, offering fast performance and low resource usage compared to GUIs.