I draw action-lines, not thought lines

I just realized why I so strongly dislike the command line interface. I am used to completing actions by draw lines in my thoughts. I imagine dragging the mouse over the screen, pointing it at something, and clicking to perform an action.

By typing out my actions in the command line; I am being forced to think completely stationary and horizontally. I have to think like a poet, and remember how to do everything. I do not see the solutions to the problems I have before me. I have to remember them.

My number one issue with the command line is having to remember how to solve problems and perform actions. As I am used to always seeing what I have to do next, this does not go down well. The graphical user interface is like a pre-filled and templated to-do lists whilst the command line interface is like a blank sheet of paper while. Of course the latter provides more possibilities. But it is too complicated to work with if you are not entirely sure what you want to do and how to do it.

How could the command line interface be improved?

I think combining the two concepts could maybe result in a really powerfull tool. By somehow offering workflow templates and an overview of what to do in the command line; I think we may see users move back to the command line.

I have no idea of how this could be done. But I will be giving it some though as I dive deeper into the command line interface in the weeks to come! (I have to learn subversion, rsync, among other programs.)

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One comment

I can somehow understand how you feel. But for me command lines is like building up some combo's to do something extraordinary, or building up a robot with different pieces of Lego.

Thats how I find command line wonderful.

Comment by mysurface at 2007-12-24 @646.