Graphical user interface facts for kids

A graphical user interface (GUI) showing various elements like buttons and checkboxes

A graphical user interface, or GUI (pronounced GOO-ee), is a way for you to control electronic devices using pictures and symbols. Think of it as a visual dashboard for your computer or phone. Instead of typing commands, you click on icons, buttons, and menus. GUIs were created because typing commands into a computer (like in a command-line interface) was often tricky and hard to learn.

GUIs let you interact directly with what you see on the screen. Besides computers, you'll find GUIs on many devices you use every day. These include smartphones, MP3 players, gaming devices, and even controls for household appliances. The term GUI usually refers to flat, 2D screens that show general information, like the ones on your computer or tablet.

How GUIs Work and Look

The GUI is what you see on your computer screen. It changes based on what you do, like clicking or typing.

Designing a GUI is a big part of making software applications. The goal is to make programs easy and fun to use. This design process is called usability. Good GUI design helps you get things done quickly and easily.

The parts you see on a screen, like buttons and menus, are sometimes called chrome or GUI elements. You interact with information by using these visual tools, which are also known as widgets. A well-designed GUI has widgets that help you do exactly what you need. For example, a window usually holds the main content, like a web page. Smaller widgets, like a "Save" button, let you give commands to the computer.

GUIs can be made for specific jobs. For instance, automated teller machines (ATMs) have GUIs just for banking. Point of sale (POS) touchscreens at restaurants, self-service checkouts in stores, and information kiosks at train stations also use special GUIs. Even newer cars have GUIs for their navigation and music systems.

Examples of GUIs

• Sample graphical environments
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  GNOME Shell

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  KDE Plasma 6

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  MATE

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  Windows on an example Wayland compositor

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  Xfce

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  Enlightenment

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  Sugar

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  A twm X Window System environment

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  The dwm tiling window manager

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  Cinnamon

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  Phosh

Parts of a GUI

Layers of a GUI, showing how different parts work together.

GUIs use different technologies to help you get and create information. Over time, a common set of visual tools has developed to show computer information. This makes it easier for everyone, even those new to computers, to use software.

The most common set of GUI elements is called the WIMP paradigm. WIMP stands for:

• Windows: Separate areas on the screen for different programs or tasks.
• Icons: Small pictures that represent files, programs, or actions.
• Menus: Lists of commands or options.
• Pointer: The arrow or hand you move with a mouse or touchpad.

In the WIMP style, you use a pointing device (like a computer mouse) to move a pointer on the screen. Information is shown in windows and represented by icons. Commands are grouped in menus, and you perform actions by clicking or dragging with the pointer.

On personal computers, these elements often look like a real-life desktop. This is called a desktop environment. It's like your computer screen is a desk where you can place documents and folders.

Modern GUIs: Beyond WIMP

Smaller devices like smartphones and tablets use WIMP elements, but they adapt them for smaller screens and different ways of interacting. For example, you don't use a mouse on a phone. Newer ways of interacting are called post-WIMP UIs.

Since about 2011, many touchscreen operating systems, like Apple's iOS (on iPhones) and Android, use post-WIMP GUIs. These let you use more than one finger to interact with the screen. You can pinch to zoom or rotate things, which you can't do with just one pointer and a mouse.

How You Interact

To use a GUI, you need input devices. These include:

• A computer keyboard, often with keyboard shortcuts for quick actions.
• Pointing devices to control the pointer, like a mouse, touchpad, or trackball.
• Virtual keyboards that appear on the screen.
• Head-up displays, which show information at eye level.

History of GUIs

Early Ideas

The idea of GUIs started a long time ago. In 1963, Ivan Sutherland created Sketchpad, one of the first programs that let you draw and change things on a computer screen using a special pen. In the late 1960s, Douglas Engelbart and his team developed the On-Line System. This system used text links and a brand-new device: the mouse. A famous demonstration of NLS in 1968 is known as "The Mother of All Demos".

In the 1970s, researchers at Xerox PARC, especially Alan Kay, took these ideas further. They used a GUI as the main way to interact with the Smalltalk programming language on the Xerox Alto computer, released in 1973. Most modern GUIs come from this system.

The Xerox PARC GUI had windows, menus, radio buttons, and check boxes. Icons were added later. The Xerox Alto was the first computer with a GUI, but it was never sold to the public.

The first computer with a GUI that you could buy was the PERQ workstation in 1979. In 1981, Xerox finally sold a computer based on their ideas, called the Xerox Star. These early systems inspired many others, including the Apple Lisa in 1983 (which introduced the menu bar), and the Apple Macintosh 128K in 1984.

An Apple Lisa (1983) showing its Lisa Office System, which was Apple's first GUI available to buy.

Becoming Popular

The HP LX System Manager running on a HP 200LX handheld computer.

GUIs became a very popular topic in the early 1980s. The Apple Lisa came out in 1983. Many people wondered if GUIs were truly useful, especially because computers at the time weren't very powerful.

In 1984, Apple released a famous TV commercial during the Super Bowl, introducing the Apple Macintosh. This commercial made people think differently about computers, showing the Macintosh as a user-friendly machine for everyone.

In 1985, Commodore released the Amiga 1000. Its GUI, called Workbench, was very fast and didn't freeze up when programs were busy. It was also one of the first to have something like virtual desktops.

Windows 95 was a huge success when it launched and quickly became the most popular computer operating system.

In 2007, Apple's iPhone and later the iPad (in 2010) made multi-touch screens and post-WIMP GUIs very popular. These devices were big steps forward for mobile devices.

Today, the GUIs most people know are Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop environments for computers. For phones and tablets, popular GUIs include Android and Apple's iOS.

GUIs vs. Command-Line Interfaces

A modern Command-Line Interface (CLI). You type commands here instead of clicking icons.

A command-line interface (CLI) is a text-based way to control a computer. You type commands, and the computer responds with text. CLIs can be very powerful for complex tasks, and they use less computer power. Once you learn the commands, you can be very fast and efficient. However, learning all the commands can take a lot of time, and it's easy to make mistakes if you type a long command incorrectly.

GUIs, on the other hand, show you many visual tools (widgets) that represent commands. This makes them easier to learn and use right away. But sometimes, important settings or options can be hidden deep in menus, making them hard to find. Also, it's usually harder to automate tasks with a GUI compared to a CLI.

Most modern computer systems offer both a GUI and a CLI. While GUIs are often more visible, CLIs are still very useful for advanced users and specific tasks.

GUI Wrappers

Sometimes, a program is originally designed to work with a command-line interface. A GUI wrapper is like a friendly cover built on top of that program. It lets you use the program with a GUI instead of typing commands. This helps people who don't want to learn complex commands. With a GUI wrapper, you can click icons and buttons to start, stop, or change how the program works. Many programs, especially on Unix-like systems, offer both a command-line version and a GUI wrapper.

3D Graphical User Interfaces

Many computer environments and games use 3D graphics to make GUI objects look three-dimensional on the screen. This makes interfaces look more attractive, sometimes called "eye candy." It can also be functional, allowing for new ways to interact. For example, some systems show user switching by rotating a cube, with each side representing a different user's workspace.

While most GUIs are WIMP-based, some try different ideas. For example, zooming user interfaces (ZUIs) let you zoom in and out of content, giving you a sense of depth without getting lost. Other innovations include menus on game consoles like the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and special compositing window managers that make windows move and interact in cool ways. Augmented reality and virtual reality also use 3D GUI elements to create immersive experiences.

3D GUIs in Science Fiction

3D GUIs have been imagined in science fiction movies and books long before they were real.

• In books, 3D GUIs have been described as immersive worlds, like William Gibson's "cyberspace" and Neal Stephenson's "metaverse" with "avatars" (your digital self).
• The 1993 movie Jurassic Park showed a real-life 3D file manager from Silicon Graphics.
• The movie Minority Report featured police officers using special 3D data systems that they could control with hand gestures.

See also

In Spanish: Interfaz gráfica de usuario para niños