Cli-gui transference is about maintaining a relationship and a consistency between gui and cli tools.
note 2024-11: I am still interested in concepts of adapting a GUI to function more like the command line. However, I definitely do not think that this particular term is worth using personally, or coining widely. This term is probably best described as another spark to remind myself of a general set of ideas.
This principle is useful when approaching os design from a holistic vantage point. In other words, neither features of the cli or gui exist in a vacuum respectively. The value of this design comes in good hindsight of problems that arise from the gui and cli being disparate in technique.
Cli-gui transference means:
- skills easily transfer between cli and gui methods
- gui methods mentor users on cli methods
- cli users easily derive gui methods
- gui users easily recognize and acquire cli conventions
This principle is useful when approaching os design from a holistic vantage point. In other words, neither features of the cli or gui exist in a vacuum respectively. The value of this design comes in good hindsight of problems that arise from the gui and cli being disparate in technique.
Good gui transference means:
- gui methods show cli conventions and terminology wherever possible
- gui methods still maintain elegance and minimalism
- cli methods are designed for discernibility, order, and derivability
