ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Text user interface

Do you know what a computer is? It's a machine that helps people do lots of things, like write stories or play games. But sometimes, when people use computers, they don't want to look at pictures or videos - they just want to type words and letters. That's where a text user interface (TUI) comes in!

A TUI is like a special way of using a computer that lets you type words and letters to tell it what you want it to do. Instead of clicking on buttons or pictures with a mouse or your fingers, you type your commands into a special box called a "command line" or "terminal." When you press Enter or Return, the computer does what you asked!

Some people really like using TUIs because they can be very fast and efficient, especially if you're already good at typing quickly. Sometimes TUIs are also helpful for people who are blind or can't use a mouse, because they can still use a computer by typing.

But even though TUIs seem simple, they can actually be very powerful. Instead of just telling the computer to open a program or file, you can tell it to do lots of complicated things, like search through lots of files to find the ones that have certain words in them, or copy lots of files from one place to another. It takes some practice to learn how to use a TUI, but once you do, you can feel like a really powerful computer wizard!