Definition
Plain language
The text-based way of telling a computer what to do by typing commands.
As stated in the literature
Command-Line Interface — the text-driven interaction surface for programs and operating systems.
Why it matters: Text-driven interfaces are the most reliable surface for agents to control software, since they're easier to parse and verify than pixels.
For example, an AI agent uses the CLI to run 'git status' and read the output instead of clicking around in a graphical Git tool.
Heard on the show
“And the part that makes this a paradigm result and not a lucky-champion result: every CLI configuration they tried stayed competitive.”Episode 157 — When an AI Coding Agent Drives a Phone Through the Terminal, No Screen Needed