Reviewing CLI Applications

00:00 Command-line interface applications, also known as CLI applications, are programs that allow you to interact with a computer by typing commands into a terminal or command prompt.

00:12 And just as in the name, command-line applications require you to run them from a command-line interface.

00:19 You might already have been introduced to several command-line applications or programs if you work in the shell or terminal on your machine. There are some command-line utility programs already running on your machine.

00:31 For example, in a bash or terminal, checking what current directory you are in, using the pwd command is an example of a command-line program already running on your machine.

00:43 This prints out in the console the path to the directory you’re currently in, or listing the files on a directory in a location on your machine using the ls command.

00:54 These command-line programs often take arguments or options which adjust instructions you give to the program to run or execute specific functionalities.

01:04 For example, the ls command can also take an optional -l option, and its function is to show more details about directories and files in a given location.