Graphical User Interface
(GUI) The use of pictures rather than just
words to represent the input and output of a program. A
program with a GUI runs under some {windowing system}
(e.g. The {X Window System}, {Microsoft Windows}, {Acorn}
{RISC OS}, {NEXTSTEP}). The program displays certain {icons},
{buttons}, {dialogue boxes} etc. in its {windows} on the
screen and the user controls it mainly by moving a {pointer}
on the screen (typically controlled by a {mouse}) and
selecting certain objects by pressing buttons on the mouse
while the pointer is pointing at them.
Though {Apple Computer} would like to claim they invented the
GUI with their {Macintosh} {operating system}, the concept
originated in the early 1970s at {Xerox}'s {PARC} laboratory.
Compare {command line interface}.
(1996-01-12)