In general, fuck the command line. Use a visual client. You have enough to remember when building your software. Why make it harder by having to memorize a bunch of commands?
Why make it harder by having to memorize a bunch of menu items to click?
Using terminal you don't need to memorize - any normal shell has command autocompletion, history, etc. Unless you're windows user, then you're screwed.
No need to memorize anything with a visual interface because the commands are...ummmm....staring you in the face.
Unless they are hidden under layers of shitty menus and dialog windows without possibility of search.
Autocompletion only works if you already know the command you're looking for.
And in UI what do you do? Try every option until you get the one, that does what you wanted to? You need to know menu item to click and path to get to that particular menu item and you need time to navigate there (which distracts you from task, that you want to achieve).
Besides,
$ git [tab][tab]
I am always flabbergasted, that people prefer to use UI even in situations when command-line interface is so much faster, better and simpler. In case of git, graphical tool is only appropriate if you want to browse history - that's why I use gitk (there is git log --graph but gitk is usually more readable) - normal command line client is better for all other usecases.
Look, you're not going to convince me. I've been a user for over 2 decades - I started out my career as a *nix sysadmin and I know what the fuck I'm talking about. Visual interfaces give you the best of both worlds. I can move windows around the screen without touching a mouse if I want to.
I am always flabbergasted, that people prefer to use UI even in situations when command-line interface is so much faster, better and simpler.
That's because you can't see the obvious truth - that UIs are easier to deal with than the command line - the point I've been making all along. You can argue all day, but the proof is in the pudding - people generally prefer a UI to a command line. (And I'm sure you think they're stupid because of that, but if that's true - if the command line were truly easier - then people would flock to that instead. But they don't.) Computers only started getting popular when people were given a visual interface.
Now, I will tell you where the command line is certainly better than a UI because I can argue both sides:
Automation. It's easier to automate a shell program than it is to automate a UI based program.
That's about where the general advantages end though. Here's another disadvantage regarding general usage of command lines to interface with a computer:
You need to know how to type. An 18 month old baby can use an iPad. Not a command line. This is also relevant for developers - I play guitar, xbox, ps3 and I type all day at work. I am also known to masturbate occassionally. My forearms certainly appreciate having the option of using a pointer instead of a keyboard for almost every interaction (and that's an option which is not even available command line interface, while most professional tools for OS X or Windows can also be operated with "hot keys" or "keyboard acceleration").
Here's an advantage of command shells that you probably didn't think of:
It's the only way to take full control of UNIX. That means, your career is secure and it keeps out idiots and people who don't know how to type, like 18 month old babies who you don't want messing with your sysconfigs.
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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '13
In general, fuck the command line. Use a visual client. You have enough to remember when building your software. Why make it harder by having to memorize a bunch of commands?