graphical user interface

   Abbreviated GUI, pronounced "[gooey]." A graphicsbased user interface that allows users to select files, programs, and commands by pointing to pictorial representations on the screen rather than by typing long, complex commands from a command prompt.

   Applications execute in windows, using a consistent set of drop-down menus, dialog boxes, and other graphical elements, such as scroll bars and icons. This consistency among interface elements is a major benefit for the user, because as soon as you learn how to use the interface in one program, you can use it in all other programs running in the same environment.

   The use of graphical elements in a user interface was pioneered at Xerox Corporation's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, at that time the hardware needed to support such a user interface was well beyond the reach of most users. In 1979, Steve Jobs of Apple Computer visited PARC and recognized the importance of the user-interface work being done; this visit led to the development of the interface for the ill-fated Apple Lisa computer, and eventually to the Apple Macintosh series of computers. Since then, GUIs have been developed for most computing environments.