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Command Line Glossary

This glossary defines terms commonly used by or associated with the command line interface (CLI).

Argument - Data passed to a command for processing. File paths are a common argument.

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Bash - The Bourne Again SHell is a POSIX compliant shell used to interact with the underlying operating system.

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Command - Any program, script, or shell built-in that is accessible from the command line interface.

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Command Line Interface (CLI) - A text-based terminal for interacting with programs and the underlying operating system.

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​​Flag - See Option

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Minus - The minus character [ - ] is used in Linux to specify options for commands. For example ls -l

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​​Option - Use to changed the behavior of a command. Command options are often specified using a minus in Linux and a forward-slash in Windows.

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Parameter - See Argument

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Pipe - The pipe character [ | ] is used in Windows and Linux to redirect the output of one command into another command.

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POSIX - The Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) is a set of standards used to enable operating system interoperability.

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Redirect - Rerouting of stdout and or stderr to a file rather than the screen.

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stderr - See Standard Error

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stdin - See Standard In

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stdout - See Standard Out

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Standard Error - Error and warning information that is output from a command and typically displayed to the screen.

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Standard In - Input from the keyboard or other source that is provided to the shell or a command.

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Standard Out - Output from a command that is typically displayed to the screen.

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Switch - See Option

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Tac/Tack - See Minus

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