Introduction

What is the Command Line?

The Command Line Interface (CLI) is a means of interacting with a computer via text commands. While it seems that the CLI is archaic compared to GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) it’s actually a very powerful tool for interacting with files and programs, and many of the tasks we need to complete as programmers will happen via command line.

To get your command line program running on your computer, complete one of the following sets of instructions.

Once command is running, continue to the Command Line Primer.

Mac - Terminal

Mac comes with a command line program called Terminal. To locate and open it, type terminal into Spotlight.

Windows - Git Bash

Windows comes with a couple built-in command line programs (Command Prompt, PowerShell), but they don’t have the functionality we’ll need.

Instead, you should download Git for Windows, which includes Git Bash, a command line program that will fit our needs for this course.

Download here:

→ https://git-scm.com/downloads

Before running the installer, skim through the following screenshots showing the installation process with my notes.