A graphical user interface (GUI, pronounced GOO ee) enables users to interact with a computer graphically by using a mouse (or equivalent device) and keyboard to make choices from pull-down menus and groups of icons on a display screen. Most GUIs provide a "window" display format to represent inputs and outputs, enabling the user to organize files and applications. A GUI provides control not only of menu choices but also of the layout, size, and contents of one or more on-screen windows or working areas. A pointer on the screen is moved to text or pictures on the screen (e.g., by moving a mouse or a finger on a motion-sensing pad) and buttons are pressed to select objects while the pointer is pointing at them.

A GUI is intended to simplify the use of computer programs, and has become the standard...