In the desktop world, we have the option to use the command line: a uniform interface for a multitude of apps that would otherwise be very different when implemented as GUIs.
Using the same interface, I can move or edit files, cross out tasks on my to-do list, retrieve my password for my email account (using Bitwarden or pass), etc. All in the command line. The GUI for each of those are wildly different.
The other benefit is it is very easy to create a new command line app, as opposed to a GUI.
Is anything like this possible for the smartphone world (even if it doesn’t or will never exist)? What would it look like?
Since smartphone typing is much slower, we can’t simply reuse the command line. We’d need something different. An interface that can still support a various spectrum of different operations, yet ergonomic for a smartphone. What are your thoughts?
Great examples are already in the thread, but generally speaking the answer should be “no”. Smart phones are just slow at typing. In the case of a smart phone, hitting a button is far faster than typing a command. Not to mention our devices aren’t really being used for file management, tooling, complex work, etc. So it doesn’t even make sense to have a command line unless you’re a huge unix fan or if you are doing something quite niche. And in that case, I recommend just connecting via adb.