TUI

TUI (Text User Interface) is a retronym that was coined sometime after the invention of graphical user interfaces, to distinguish them from text based user interfaces. TUIs only use text and symbols available on a typical text terminal, while GUIs typically use high resolution graphics modes.

In the unix world, TUIs are often constructed using (n)curses.

ANSI standard ANSI X3.64 defines a standard set of escape sequences that can be used to drive terminals to create TUIs.