Command line. Some are afraid of it. Some hate it. And some just love it.

I am neither of them. I consider tools I use in my everyday live to be just tools and I use them if they do solve the problem. If I need a graphical design – I will probably use the Photoshop or Gimp. If I need to edit a text I may use Word. If I need to work with Maven dependencies I will use the Command line.

So let’s treat it, the Command line, just as any another tool or program. Gimp. Word. Command line. When you need Word, you use Word. When you need Command line, you use Command line. Does it make sense? It is not something from the other world. It is a tool.

When to use a command line

Then comes the next big question – when to use the command line. Well, it is usually not used by simple users who just browse the internet or make a PowerPoint presentation. It is mostly used by developers and system administrators to automate or speed up certain tasks. It is like digging the ground yourself or let an excavator do it.

I personally have used it and find it a perfect tool for the following:

• running commands of Git (which is a code version control system saving the history of your code)
• automation scripts and helper scripts
• package managers (Maven, Node package manager)
• connecting to the server, executing the commands there, editing text files there
• taking advantage of the developer tools – such as Phonegap, Grunt, Less, Sass, Javascript minification, etc.
• Developing and configuring the web: server configuration, WordPress, Drupal development and management.

If you don’t know some of the tools above – don’t worry, I am planning on covering these in the upcoming articles. Most of them are just amazing helpers that will make your life easier.

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