I’m trying to study for my Computer Science course and I need some help to understand this question.
Part A:
Describe a situation in which a command language or a natural-language interface (choose only one) may be more beneficial for users than other input methods would be. Include the intended audience, the main purpose of the application, and why a command language or a natural-language interface would be more suitable for this situation. Be sure your description is well organized and includes at least two examples.
Part B:
In response to your peers, extend the conversation by providing additional insight and asking any clarifying questions.
Peer 1 post: I hope everyone is safe and well. Let us take the situation of Alexa, it allows the user to communicate using human language instead of having the user use programming language to get the result they want. The intended audience for this application is between the ages of 16-60 years old. Alexa allows its users to do almost anything they do with their phone such as set alarms, stream podcasts it can also play music and read documents. Alexa can also provide weather forecasts and show how the traffic looks like. It is also used to control the home security systems, it can lock and open door as well as turn on/off the house lights.
A natural language interface is more beneficial for users in situations that allows the user to interact with their device operating system using their voice and spoken language. Another example for a natural-language interface would be more suitable for this situation is, Alexa being suitable for users with physical disabilities and other movement problems, Alexa is able to listen to the statement and find results effectively and efficiently.
Peer 2 Post: Being a developer, I will discuss the command language as it relates to operating systems and programming languages. When I began my interest in computers in 1985, the command line was about it. MS-DOS was the norm, as the GUI really wasn’t mainstream yet. Computer users were definitely in shorter supply because a command language definitely has a higher learning curve and is aimed at a more advanced user. Also at the time, I began my programming interest with the BASIC language. Programming is definitely a situation that warrants a command line interface because of the sheer number of commands available. Menu selection would not be feasible, nor would natural-language input. Tools used for programming, or integrated development environments (IDE), have greatly improved over the years by offering auto-complete or predictive typing, which helps tremendously. As far as operating systems are concerned, the command language with roots in MS-DOS still exists in Microsoft Windows. There is also a cross-platform .NET command line tool called PowerShell. As others mentioned, these are still relevant for administrators and expert users for performing deeper, more advanced system functions, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.
