Command (computing)

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In computing, a command is a directive to a computer program to perform a specific task. It may be issued via a command-line interface or as input to a network service as part of a network protocol, or as an event triggered in a graphical user interface.

Specifically, the term command is used in imperative programming languages. The name arises because statements in these languages are usually written in a manner similar to the imperative mood used in many natural languages. A statement in an imperative programming language would then be a sentence in a natural language, and the command would be the predicate.

Many programs allow specifically formatted arguments, known as flags or options, which modify the default behaviour of the program, while further arguments may provide objects, such as files, to act on. As an analogy to a natural language, the flags are adverbs, while the other arguments are objects.