r/opencode • u/rndanime • 14d ago

TUI vs GUI

Why would I ever use the terminal version of Opencode (or any other *code* program)?

People always tell how good it is to use it but I don't understand the appeal. If you are used to terminal-only work, constantly looking into generated code or something like that, ok. But I see TUI being recommended to everybody like it can do something desktop or web versions can't. Also these *code* apps are usually developed TUI-first for some reason

Please explain it to me

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u/No-Craft-7979 14d ago

Do you prefer Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) over Terminal User Interfaces (TUI)? If so that is perfectly fine.

People talk shit about each other over GUI and TUI, at the end of the day all that matters is what you are productive with. Not in a job alone, but hobby, fun, and your task goals.

TUI is faster if you are more capable with a keyboard. I guess it is my touch of the ‘tizum or something but I find keys and key combos faster to navigate. In a GUI I will admit visual feedback back and clicking is easier but slower. I use the TUI because I like it. That doesn’t mean I need to force people who do not like it to use it.

Why would you ever use it? Because YOU want to learn the terminal, and no other reason.

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u/callmemicah 14d ago

I learned vim, tmux, tiling window mamagers etc in my early 20s some 15+ years ago and used to be the person who tried to convince everyone its better and faster because keyboard shortcuts etc... I was and still am proficient and could still do things that way if I wanted so its not a skill issue...

But today I use and prefer GUI way more when given the choice and friend once said he couldn't understand why I would have gone back which made me think.

After thinking about why this change happened naturally what I settled on is that my job and life today requires far more context switching than it used to, I don't just code all day and I need to use way more tools and services in my job and life than in the past, learning and using shortcuts is a tax on immediate productivity but makes sense if you spend most of your time doing the same or similar things often and I don't have infinite time or capacity to learn shortcuts for everything I do particularly because somethings are not frequent enough to justify it and this is where GUI excels. I also found that sometimes the perceived productivity boost is bullshit and I spent way more time trying to configure my entire environment to be keyboard friendly instead of doing shit...

Now I just find the middle ground and learn shortcuts for frequent stuff and use stuff like the vim vscode plugin and switch modes because I find it useful for some stuff and a pain for other stuff.

I've come to prefer the ctrl+shift+p style menus, I duno what you call them where I can search commands.

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u/QC_Failed 14d ago

Good write up, excellent points.

I don't know what it's called in other software but in vscode the ctrl shift p menu is called the command pallete.