In computing, an interface is a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a computer system exchange information. There are different types of interfaces in computing, including hardware interfaces and software interfaces.
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Hardware Interfaces: These are physical devices, ports, or connections that interact with the computer or other hardware device. Examples of hardware interfaces include IDE and SATA for disk drive interfaces, ATAPI for CD-ROM drives, and USB, FireWire, Ethernet, ATA/IDE, SCSI, and PCI for plugs, sockets, cables, and electrical signals.
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Software Interfaces: These are the languages, codes, and messages that programs use to communicate with each other and to the hardware. Examples of software interfaces include the Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, SMTP email, IP network protocols, and software drivers that activate peripheral devices.
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User Interfaces: These are the point of interaction between a computer and humans. They include any number of modalities of interaction, such as graphics, keyboards, mice, commands, and menus. Examples of user interfaces include the command lines in DOS and Unix, and the graphical interfaces in Windows, Mac, and Linux. The graphical user interface (GUI) is one of the best examples of an interface, and it is what users use to navigate their computer.
Interfaces allow users and manufacturers great flexibility in the implementation of computing systems. For example, a standard interface such as SCSI decouples the design and introduction of computing hardware, such as I/O devices, from the design and introduction of other components of a computing system.
