Most modern application software is designed with a user friendly interface in which users interact with windows, icons, menus and pointing devices. What is this type of interface commonly called?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on the way users interact with software. Over time, computer interfaces have evolved from purely text based command lines to graphical environments with windows, icons and menus. This shift has made computers easier for non experts to use. The standard term for this style of interaction is tested frequently in basic computer literacy exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The software provides a user friendly interface.
• Users interact using windows, icons, menus and a pointing device such as a mouse.
• The question asks for the common name of this type of interface.
• Options include graphical user interface, character user interface, icon user interface, button user interface and command line interface.

Concept / Approach:
A graphical user interface, usually abbreviated as GUI, is an interface in which users interact with graphical elements rather than typing commands only. Elements include windows, icons, menus and buttons that can be clicked using a mouse or tapped on a touch screen. This definition matches the description given in the question. Character based or command line interfaces rely on text commands and do not typically use windows and icons.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key features mentioned: windows, icons, menus and pointing devices. Step 2: Recognise that this combination is often abbreviated as WIMP and is characteristic of a graphical user interface. Step 3: Recall that the term graphical user interface describes interfaces where users interact with visual elements rather than strictly textual commands. Step 4: Character user interface or command line interface refers to systems where the user enters text commands and the output is displayed as text without graphical windows and icons. Step 5: Icon user interface and button user interface are not standard terms used in textbooks, although icons and buttons are part of a GUI. Step 6: Therefore, the type of interface described is the graphical user interface.

Verification / Alternative check:
Nearly all mainstream operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, macOS and most desktop Linux distributions are described as having a graphical user interface. Manuals and tutorials explain that users can open windows, click icons and use menus rather than memorising commands. Application software like word processors, browsers and image editors all run within this graphical environment. These examples confirm that the exam question is pointing to the GUI concept.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Character user interface and command line interface emphasise text based operation without graphical elements and do not match the presence of windows and icons. Icon user interface and button user interface are not standard, formal terms and would not normally appear as correct answers in exam keys. Only graphical user interface is widely accepted and used in computer science literature and documentation.

Common Pitfalls:
Because modern users are very familiar with graphical environments, they may overlook the need to recall the formal name. Some students also assume that any interface is a GUI and forget that there are still command line tools and servers that rely heavily on text. Remembering that GUI specifically refers to windows, icons, menus and pointing devices will keep the concept clear and help in multiple choice questions.

Final Answer:
This type of interface is called a graphical user interface or GUI.