Xcode, CLI (Command Line Interface), and Terminal are not the same thing | Notion

1️⃣ Terminal 🖥️ (App)

The Terminal is just an application that allows you to interact with the macOS command line.
It's like a window where you can type and execute commands.
Example: Open Terminal from Spotlight (Cmd + Space, then type Terminal).

🔹 Think of Terminal as the "door" to the command line.

2️⃣ CLI (Command Line Interface) 💻

CLI stands for Command Line Interface – it's a way to interact with your computer by typing commands instead of clicking.
The Terminal is just one tool that provides access to the CLI.
Other CLIs exist, like PowerShell (Windows) or Bash (Linux/macOS).

🔹 CLI is the system, while Terminal is just a tool to access it.

3️⃣ Xcode 🛠️ (App & Developer Tool)

Xcode is a full development environment (IDE) for macOS and iOS apps.
It includes everything you need to write, compile, and debug apps.
Xcode CLI Tools (xcode-select --install) provides UNIX tools like git, gcc, make, and compilers.

🔹 Xcode is for app development, while Terminal is for executing commands.

🔍 Key Differences Table

Feature	Terminal	CLI	Xcode
Definition	App that gives access to CLI	Interface for running text-based commands	Full development environment (IDE)
Purpose	Executes commands	Controls the system using commands	Builds macOS & iOS apps
Example Command	`ls`, `cd`, `pwd`	`git`, `gcc`, `python`	GUI for coding in Swift, C, C++