COMMAND LINE INTERFACE

The Cisco IOS command-line interface (CLI) is the primary user interface used for configuring,
monitoring, and maintaining Cisco devices. This user interface allows you to directly and simply execute
Cisco IOS commands, whether using a router console or terminal, or using remote access methods.
This chapter describes the basic features of the Cisco IOS command-line interface and how to use them.
Topics covered include navigation and editing features, help features, command history features, and
Cisco IOS command modes.
Additional user interfaces include setup mode (used for first time startup), the Cisco Web Browser, and
user menus configured by a system administrator. For information about setup mode, see the “Using
Configuration Tools” chapter of this book. For information on issuing commands using the Cisco Web
Browser, see the “Using the Cisco Web Browser” chapter of this book. For information on user-menus,
see the “Managing Connections, Menus, and System Banners” chapter of this book.
For a complete description of the user interface commands in this chapter, refer to the “Basic
Command-Line Interface Commands” chapter of the Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals Command
Reference. To locate documentation of other commands, use the command reference index or search
online.
This chapter contains information about the following command-line interface topics:
• Understanding Cisco IOS Command Modes
• Getting Context-Sensitive Help Within a Command Mode
• Checking Command Syntax
• Using CLI Command History
• Using the No and Default Forms of Commands
• Using Command-Line Editing Features and Shortcuts
• Searching and Filtering CLI Output