Editing Interface (computing) (section)

{{Short description|Shared boundary between elements of a computing system}}

In computing, an '''interface''' is a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a [[computer system]] exchange information. The exchange can be between [[software]], [[computer hardware]], [[peripheral|peripheral devices]], [[User interface|humans]], and combinations of these.<ref name="HookwayInterface14">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BQM_AwAAQBAJ |chapter=Chapter 1: The Subject of the Interface |title=Interface |author=Hookway, B. |publisher=MIT Press |pages=1–58 |year=2014 |isbn=9780262525503}}</ref> Some computer hardware devices, such as a [[touchscreen]], can both send and receive data through the interface, while others such as a mouse or microphone may only provide an interface to send data to a given system.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia
 | year = 2000
 | title = IEEE 100 - The Authoritative Dictionary Of IEEE Standards Terms 
 | publisher = IEEE Press
 | location = NYC, NY, USA
 | isbn = 9780738126012
 | pages = 574–575}}</ref>