What is "interface"

interface \interface\ n.

1. a surface forming a common boundary between two things, especially between two fluids. [WordNet sense 1]

2. (Computers) hardware that links one device with another (especially a computer). [WordNet sense 2]

3. (Computers) That part of a computer program which controls the way a program interacts with a user; the manner of inputting and outputting of data, and the way information is presented on a computer monitor; also called user interface; as, a graphical user interface; a character-based interface.

1882 (n.), 1967 (v.), from inter- + face. Related: Interfaced; interfacing.

n. 1 The point of interconnection between entities. 2 (context chemistry physics English) A thin layer or boundary between different substances or two phases of a single substance. 3 (context computing English) The point of interconnection between systems or subsystems. 4 (context computing English) The connection between a user and a machine. 5 (context computing object-oriented English) The connection between parts of software. 6 (context computing object-oriented English) In object-oriented programming, a piece of code defining a set of operations that other code must implement. vb. 1 (context transitive English) to construct an interface for, to connect through an interface 2 (context intransitive English) to be an interface, to be into an interface

1. n. (chemistry) a surface forming a common boundary between two things (two objects or liquids or chemical phases)

2. (computer science) a program that controls a display for the user (usually on a computer monitor) and that allows the user to interact with the system [syn: user interface]

3. the overlap where two theories or phenomena affect each other or have links with each other; "the interface between chemistry and biology"

4. (computer science) computer circuit consisting of the hardware and associated circuitry that links one device with another (especially a computer and a hard disk drive or other peripherals) [syn: port]

Interface may refer to:

In computing, an interface is a shared boundary across which two separate components of a computer system exchange information. The exchange can be between software, computer hardware, peripheral devices, humans and combinations of these. 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.

Interface is a 1994 novel by Neal Stephenson and George Jewsbury and originally published under the pseudonym Stephen Bury. Reprints of the novel have credited the work to Stephen Bury and J. Frederick George, and more recently to Stephenson and George. It is a thriller, set in the then-future year of 1996 when a shadowy coalition bent on controlling the world economy attempts to manipulate a candidate for president of the United States through the use of a computer biochip brain implant. It was described by writer Cory Doctorow in 2007 as an "underappreciated masterpiece".

In the physical sciences, an interface is a surface forming a common boundary among two different phases of matter, such as an insoluble solid and a liquid, two immiscible liquids, a liquid and an insoluble gas or a liquid and vacuum. The importance of the interface depends on the type of system: the bigger the quotient area/volume, the more effect the surface phenomena will have. Therefore, interfaces are very important in systems with big area to volume ratios, such as colloids.

Interfaces can be flat or curved. For example, oil droplets in a salad dressing are spherical but the interface between water and air in a glass of water is mostly flat.

Surface tension is the physical property which rules interface processes involving liquids. For a liquid film on flat surfaces, the liquid-vapor interface keeps flat to minimize interfacial area and system free energy. For a liquid film on rough surfaces, the surface tension tends to keep the meniscus flat, while the disjoining pressure makes the film conformal to the substrate. The equilibrium meniscus shape is a result of the competition between the capillary pressure and disjoining pressure.

Interfaces may cause various optical phenomena, such as refraction. Optical lenses serve as an example of a practical application of the interface between glass and air.

One important interface is the gas liquid interface between aerosols and other atmospheric molecules.

"Interface" is the 155th episode of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the third episode of the seventh season.

In this episode, Geordi La Forge uses an experimental interface to his VISOR to try to reach his missing mother, a Starfleet captain.

Interface is an electronic music group based on Long Island, New York. It was founded in 1993 by Eric Eldredge (keyboards, sequences, and vocals). Its career has been lined with a steady output of songs and dance remixes for other artists and several lineup shifts. Each of its three albums to date display a blend of various styles of electronic music, most notably trance, synthpop, electro-industrial and aggrotech, with a strong sense of melody and songwriting.

Interface is the debut album by Dominion. It was released in 1996 on Peaceville Records.

In communication studies, the notion of an interface in the work environment is used for a point of interaction between a number of systems or work groups. In the manufacturing environment, the coordination and interaction between several work groups is used to communicate plans and control production activity. This interaction can be schedules, human interactions, computer systems, or any other medium of communication. A physical interface is the interconnection between two items of hardware or machinery.

An interface in the Java programming language is an abstract type that is used to specify a behaviour that classes must implement. They are similar to protocols. Interfaces are declared using the interface keyword, and may only contain method signature and constant declarations (variable declarations that are declared to be both [[Static_variable#Static_Variables_as_Class_Variables|static]] and [[Final (Java)|final]]). All methods of an Interface do not contain implementation (method bodies) as of all versions below Java 8. Starting with Java 8, default and static methods may have implementation in the interface definition.

Interfaces cannot be instantiated, but rather are implemented. A class that implements an interface must implement all of the methods described in the interface, or be an abstract class. Object references in Java may be specified to be of an interface type; in each case, they must either be null, or be bound to an object that implements the interface.

One benefit of using interfaces is that they simulate multiple inheritance. All classes in Java must have exactly one base class, the only exception being (the root class of the Java type system); multiple inheritance of classes is not allowed. However, an interface may inherit multiple interfaces and a class may implement multiple interfaces.

Interface is a 1984 horror movie. It starred John Davies, Lauren Lane, and Mathew Sacks. It is notable for providing Lou Diamond Phillips his first film role, as Punk #1. Primarily directed by Andy Anderson, Interface was a production of Anderson's film program at the University of Texas at Arlington. The film was scripted, acted, and initially directed entirely by UTA students.

The movie takes place on a fictional college campus. Davies, starring as a professor, discovers a secret society of masked hackers on campus; they seemingly kill his star pupil. Hobson attempts to uncover and neutralize the society, even as he himself becomes a suspect in his student's death.

Interface is a quarterly open access scientific journal published by the Electrochemical Society covering developments in electrochemistry and solid-state chemistry, as well as news and information about and for members of the society.