This article is about the concept in computing. For the metric in economics, seeGenuine progress indicator.
Aprogress indicator is an element of acommand-line interface, atextual user interface, or agraphical user interface that is intended to inform the user that an operation is in progress, to reassure that the system is not hung or waiting for user input,and often to provide the user with an estimate of how far through a task the system has progressed.
Aprogress bar, a typically horizontal bar which is gradually filled with a color as the process completes.
Athrobber, an image in a program's interface which animates to show that the software is busy.
Asplash screen, covering all or most of the computer screen while a program is loading.
Turning themouse pointer into an hourglass or aspinning pinwheel to indicate to the user that they should not click anything until the active process is complete.
A simple textualpercentage figure, common inCLI applications.
A growing row of dots indicating the progress in loading a file (as done in someboot sectors and text-mode operating systems) i.e. "Loading......".
