unwindowed

Unwindowed is an adjective used to describe something lacking a window or not using a windowing construct. In general English usage, it can refer to a building or room without windows (windowless), as well as to software or systems that operate without a graphical window.

In computing, unwindowed commonly describes software that runs without a graphical user interface, typically in a text-only environment or in a headless server. Such programs interact via the command line, a terminal, or network interfaces rather than through GUI windows. The term contrasts with windowed applications that rely on overlapping or resizable windows managed by a window manager. In some toolkits, a difference is described as "headless" or "non-GUI" mode rather than strictly "unwindowed," but the idea is the same: no window is created for the application.

In signal processing, unwindowed refers to data or analysis that has not had a window function applied to it before performing spectral analysis. Without a window, the discrete Fourier transform tends to exhibit higher spectral leakage; windowing is usually applied to reduce artifacts.

In architecture and design, an unwindowed space is one without external openings; windowless rooms appear in specialized contexts such as secure facilities, data centers, some galleries, or certain performance spaces where external light is restricted.

See also: windowing (signal processing), headless software, terminal, console, window manager, windowless architecture.