The text interface provides complete access to all the VMD commands. In its basic form it can be used to load molecules, rotate them, add and alter representations, and anything else that can be done with the Forms and mouse interface. The standard distribution is compiled with Tcl and the TclX and Tcl-DP extensions, which add a complete scripting language including variables, loops, and conditionals along with a standard method for communicating with other programs via standard TCP/IP sockets. Versions 1.2 and later also include the Tk toolkit and the TkX extension. This allows, for example, to quickly create a form with buttons bound to one's favorite actions (similar to popup menus, but much more flexible).
This section describes the basics of the text interface as well as the core VMD commands. A few of the Tcl commands are mentioned here, but are so noted.