A term describing a program whose input and output are iNTerleaved, like a conversation, allowing the user' s input to depend on earlier output from the same run. The iNTeraction with the user is usually conducted through either a text-based iNTerface or a graphical user iNTerface. Other kinds of iNTerface, e.g. using speech recognition and/or speech syNThesis, are also possible. This is in coNTrast to batch processing where all the input is prepared before the program runs and so cannot depend on the program' s output. (1996-06-21)