A Similarity-Based Hypertext Browser for Reading the Unix Network News

HyperNews is a prototype user interface to reading the articles coming in over the Unix network news. HyperNews automatically constructs hypertext links between articles which are part of a stream of articles commenting on each other, and it also constructs links to articles outside these streams if they are considered related to the current article according to a similarity rating based on an information retrieval formula.     

Augmented reality agents for user interface adaptation

Most augmented reality (AR) applications are primarily concerned with letting a user browse a 3D virtual world registered with the real world. More advanced AR interfaces let the user interact with the mixed environment, but the virtual part is typically rather finite and deterministic. In contrast, autonomous behavior is often desirable in ubiquitous computing (Ubicomp), which requires the computers embedded into the environment to adapt to context and situation without explicit user intervention. We present an AR framework that is enhanced by typical Ubicomp features by dynamically and proactively exploiting previously unknown applications and hardware devices, and adapting the appearance of the user interface to persistently stored and accumulated user preferences. Our framework explores proactive computing, multi‐user interface adaptation, and user interface migration. We employ mobile and autonomous agents embodied by real and virtual objects as an interface and interaction metaphor, where agent bodies are able to opportunistically migrate between multiple AR applications and computing platforms to best match the needs of the current application context. We present two pilot applications to illustrate design concepts. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A light-weight UIMS

We built a limited but successful user interface management system named HYPE which supports rapid interactive creation and organization of user interfaces for a large class of applications. HYPE is targeted at applications for which the user interface is only loosely coupled to the application. Examples of this class of application are ‘command line-driven’ programs. Many applications in this class can be quickly given satisfactory direct-manipulation interfaces with little or no reprogramming of the application. The programmer need only be familiar with HYPE, and not with the particular windowing system upon which it sits.

• 1 The appearance of the interface is specified interactively through the direct manipulation of interface components.
• 2 The behaviour of the interface is programmed with an interpreted procedural language which can send and receive messages and invoke system services. In particular, it can execute applications.
• 3 The structure of the interface is a tree of potentially-visible objects which communicate with the user, the system, and each other through message passing. The tree structure facilitates grouping interfaces for related applications, or families of applications, into a single master interface.

Visual layout, tree-building, behaviour assignment (programming) and execution of the interface all occur within HYPE, a conjunction that makes it a powerful prototyping tool.     

General-purpose modular hardware and software framework for mobile outdoor augmented reality applications in engineering

This paper presents a reusable, general-purpose, mobile augmented reality (AR) framework developed to address the critical and repetitive challenges specific to visualization in outdoor AR. In all engineering applications of AR developed thus far, basic functionality that supports accurate user registration, maximizes the range of user motion, and enables data input and output has had to be repeatedly re-implemented. This is primarily due to the fact that designed methods have been traditionally custom created for their respective applications and are not generic enough to be readily shared and reused by others. The objective of this research was to remedy this situation by designing and implementing a reusable and pluggable hardware and software framework that can be used in any AR application without the need to re-implement low-level communication interfaces with selected hardware. The underlying methods of hardware communication as well as the object-oriented design (OOD) of the reusable interface are presented. Details on the validation of framework reusability and pluggability are also described.     

SX/Tools - An Open Design Environment for Adaptable Multimedia User Interfaces

In this paper a brief review of user interface management systems (UIMSs) and their advantages is given. Shortcomings of current UIMSs and open requirements imposed by industrial application areas are outlined. Among the most important requirements are uniform design mechanisms independent of interaction media, techniques, and styles as well as a straight forward end-user adaptability of user interfaces. A new approach to interactive interface construction, called “direct composition”, is introduced. In this approach all interface objects contain the means for their own modification and design and therefore offer consistent interaction techniques for both the construction and usage of user interfaces. Moreover, end-user adaptability is an inherent feature of direct composition interfaces. The user interface design environment SX/Tools is described to exemplify specific properties of user interface management systems following the principle of direct composition. The impacts of direct composition on user interface design include a uniform interface development process covering tool development, interface development, and “on-usage” interface adaptation. It is argued that the direct composition approach can overcome many of the problems with traditional UIMSs.     

基于场景的笔式界面设计工具的设计和实现

设计实现了一个基于数字笔的用户界面设计工具,该工具以面向笔式界面领域,基于场景的设计思想来设计系统中的界面场景组织关系以及场景之间的动态切换方式,设计者与工具间的交互自然流畅、快捷高效。通过手势识别技术,该工具可以将场景的设计结果转换为内部的界面描述语言,并通过相应的解释最终构造生成笔式用户界面。该工具可以快速生成界面原型,从而有效地提高了笔式交互系统的设计和开发效率。     

A Methodology And Tool Set For Supporting The Development Of Graphical User Interfaces

A methodology and tool set for building application (assumed to be inherently non-graphical) software with graphical user interface is described. Initially, pure application software is built from a set of basic building blocks; subsequently, graphical representations for application objects are defined without direct coding and then the graphical user interface is generated automatically. This paper concentrates on the graphical representation aspects of the user interface. Portability, configurability and sound software engineering principles are major considerations in the design of the overall system architecture. The prototype implementation is based on VDM (Vienna Development Method), Object-based Design, GKS (Graphical Kernel System) and the programming language ADA. An example from CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) is used to illustrate the methodology presented here.     

一种基于Linux的图形用户接口的设计与实现

介绍一种采用标准C语言开发的Linux图形用户接口设计思想与实现方法,提供简单易用的图形用户编程接口,在此基础上用户可以高效便捷地开发出具有良好可移植性的图形界面应用程序。     

一个面向对象的交互式图形工具箱OOIGT

在开发交互式图形应用过程中，一个主要难题是如何表示和建立代表应用模型数据及操作的图形对象并提供直接操作的交互方式，另一个难题是如何有效地表示和管理图形对象之间的关系。ＯＯＩＧＴ是作者设计和实现的一个交互式图形建造工具箱，其目的是为解决上述个有效的解，ＯＯＩＧＴ提供了一相可扩充，用于表示应用模型并集成了事件模型的图形对象集，使应用不人需定义对象，而毋须了解如何作图，且容易处理在这些对象上的交互式直     

Reusing single-user applications to create collaborative multi-member applications

In contrast to single-user applications, most collaborative multi-member applications have been developed as vehicles for investigating various research issues, and even existing commercial collaborative multi-member applications have not widely accepted by end-users. The paper will describe an innovative approach and relative techniques that can be used to convert existing single-user applications into collaborative applications, without modifying the source code and knowledge of the API of the original single-user applications. The main idea is that user events occurring through the interactions with the application can be caught, distributed, and reconstructed. This approach and supporting techniques were tested in the process of transparently converting a single-user AutoCAD application into a real-time collaborative AutoCAD application called CoAutoCAD, which not only retains the original function and user interface of the single-user AutoCAD application, but supports group collaboration capabilities as well.     

Designing and implementing multi-user applications: A case study

We have developed a new multi-user application that integrates and extends the concepts in a variety of current multi-user applications. It allows multiple users to store, retrieve and browse through information, communicate information both synchronously and asynchronously, create ‘pipes’ of consistent, editable and persistent views, and interactively specify handlers for events. It has been implemented using the experimental technologies of distributed objects and multi-user editor generation. Our work on this application suggests a new and practical model for designing and implementing multi-user applications. In this paper, we describe the user interface and implementation of the application, give the rationale for our design choices, describe our experience with the tools and techniques used in the implementation, and present conclusions and directions for future work.     

Piranha: a CORBA tool for high availability

Despite the most careful planning, system applications can be dogged by unexpected failures. Our firm is keenly aware of the need for availability. To help meet that need, I developed an experimental CORBA-based restart service and monitor called Piranha, which both monitors and manages distributed applications to help systems attain high availability. First, Piranha acts as a network monitor that reports failures through a graphical user interface. Second, Piranha acts as a manager: it automatically restarts failed CORBA objects, replicates stateful objects (objects that maintain an internal set of values) on-the-fly, migrates objects from one host to another and enforces predefined replication degrees-numbers of copies-on groups of objects. As a backdrop to the discussion of Piranha's design and implementation, this article first examines the ways in which a CORBA ORB should support availability. I then explain how Piranha affords availability     

CRITON: A Hypermedia Design Tool

The WWW has turned into a development and run-time environment for large-scale and complex applications. Such sophisticated applications are being deployed in increasing numbers without having been developed according to appropriate methodologies, tools and quality standards. The reason is not only that the hypermedia industry resists to utilize formal methods, but also that these methods and corresponding tools are very few and of dubious standards. The consequence is that the hypermedia applications being developed are of poor functionality and lack qualities such as modifiability, usability and maintainability. Especially the design phase is one of the phases that lack sufficient support from methods and CASE tools. This paper presents CRITON, a cross platform tool, built to support a hypermedia design method within an integrated environment. CRITON manages all three aspects of hypermedia design: conceptual design, navigational design and graphical user interface design, utilizing well-established theories and practices from software as well as hypermedia engineering. It employs these designs to generate a preliminary, exemplary form of the hypermedia application for the purpose of assessing the designs before the implementation phase.     

A Domain Knowledge Driven Approach for User Interface Software Development

A domain knowledge driven user interface development approach is described.As a conceptual design of the user interface,the domain knowledge defines the user interface in terms of objects,actions and their relationships that the user would use to interact with the application system.It also serves as input to a user interface management system (UIMS) and is the kernel of the target user interface.The principal ideas and the implementation techniques of the approach is discussed.The user interface model,user interface designer oriented high-level specification notatiopn,and the transformation algorithms on domain knowledge are presented.     

An overview of a graphical multilanguage applications environment

A programming environment to support the development and use of engineering applications is presented. The environment provides uniform support for a set of Pascal-class languages in which engineering and scientific applications are commonly written. The environment includes a dynamically multilanguage interpreter debugger to aid in the interactive development of applications. For the application and user, the environment provides a graphical program interface based on the concept of a software control panel. Through a control panel, the user may interactively modify program parameters and exercise fine-grain control over program execution. The environment also includes a graphical design tool for constructing executable block diagrams based on standard application programs. The control-panel tool is integrated with the design tool, to provide a uniform interface to all levels of program execution     

MOG user interface builder: a mechanism for integrating application and user interface

Tools which provide graphical editing techniques for the design of user interface presentations are increasingly commonplace. Such tools vary widely in the mechanisms used to define user interfaces and while some are general purpose, others are targeted at particular application domains. Designers faced with varying requirements must choose one tool and live with its shortcomings, purchase a number of different tools, or implement their own. The paper describes an approach to facilitating the latter by providing a library of augmented user interface components called MOG objects which embody both end-user and editing semantics. User interface design tools based on this approach need only provide mechanisms for composing MOG objects into user interfaces and the addition of any other, higher-level functionality. MOG-based user interfaces retain an in-built editing capability and are inherently tailorable.     

The Design and Implementation of a Cooperative Design-view Environment for Interactive Partitioning Applications

This paper presents a cooperative design-view environment for interactive partitioning applications. This environment provides the user with a comprehensive viewing facility that describes the potentially complex relationships between various design objects. Using this environment, the user is able to evaluate and analyse design results visually throughout the entire partitioning process. We have developed a graphical user interface (GUI) environment for the InterPar system which supports mixed automatic and manual partitioning for multiple-field programmable gate array (FPGA) designs. The preliminary experiments have shown that the use of InterPar may lead to a new direction for the exploration of new partitioning approaches based on the circuit-structure analysis.     

Knowledge visualization: A new framework for interactive graphic interface design

Diagrams communicate massive amounts of information at a glance. Complex domains can be simplified and extended with diagrammatic notations. Computational systems can certainly benefit from the use of diagrams. However, graphic interfaces are difficult and time consuming to write. We need a way of shortening the graphic-interface building cycle so that it is relatively easy and fast to add a graphic interface to any application that may benefit from it.A general-purpose, graphic-interface-building tool kit that a designer or user, not a programmer, can use to design and attach graphic interfaces to applications can greatly speed up and lower the costs of adding graphics to systems. In this paper, I describe a new framework for interactive graphic interface design. The framework will enable graphic-interface-building tools which are general purpose, inter-active, and application-specific.The framework consists of a taxonomy (ontology) of visual properties that span sub-object properties, full objects, and the relationships between objects. The taxonomy forms a skeleton on which to hang methods for manipulating these visual properties, objects, relations, and composites. The methods consist of the generation of prototypes, the recognition of properties in objects, and mouse manipulation functions for modifying properties in an object. Further characteristics of the framework are that the properties are composable, that objects can be explicitly, incrementally described through repeated composition and application of recognition methods, and that the composition of properties to form more fully described and more complex objects is recursive. This makes the framework and the objects within it quite flexible, incremental, uniform, and modular.     

Spatial orientation in 3-D desktop displays: using rooms for organizing information

Understanding how spatial knowledge is acquired is important for spatial navigation and for improving the design of 3-D perspective interfaces. Configural spatial knowledge of object locations inside rooms is learned rapidly and easily (Colle & Reid, 1998), possibly because rooms afford local viewing in which objects are directly viewed or, alternatively, because of their structural features. The local viewing hypothesis predicts that the layout of objects outside of rooms also should be rapidly acquired when walls are removed and rooms are sufficiently close that participants can directly view and identify objects. It was evaluated using pointing and sketch map measures of configural knowledge with and without walls by varying distance, lighting levels, and observation instructions. Although within-room spatial knowledge was uniformly good, local viewing was not sufficient for improving spatial knowledge of objects in different rooms. Implications for navigation and 3-D interface design are discussed. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design of user interfaces, especially interfaces with 3-D displays.     

The Amulet environment: new models for effective user interfacesoftware development

The Amulet user interface development environment makes it easier for programmers to create highly interactive, graphical user interface software for Unix, Windows and the Macintosh. Amulet uses new models for objects, constraints, animation, input, output, commands, and undo. The object system is a prototype instance model in which there is no distinction between classes and instances or between methods and data. The constraint system allows any value of any object to be computed by arbitrary code and supports multiple constraint solvers. Animations can be attached to existing objects with a single line of code. Input from the user is handled by “interactor” objects which support reuse of behavior objects. The output model provides a declarative definition of the graphics and supports automatic refresh. Command objects encapsulate all of the information needed about operations, including support for various ways to undo them. A key feature of the Amulet design is that all graphical objects and behaviors of those objects are explicitly represented at run time, so the system can provide a number of high level built-in functions, including automatic display and editing of objects, and external analysis and control of interfaces. Amulet integrates these capabilities in a flexible and effective manner