User interface modeling in UMLi

Although user interfaces represent an essential part of software systems, the Unified Modeling Language )UML) seems to have been developed with little specific attention given to user interface issues. Several researchers have investigated integrating interface modeling techniques with UML. In UML, one models tasks using extended activity diagrams rather than by incorporating a completely new notation into UML. UMLi also addresses the relationships between use cases, tasks, and views, and thoroughly addresses the relationship between tasks and the data on which they act. UMLi is probably the most technically mature proposal for interface development in UML.     

X: Why Z?

Window management systems are now used extensively for user interfaces to computer systems. In particular, X11 has come to dominate the workstation market as a widely accepted industry standard on many different hardware platforms. However, no formal standard currently exists for this window system, both in terms of an international standards body (although this is being addressed), and in terms of a precise (mathematical) specification of what the interface is intended to do. This paper advocates the use of a formal notation to describe such an important system to avoid ambiguity and undesired or unintended variations between different implementations of the same system. Theformal notation used for demonstration purposes, Z, is based on set theory, and has been developed at the Programming Research Group in Oxford.     

Software environment architectures and user interface facilities

The authors discuss the demands and constraints on a user interface management system for a software environment, and the relation between the architecture of the environment and the user interface management system. A model for designing user interface management systems for large extensible environments is presented. This model synthesizes several recent advances in user interfaces and specializes them to the domain of software environments. The model can be applied to a wide variety of environment contexts. A prototype implementation is described     

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.     

Micro—UIDT：用户界面的开发工具

本文将介绍用户界面的开发工具:Micro-UIDT。该系统为用户界面的设计者提供交互式设计环境,所提供的进行用户界面设计的设计语言为一种非过程、图示语言。其中,进行用户界面的人-机对话控制部分的设计使用了状态转换图说明技术;而对应用数据显示部分的描述则通过直接作图和定义对该图的控制同应用数据间的关系来实现。Micro-UIDT还可将使用上述图示语言设计的用户界面变换为C语言处理程序。     

A multi-formalism approach for model-based dynamic distribution of user interfaces of critical interactive systems

Evolution in the context of use requires evolutions in the user interfaces even when they are currently used by operators. User Centered Development promotes reactive answers to this kind of evolutions either by software evolutions through iterative development approaches or at runtime by providing additional information to the operators such as contextual help for instance. This paper proposes a model-based approach to support proactive management of context of use evolutions. By proactive management we mean mechanisms in place to plan and implement evolutions and adaptations of the entire user interface (including behaviour) in a generic way. The approach proposed handles both concentration and distribution of user interfaces requiring both fusion of information into a single UI or fission of information into several ones. This generic model-based approach is exemplified on a safety critical system from space domain. It presents how the new user interfaces can be generated at runtime to provide a new user interface gathering in a single place all the information required to perform the task. These user interfaces have to be generated at runtime as new procedures (i.e. sequences of operations to be executed in a semi-autonomous way) can be defined by operators at any time in order to react to adverse events and to keep the space system in operation. Such contextual, activity-related user interfaces complement the original user interfaces designed for operating the command and control system. The resulting user interface thus corresponds to a distribution of user interfaces in a focus+context way improving usability by increasing both efficiency and effectiveness.     

Sisl: Several Interfaces, Single Logic

Modern interactive services such as information and e-commerce services are becoming increasingly more flexible in the types of user interfaces they support. These interfaces incorporate automatic speech recognition and natural language understanding and include graphical user interfaces on the desktop and web-based interfaces using applets and HTML forms. To what extent can the user interface software be decoupled from the service logic software (the code that defines the essential function of a service)? Decoupling of user interface from service logic directly impacts the flexibility of services, or how easy they are to modify and extend. To explore these issues, we have developed Sisl, an architecture and domain-specific language for designing and implementing interactive services with multiple user interfaces. A key principle underlying Sisl is that all user interfaces to a service share the same service logic. Sisl provides a clean separation between the service logic and the software for a variety of interfaces, including Java applets, HTML pages, speech-based natural language dialogue, and telephone-based voice access. Sisl uses an event-based model of services that allows service providers to support interchangeable user interfaces (or add new ones) to a single consistent source of service logic and data. As part of a collaboration between research and development, Sisl is being used to prototype a new generation of call processing services for a Lucent Technologies switching product.     

From user interface design to the support of intelligent and adaptive interfaces: an overhaul of user interface software infrastracture

Research on adaptive interfaces in the past has lacked support from user interface tools which allow interfaces to be easily created and modified. Also, current user interface tools provide no support for user models which can collect task-oriented information about users. Developing an adaptive interface requires a user model and an adaptation strategy. It also, however, requires a user interface which can be adapted. The latter task is often time-consuming, especially in relation to more sophisticated user interfaces.

The paper presents a user interface design environment, UIDE, which has a different software infrastracture. Designers use high-level specifications to create a model of an application and links from the application to various interface components. The model is the heart of all the design and run-time support in UIDE, including automatic dialog sequencing and help generation. UIDE provides automatic support for collecting task-oriented information about users, by the use of its high-level specifications in its application model as a basic construct for a user model. Some examples of adaptive interfaces and adaptive help are presented that use the information that is collectable in UIDE.     

Contributions of Dichotomic View of plasticity to seamlessly embed accessibility and adaptivity support in user interfaces

Recent legal changes have increased the need for developing accessible user interfaces in computer-based systems. In this sense, previously existing user interfaces are intended to be modified and new user interfaces are intended to be designed taking accessibility guidelines into account. Typically, model-based approaches have been used when developing accessible user interfaces or redefining existing ones. But the use of static models leads to the development of not dynamically adaptable user interfaces. Dynamic adaptation in accessible user interfaces is important due to the fact that interaction difficulties on people with disabilities may change through use. In this paper, we present some contributions that can be obtained from the application of the Dichotomic View of plasticity in the personalization of user interfaces. With the double perspective defined in this approach, it is intended to go further from a mere adaptation to certain user stereotypes, offering also a dynamic support to real limitations or difficulties users can encounter during the use of the UI. This goal is achieved analyzing user logs by an inference engine that dynamically infers modifications in the user interface to adjust it to varying user needs. A case study is presented in order to show how the guidelines and software support defined in the Dichotomic View of plasticity can be applied to develop a component for a particular system aimed at performing dynamic user interface adaptations with accessibility purposes. This approach includes some innovations that make it different from conventional adaptable mechanisms applied to accessibility in some important aspects.     

基于图形软件EGS的用户界面的设计

EGS是运行于多种工作站环境的图形软件,它同时包括用于用户界面设计的基本的窗口工具。本文在介绍EGS的设计背景和功能特点的基础上,根据用户界面的基本模型和设计原则,结合集成化电子CAD系统(EDCADS)和工程数据库管理系统(EDBMS/2)等系统的用户界面的设计和实现,提出了满足实用性和可移植性的图形软件和用户界面的设计方法。     

User Environments and Individuals: Experience with Adaptive Interface Agents

The traditional style of working with computers generally revolves around the computer being used as a tool, with individual users directly initiating operations and waiting for the results of them. A more recent paradigm of human-computer interaction, based on the indirect management of computing resources, is agent-based interaction. The idea of delegation plays a key part in this approach to computer-based work, which allows individuals to relinquish the routine, mechanistic parts of their everyday tasks, having them performed automatically instead. Adaptive interfaces combine elements of both these approaches, where the goal is to have the interface adapt to its users rather than the reverse. This paper addresses some of the issues arising from a practical software development process which aimed to support individuals using this style of interaction. This paper documents the development of a set of classes which implement an architecture for adaptive interfaces. These classes are intended to be used as part of larger user interface systems which are to exhibit adaptive behaviour. One approach to the implementation of an adaptive interface is to use a set of software “agents”– simple processes which effectively run “in the background”– to decompose the task of implementing the interface. These agents form part of a larger adaptive interface architecture, which in turn forms a component of the adaptive system.     

Developing adaptable user interfaces for component-based systems

Software components are becoming increasingly popular design and implementation technologies that can be plugged and played to provide user-enhanceable software. However, developing software components with user interfaces that can be adapted to diverse reuse situations is challenging. Examples of such adaptations include extending, composing and reconfiguring multiple component user interfaces, and adapting component user interfaces to particular user preferences, roles and subtasks. We describe our recent work in facilitating such adaptation via the concept of user interface aspects, which support effective component user interface design and realisation using an extended, component-based software architecture.     

GI—一个图形交互用户接口生成器

用户接口管理程序UIMS是一类软件开发工具。GI是根据VLSI/CAD软件用户接口的特点而设计和实现的一个图形交互式UIMS。它基于简化事件响应模型,以使用简便为主要目标,由用户说明而自动生成相应的应用程序用户接口。它支持菜单、 键盘、窗口等输入方式,以异步并行方式为应用程序服务。它不仅有较好的交互性能,还保持了应用程序的独立和完整性。     

The influence of hedonic quality on the attractiveness of user interfaces of business management software

Recent work concerning user satisfaction shows that hedonic aspects of a user interface influence the perceived usability and attractiveness of the product. We investigate if these results can also be applied to business management software. In addition, we try to clarify the impact of hedonic aspects on user preference for different user interfaces.In an empirical study subjects judged three different user interfaces for the same business task with respect to their attractiveness by filling out the AttrakDiff2 questionnaire (Hassenzahl, M., Burmester, M., Koller, F., 2003. AttrakDiff: Ein Fragebogen zur Messung wahrgenommener hedonischer und pragmatischer Qualität. [AttrakDiff: A questionnaire for the measurement of perceived hedonic and pragmatic quality]. In: J. Ziegler and G. Szwillus (Eds.), Mensch and Computer 2003: Interaktion in Bewegung, 187-196. Stuttgart, Leipzig: B.G. Teubner). The subjects ranked the interfaces also by personal preference. The results show that pragmatic and hedonic qualities have an impact on attractiveness. In addition, the more attractive an interface is the higher is the preference of subjects for this interface.     

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.     

Controlling Home and Office Appliances with Smart Phones

Most home and office appliances contain microprocessors. All these appliances have some user interface, but many users become frustrated with their appliances' difficult, complex functions. However, a new framework, the personal universal controller (PUC), lets users interact with appliances through a separate user interface device that they carry. Smart phones are good candidates for providing interfaces because they're common, their communication capabilities connect users to appliances, and they're already being used for a wide range of applications. The framework includes an abstract specification language for describing appliances, a two-way communication protocol, and automatic interface generation software that customizes user interfaces. This article overviews the PUC system and describes in detail the design and implementation of automatic interface generation for Microsoft's Smartphone platform.     

Intuitive user interfaces (IUI): a CASE starting point for design and programming.

The acceptance of a software product depends to a considerable extent on the user interface. The class of graphic-oriented user interfaces that are called Intuitive User Interfaces (IUI) is described. These interfaces allow the user to learn to operate software programs quickly. In the following the graphical layout put to use in an IUI is elaborated. All images the layout consists of are created with the aid of a paint program. Using these images, a procedure for creating, programming and linking an IUI to software applications is discussed and recommendations are made concerning software and hardware demands for easily creating IUIs. Practical experience of the authors with this procedure, mainly in the medical area, is described.     

Lean Cuisine+规范图形界面自动分析软件的设计和实现

Auto-Generation Software是作者开发的一种图形界面自动分析软件，它可以从Delphi所开发的图形用户界面中自动萃取与生成Lean Cuisine 图表，并最终生成的Lean Cuisine 文件可以按文本方式进行修改，而且能被Lean Cuisine 支撑环境SELCU所识别，并在其图形化的环境下进行操作。提供了一个符合Lean Cuisine 规范的完整图形用户界面早期设计环境。     

SiPESC平台门户界面管理模块的设计与实现

针对用户集成各种相关应用软件,定制统一集成软件环境界面的设计需求,采用插件、XML和Qt技术,设计SiPESC平台的门户界面管理模块.该模块具有良好的可扩展性和动态定制特性.讨论门户界面管理模块的设计思想、软件框架及关键技术.结合该模块的实际应用范例展示该模块面向专业系统的实用性.