greenberg@calgary.UUCP (Saul Greenberg) (09/03/86)
The following paper will be published later on this year. If you wish
to obtain a copy now, pre-prints are available now (see below).
ISSUES AND EXPERIENCES IN THE DESIGN
OF A WINDOW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Abstract -- Window systems underlie many successful human-computer interfaces.
But constructing them involves several fundamental design issues which are
resolved in various ways by different implementations. These affect both
user's and programmer's interface, and include tiling vs overlapping windows;
program vs user control of windows; techniques for coping with changeable
window sizes; design of transient windows; low-level vs high-level tools for
the programmer; local vs distributed control; and the role of a controlling
window manager process. There is no broad consensus among designers as to how
best to make such decisions.
This paper illuminates the issues involved by surveying characteristics
of window systems and discussing dominant design questions. The philosophy
and implementation underlying the JADE window manager constructed at the
University of Calgary is revealed, and the design is reevaluated from the
perspective of three years' experience of using the system and programming
within it.
To appear in:
Greenberg, S., Peterson, M., and Witten, I. (1986) "Issues and
experiences in the design of a window management system",
Proc Canadian Information Processing Society National Conference,
October 21-24. Also available as Research Report 86/240/14,
Dept of Computer Science, U. of Calgary, Sept 1986
If you would like a pre-print of the report, please reply by electronic or
surface mail to the following address. Make sure you include your name
and full address, as I will be responding by surface mail.
Saul Greenberg
Dept of Computer Science
University of Calgary
2500 University Drive, NW
Calgary, Alberta
CANADA T2N 1N4
Tel: (403) 220-7140
UUCP: ...!ihnp4!alberta!calgary!greenberg