[comp.windows.x] Survey on User Interface Design Tools

nazgul@APOLLO.COM (Kee Hinckle) (06/08/89)

[To respond, simply reply, edit in your answers, and mail it back to
 nazgul@apollo.com .  Many thanks.  -kee ]

    The following is a questionaire designed to gather information on currently 
available user interface design tools using the X Window system.  If you are currently
a user of X, please take a few moments to fill out this questionaire, even if you
have never used a interface design tool.  The questions are open to any user interface
development tool you have ever used, past or present.  If you have used more than one 
such tool, please fill out the form for each of the tools you have used.  

    We are looking for input by June 20 and will email results to participants.  
Thank you for your time.

1.	Are you a user of widgets?

2.	What User Interface tools are you either currently using or
	have recently used?  If none, why not?

	___ UIMX

	___ Open Dialogue

	___ UIL

	___ Other

        ___ None Why?  _____________________________________________
        ____________________________________________________________


3.	What platforms relate to your user-interface work:
				_Hardware_   _Software_   _Prog._Language_
	Development Env.:     _____________ ____________ __________________
	Target for product:   _____________ ____________ __________________

4.	What is the useability of the interface tool you are using (i.e. 
	is the quality good, are the bugs fixed in a timely manner, etc.)

5.	Please rate your interface tool. The first column is a ranking from Poorly(1)
	to Excellent(6). The second column is a ranking from Unimportant(1) to Important(6).

                                                                   HOW WELL IS	  HOW IMPORTANT
                                                                   IT HANDLED? 	 IS THIS TO YOU?
	-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
					
	Clear separation of interface and application.              1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
            
	Presentation. (The creation of the visual component,
        e.g. menus, dialog boxes, that make up your interface.)     1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 

	Dialog management. (The ability to specify                  1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
	connections between pieces of your interface 
	without involving the application.  The mapping
        of the user's actions onto the underlying
        application, including feedback and intermediate
        steps that are provided completely within the
        interface.)

	Is the interface tool easy to learn?                        1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
                                                                  
	Localization or internationalization.  Allowing             1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
	your application to be "usable" in different
	countries by "localizing" data that would need
	to be changed.

	Prototyping.  The ability of your tool to allow             1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
	for rapid changes in the initial development
	stages of your interface.

	Multiple widget sets.  Does your tool handle more           1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
	than one widget set?

	User defined widgets.  Does the tool allow for the          1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
	user to define and incorporate new widgets?  

	Interactive development tools.  Is there any portion of     1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
        your tool that permits interactive/wysiwyg interface
        development?                                                

	Textual specification of interface.  Is there any portion   1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
        of your tool that allows the interface to be specified
        textually?

	Multiple programming languages.  Can you as a user,         1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
	use a number of programming languages to create your
	interface or application?

	How well does the tool handle your specific programmimg     1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
	language?

  	How well is your interface tool documented?                 1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 

  	Overall, how would you rate the interface tool you are      1 2 3 4 5 6     1 2 3 4 5 6 
	or have used?

	-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


6.	Do you have any additional comments on the relative strengths, weaknesses  
	and uses of your interface tool?



### User Environment, Apollo Computer Inc. ###  Public Access ProLine BBS   ###
###     {mit-eddie,yale}!apollo!nazgul     ###  nazgul@pro-angmar.cts.com   ###
###           nazgul@apollo.com            ### (617) 641-3722 300/1200/2400 ###
I'm not sure which upsets me more; that people are so unwilling to accept
responsibility for their own actions, or that they are so eager to regulate
everyone else's.

-------