cfry@watdcsu.UUCP (11/03/87)
Transformations on a Formal Representation
of User-Computer Interfaces
by
Prof. James D. Foley
of
Dept. of Computer Science & Electrical Engineering
The George Washington University
Abstract
A specification technique for the conceptual design of a user in-
terface is presented. The representation embodies information
about the user interface in terms of objects, actions, attri-
butes, and pre- and post- conditions associated with the actions.
We have identified a number of transformations which can be ap-
plied to such a user interface specification. Each transforma-
tion creates a new user interface design with the same func-
tionality as the original design, but provides a slightly dif-
ferent user view of the functionality. The transformations in-
clude factoring (sometimes called orthogonalization), which in-
cludes as special cases the creation of a currently-selected ob-
ject paradigm or a currently-selected command paradigm; estab-
lishing a currently-selected set generalization of the
currently-selected object paradigm; establishing initial default
values; specializing and generalizing commands based on object
and command hierarchies; modifying the scope of certain types of
commands; and consolidating commands based on pre-condition and
post-condition equivalence. Algorithms have been developed to
perform these transformations.
Any of the user interface designs, either the original one creat-
ed by the user interface designer or any of the subsequent
designs created by applying these transformations, can be imple-
mented by SUIMS, our Simple User Interface Management System.
Hence we are able to quickly generate a series of functionally
equivalent user interfaces for evaluation and use.
DATE: November 11, 1987
TIME: 3:30 p.m.
PLACE: MC 5158
Everyone is welcome. Refreshments served at 3:00 p.m.