Tools for creating user interfaces : an introduction and survey

Creating good user interfaces for software programs is a very difficult task. There arc no guidelines or techniques that will guarantee that the software will be "easy-to-use,'* and software implementors have generally proven poor at providing user interfaces that people like. Consequently, user interface software must often be prototyped and modified repeatedly. In addition, user interface software is inherently difficult to write, because it frequently requires that multiple devices be controlled (for example, a keyboard and a mouse) each of which may be sending streams of input events asynchronously. Also, user interfaces typically have stringent performance requirements to insure that there is no perceived lag between a user's actions and the system's response. The most popular style of user interfaces (called "Direct Manipulation" interfaces) is one of the most difficult kinds to implement Therefore, there is a great interest in software tools to aid in this process. This article discusses several different types of software tools and examples of their use. This research was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DOD), ARPA Order No. 4976 under contract F33615-87-C-1499 and monitored by the Avionics Laboratory, Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories, Aeronautical Systems Division (AFSQ, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-6543. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of the US Government. Brad A. Myers Tools for Creating User Interfaces

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