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Software Tools

Software Tools. Fall 2002. Outline. Introduction Specification Methods Interface Building Tools Toolkits and Languages Evaluation Tools. Introduction. Building interfaces that are usable by a wide audience is hard ethnography participatory design

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Software Tools

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  1. Software Tools Fall 2002

  2. Outline • Introduction • Specification Methods • Interface Building Tools • Toolkits and Languages • Evaluation Tools

  3. Introduction • Building interfaces that are usable by a wide audience is hard • ethnography • participatory design • UI architects need to simply and quickly sketch a proposed interface • for example, the W model requires frequent prototypes

  4. Introduction • By designing and showing the UI before the application itself is built, the application will end up with a more consistent UI • By being able to unambiguously describe a UI and its transitions, the UI can be discussed and modeled

  5. Specification Methods • Natural Language Specifications • Ambiguous • Easy • Formal Specifications • Unambiguous • Defined grammar • Ability to prove a specification is a valid construct within the grammar

  6. Specification Methods • Grammars • Menu Trees • Transition Diagrams • State Charts

  7. BNF • Backus-Naur Form • <non-terminal> ::= <non-terminals> terminals • i.e., a telephone number is represented by • tel-num ::= (<area-code>) <exchange>-<local-number> • area-code ::= <digit><digit><digit> • exchange ::= <digit><digit><digit> • local-number ::= <digit><digit><digit><digit> • digit ::= 0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9

  8. BNF • Incomplete • Good to specify format, but fails to specify content, such as valid exchanges or area codes • A second level of software is used to validate content. • Complex • As a BNF grammar grows, it becomes very complex and difficult to follow or change

  9. Unix Command Structure • Variant of BNF • All capital letters is a non-terminal • Non-terminal format is assumed • Brackets denote optional arguments • Ellipsis (…) denote “-or-more” • [OPTION]… is 0 or more (Kleene closure or *-closure) • SOURCE… is 1 or more (+-closure)

  10. cp • From a Debian 3.0r0 machine: cp [OPTION]... SOURCE DEST cp [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY cp [OPTION]... --target directory=DIRECTORY SOURCE…

  11. Other Variant Grammars • make JAVAC = /usr/bin/jikes JAVA_HOME = /usr/lib/jsdk1.3 all: thyme-core chat swab thyme-core: $(MAKE) -f thyme-core/Makefile chat: $(MAKE) -f chat/Makefile swab: $(MAKE) -f swab/Makefile

  12. Other Grammars • XML <?xml version=“1.0”?> <system spec-file-version=“2.0”> <init class=“some.init.InitComponent”/> <parameters> <parameter name=“tcc.init.classid” value=“some.room.RoomComponent”/> </parameters> </system>

  13. Multiparty Grammars • Used for showing interaction between more than one party (Shneiderman, 1982) • Non-terminals labeled by the party which generates it (i.e., U for user and C and computer) • Effective for text-oriented command sequences which have repeated exchanges

  14. Multiparty Grammars • Example <Session> ::= <U: Opening> <C: Responding> <U: Opening> :: LOGIN <U: Name> <U: Name> :: <U: string> <C: Responding> :: HELLO [<U: Name>]

  15. Selection Trees • Branching interaction • Each tree node will branch to one or more possibilities. • Not necessarily a strict tree • Acyclic • Cyclic • Tree • Menu Selection Trees • Dialog Selection Trees

  16. Transition Diagrams • More complete and general than selection trees • general enough to show the complete interaction with an application • Directed graph • Nodes represent states • Links between nodes represent actions and the application’s response • NFA • Becomes cumbersome as the represented interaction grows.

  17. State Charts • Harel, 1988 • Extension of transition diagrams where related actions are grouped into a subgraph (modularity) • Only effective where the subgraphs have single points of entry and exit • For example, all bank transactions are within a group. Then within that group, there are separate groups for verification, withdrawal and deposit.

  18. User-Action Notation (UAN) • Chase et. al., 1994 • Grammars and State diagrams fail to deal with direct manipulation interfaces • A user’s intended action depends on context • Context can change quickly during runtime • UAN is a high-level notation that focus a user’s direct manipulation task (pointing, dragging and clicking in WIMP interfaces)

  19. UAN • Syntax involves a user action, interface feedback and interface state. i.e., deleting a file:

  20. UAN • ~ is the cursor. M is the mouse • ~[object] is cursor movement to the specified object (i.e., icon) • object > ~ means move the object to the cursor • Mv is press the mouse button • M^ is release the mouse button • object! is highlight the object • object!! is dehighlight the object

  21. Specification MethodsThe Message • grammars programatically specify the interface actions available but fail to specify interaction. • Selection trees show transitions between menu items or dialogs • Transition diagrams show transitions between states for a complete application • State charts group related actions into groups, making the transition diagrams easier to follow • UAN provides a notation to specify direct manipulation tasks

  22. Interface Building Tools • Writing an application requires agreement of several parties on the UI • managers need to approve the design • UI architects need to build it • programmers need to be aware what they are programming to • users are asked for opinions on the interface

  23. Interface Building Tools • Let an interface be prototyped rapidly • Let an interface be built by a non-programmer • Allow the application to be built using the prototyped interface

  24. Interface Building Tools • Benefits of using interface building tools • User-interface independence • Separate presentation from logic • Prototype multiple user interfaces • Multiple-platform support • Domain expert as user-interface architect • Enforce standards • Methodology and Notation • Develop design methodology • Talk about design • Project management

  25. Interface Building Tools • Rapid prototyping • Build and use multiple versions up front • Low cost test, revise, test • Usable user interfaces for users, managers and customers to see and use early • Software support • Productivity • Constraint and consistency checks • Ease of maintenance • Teams

  26. Design Tools • Slide Show • paper and pen, PowerPoint, etc • Visual editing tools • HyperCard, Visual Basic, Delphi, etc • Visual programming tools • Prograph, LEGO Mindstorms

  27. Interface Building ToolsInterface Builder • Free tool included with MacOSX for building user interfaces

  28. Building InterfacesThe Message • Tools let prototype mostly functional interfaces quickly and cheaply • Tools lets a domain expert build the interface • Tools let the interface be discussed before the investment has been made in the rest of the application • Showing the interface to management, users and experts can be done early and often

  29. Evaluation Tools • Provide automated feedback to the developer as to where the product is inconsistent • Warning signs • automated analysis of where a UI might be inconsistent or violating a standard

  30. Evaluation Tools • Tullis’ Display Analysis Program • takes alphanumeric screen designs and critiques them. • percentage of upper-case letters • density of text • layout complexity • Example of automated analysis

  31. Evaluation Tools • GOMS • Simple Metrics • number of widgets per window • widget density • can yield information about how complex the interface is • Style consistency

  32. Evaluation Tools • Web pages • Validation • Link checking • Correctness • *Unit (JUnit, NUnit, etc) • defined testing of applications (regression testing) • Cactus • defined testing of UIs (regression testing of user interfaces)

  33. Evaluation ToolsThe Message • let the developer programatically determine correctness of an interface • give the developer feedback on consistency of the interface • allow comparison of interfaces

  34. UI Toolkits • Ease development by providing fully-fleshed out UI components • A UI component has two major parts • The UI presentation (a button) • The outlet (how the program is informed when the button is pressed)

  35. Toolkits • TCL/Tk • Motif • Mac Toolbox • MFC • Java AWT / Swing

  36. Prototyping languages • Java • Application / Applet language • Cross platform. Intent is that all applications act the same on all platforms • Hypercard • Movement between Cards (screens) • Tcl/Tk • Scripting language

  37. Toolkits and LanguagesThe Message • Toolkits provide UI widgets that can be used to develop the application • This lets the developer focus on building the application, instead of the widgets • Prototyping languages allow the rapid development of prototype applications, but trade can entail trade-offs

  38. Next Time • GroupKit • THYME

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