Difference between revisions of "User interface"
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A '''user interface''' is the way in which some system interacts with a [[user]]. Exactly how will depend on i) the [[hardware]] which is available to pass information to the user ([[printing terminal]], [[video terminal]], [[bit-mapped display]]), ii) the function of the [[software]] in question ([[application]], [[text editor]], [[command processor]], etc), and iii) the intended target user type ([[programmer]], [[end-user]], etc). | A '''user interface''' is the way in which some system interacts with a [[user]]. Exactly how will depend on i) the [[hardware]] which is available to pass information to the user ([[printing terminal]], [[video terminal]], [[bit-mapped display]]), ii) the function of the [[software]] in question ([[application]], [[text editor]], [[command processor]], etc), and iii) the intended target user type ([[programmer]], [[end-user]], etc). | ||
| − | Each new generation of hardware produced a new generation of user interfaces; e.g. editors for printing | + | Each new generation of hardware produced a new generation of user interfaces; e.g. editors for printing terminals changed completely when video terminals became avilable, spawning [[screen editor]]s; these in term were replaced with [[WYSIWYG]] editors when bit-mapped displays became widely available. Similarly, new hardware often enabled a new generation of applications (e.g. [[spread-sheet]]s, [[image editor]]s, etc). |
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Revision as of 16:25, 26 June 2018
A user interface is the way in which some system interacts with a user. Exactly how will depend on i) the hardware which is available to pass information to the user (printing terminal, video terminal, bit-mapped display), ii) the function of the software in question (application, text editor, command processor, etc), and iii) the intended target user type (programmer, end-user, etc).
Each new generation of hardware produced a new generation of user interfaces; e.g. editors for printing terminals changed completely when video terminals became avilable, spawning screen editors; these in term were replaced with WYSIWYG editors when bit-mapped displays became widely available. Similarly, new hardware often enabled a new generation of applications (e.g. spread-sheets, image editors, etc).
