Understanding Widgets: Appearance, Behavior, and Semantics in GUI Design, Slides of Human Resource Management

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chapter 3

the interaction

extras …

more about widgets

understanding and choosing

widgets

widgets - bits that make the GUI

what do they do

what are they good for

widgets?

• individual items on a GUI screen ...
  • checkboxes, menus, toolbars, buttons etc.
• three aspects:
  • appearance - what they look like
  • interaction - how they behave
  • semantics - what they mean

appearance

behaviour

Move mouse off target with button still down

• highlight removed Release mouse - nothing happens

Move mouse over button

• highlights

behaviour … ctd.

• some bits the toolkit does for you
  • but is it right?
• some you control
  • e.g. drawing, interactions between widgets
• beware timing issues
  • e.g. large selections under Windows apps.

YOU say what it means

• semantics usually up to you
  • although widgets may link direct to database
  • even then, you say what links
• think separately:
  • meaning first - what you want it to do
  • then appearance - how you do it
• choose the widget for the job

what do you want?

• actions
  • usually menu, buttons, or toolbar
• setting state/options
  • usually checkbox, radio button, combi-box
• but …
  • menus can be used to set state etc. ...

and more ...

• number
  • fixed e.g. bold, italic, underline
  • variable e.g. font list
  • scolling through telephone list …
• liveness
  • grey out inactive options
• dynamic interactions
  • some choices dependent on others