Architectural Design Guidance

Unit 4

1. Guidance for User-Interface Architecture

1.1. Design Space & Rules
1.1.1. The Utility of Codified Knowledge
1.1.2. The Notion of Design Space
1.2. A Design space for User Interface Architecture
1.2.1. A Basic Structural Model
1.2.2. Sample functional Dimensions
1.2.3. Sample Structural Dimensions
1.3. Design Rules for User-Interface Architecture
1.3.1. Sample Rules
1.4. Applying the Design Space
1.5. A Validation Experiment
1.6. How the Design Space was prepared

1.1. Design Spaces and Rules

Alternate for system designer by constructing a design space.
Formulate design rules that indicates good and bad combination

of choices
For s/w engineers day to-day practice
Need not to be perfect or best possible.
So the rules should be complete, reliable .

1.1.2. The Utility of Codified Knowledge

Software design knowledge in a useful form.
Developing vocabulary of well-understood , reusable design

concepts and patterns.

Benefits of Vocabulary : aids in creating design, helps to
understand or predicting the properties of a design by offering a
context for the creation and application of knowledge, reduces
the effort needed to understand another persons design by
reducing the number of new concepts to be learned.

1.1.2 The Notion of a Design Space

1.2. A Design space for User Interface Architecture

User Interface Management systems(UIMS), graphic packages, UI

tool kits, window managers, stand alone applns.,

U I into 3 components:
1.2.1. Basic Structural Model:
1. An application specific component : codes
2. A shared user interface: codes and I/O devices specific
3. A device-dependent component: specific code to particular I/O
devices

Device
Dependent
Component

Shared user
interface
component

Device Interface

Application
specific
component

Application Interface

1.2.2. Sample Functional Dimensions

Functional Dimensions fall into 3 categories
1. External requirements: applications, users, I/O devices,

constraints
2. Basic Interactive behavior: key decisions about UI behavior

which influence internal structure.

3. Practical

considerations:

covers

development

considerations , adaptability of the system

cost

External requirements
3 alternatives:

No external events, Process events while waiting for input,

External events preempt user commands.
3 levels of user customizability:

High : add, redefine commands

Medium : modify but without affecting UI
Low: no user customizability is required.

 User-interface adaptability across devices depends on the expected

range of I/O devices .

Dimension indicates the extent of change in user interface behavior
when changing I/O devices
None, Local Behavior changes, Global behavior changes,
Application semantics changes, Computer system organization,
Uniprocessing, Multiprocessing, Distributed processing

Basic Interactive Behavior

Basic interface class identifies the basic kind of interaction supported by the user-

interface system.
Menu selection: Alternatives.
Form Filling: Entry of values
Command Language: Symbolic language, procedure definition
Natural language: Human language-English, Resolution to ambiguous input.
Direct Manipulation: Graphs manipulation, Incremental manipulation

Practical Consideration
Application portability across user interface styles.
3 level degrees to which application-specific code is insulated from

user interface style changes.

High: Portable across significantly different styles
Medium: Independent of minor variations
Low: User interface variability is not a concern, or application
changes are acceptable when modifying the user interface

Design Rules for User interface Architecture

( Functional to structural dimensions)
Event Handling Preemptive, Non Preemptive control thread mechanism

Response time
User customizability
User interface adaptability user interface code or application code
Event based communication( Distributed system) or state based communication

(Shared memory).
Direct manipulation no form filling and menus.

Extensible managers and toolkits are favored.

Hybrid communication is normally tuned to particular communication patterns,

which may change when the user-interface style changes.

Design Rules for User interface Architecture

(Interconnecting structural dimensions)
Choice of notations
Implicit representation is usually sufficient
Toolkit system include implicit and internal declarative notations
Interaction managers of all types use external and/or internal declarative

notations.
Extensible interaction managers rely heavily on procedural notations,

particularly internal procedural notation, since customization is often done

by supplying procedures