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Page 1User interface - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia28/01/1430 10:06:45

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface

User interface

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The

user interface

(also known as

Human ComputerInterface

Man-Machine Interface

(MMI)) is the aggregate ofmeans by whichpeople

—

the users

—

interact with

the system

—

a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tool. The user interfaceprovides means of

:Input, allowing the users to manipulate a systemOutput, allowing the system to indicate the effects ofthe users' manipulation.

Contents

1 Introduction2 Usability3 User interfaces in computing3.1 Types3.2 History3.3 Modalities and modes3.4 Standardization4 See also5 References6 Literature7 External links

Introduction

To work with a system, users have to be able to control the system and assess the state ofthe system. For example, when driving anautomobile, the driver uses the steering wheel to control the direction ofthe vehicle, and the accelerator pedal, brake pedal and gearstick tocontrol the speed ofthe vehicle. The driver perceives the position ofthe vehicle by looking through the windscreen and exact speed ofthevehicle by reading the speedometer. The

userinterface of the automobile

is on the whole composed ofthe instruments the driver can use toaccomplish the tasks ofdriving and maintaining the automobile.The term

userinterface

is often used in the context ofcomputer systems and electronic devices. The user interface ofa mechanical system, avehicle or an industrial installation is sometimes referred to as the

Human-Machine Interface

(

HMI

). HMI is a modification oftheoriginal term MMI (Man-Machine Interface

). In practice, the abbreviation MMI is still frequently used although some may claim that MMIstands for something different now. Another abbreviation is HCI, but is more commonlyused for Human-computer

interaction

thanHuman-computer

interface

. Other terms used are Operator Interface Console (OIC) and Operator Interface Terminal (OIT).However it is abbreviated, the terms refer to the

'layer' that separates a human that is operating a machine from the machine itself

.In science fiction, HMI is sometimes used to refer to what is better described as direct neural interface

. However, this latter usage is seeingincreasing application in the real-life use of

(medical) prostheses

—

the artificial extension that replaces a missing body part (e.g., cochlearimplants).The system may expose several user interfaces to serve different kinds ofusers. For example, a computerized library database might providetwo user interfaces, one for library patrons (limited set offunctions, optimized for ease ofuse) and the other for library personnel (wide setoffunctions, optimized for efficiency).In some circumstance computers might observe the user, and react according to their actions without specific commands. A means of tracking parts ofthe body is required, and sensors noting the position ofthe head, direction ofgaze and so on have been usedexperimentally. This is particularlyrelevant to immersive interfaces.

Usability

The design ofa user interface affects the amount ofeffort the user must expend to provide input for the system and to interpret the output of the system, and how much effort it takes to learn how to do this. Usability is the degree to which the design ofa particular user interfacetakes into account the human psychology and physiology ofthe users, and makes the process ofusing the system effective, efficient andsatisfying.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface

Usability is mainly a characteristic ofthe user interface

, but is also associated with the functionalities ofthe product and the process todesign it. It describes how well a product can be used for its intended purpose byits target users with efficiency, effectiveness, andsatisfaction, also taking into account the requirements from its context ofuse.

See also:mental model, human action cycle, usability testing, and ergonomics

.List ofhuman-computer interaction topics

User interfaces in computing

In computer science and human-computer interaction, the

userinterface (

of acomputer program)

refers to the graphical, textual and auditoryinformation the program presents to the user, and the control sequences (such as keystrokes with the computer keyboard, movements ofthecomputer mouse, and selections with the touchscreen) the user employs to control the program.

Types

Currently (as of

2009) the following types ofuser interface are the most common:

Graphical user interfaces

(GUI) accept input via devices such as computer keyboard and mouse and provide articulated graphicaloutput on the computer monitor. There are at least two different principles widelyused in GUI design: Object-oriented user interfaces(OOUIs) and application oriented interfaces.

Web-based user interfaces

web user interfaces

(WUI) accept input and provide output by generating web pages which aretransmitted via the Internet and viewed by the user using a web browser program. Newer implementations utilize

Java, AJAX,Adobe Flex, Microsoft .NET, or similar technologies to provide realtime control in a separate program, eliminating the need torefresh a traditional HTML based web browser. Administrative web interfaces for web-servers, servers and networked computers arecalled Control panel.User interfaces that are common in various fields outside desktop computing:

Command line interfaces

, where the user provides the input bytyping a command string with the computer keyboard and thesystem provides output byprinting text on the computer monitor. Used for system administration tasks etc.

Tactile interfaces

supplement or replace other forms ofoutput with haptic feedback methods. Used in computerized simulators etc.

Touchinterfaces

are graphical user interfaces using a touchscreen display as a combined input and output device. Used in manytypes of

point ofsale, industrial processes and machines, self

-service machines etc.Other types ofuser interfaces:

Attentive user interfaces

manage the user

attention deciding when to interrupt the user

, the kind ofwarnings, and the level ofdetailofthe messages presented to the user

Batch interfaces

are non-interactive user interfaces, where the user specifies all the details ofthe

batch job

in advance to batchprocessing, and receives the output when all the processing is done. The computer does not prompt for further input after theprocessing has started.

ConversationalInterface Agents

attempt to personifythe computer interface in the form ofan animated person, robot, or othercharacter (such as Microsoft's Clippy the paperclip), and present interactions in a conversational form.

Crossing-based interfaces

are graphical user interfaces in which the primary task consists in crossing boundaries instead of pointing.

Gesture interfaces

are graphical user interfaces which accept input in a form ofhand gestures, or mouse gestures sketched with acomputer mouse or a stylus.

Intelligentuser interfaces

are human-machine interfaces that aim to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and naturalness of human-machine interaction byrepresenting, reasoning, and acting on models ofthe user, domain, task, discourse, and media (e.g.,graphics, natural language, gesture).

Multi-screen interfaces

, employmultiple displays to provide a more flexible interaction. This is often employed in computer gameinteraction in both the commercial arcades and more recently the handheld markets.

Noncommand user interfaces

, which observe the user to infer his / her needs and intentions, without requiring that he /

sheformulate explicit commands.

Object-oriented User Interface (OOUI)Reflexive user interfaces

where the users control and redefine the entire system via the user interface alone, for instance to changeits command verbs. Typically this is onlypossible with very rich graphic user interfaces.

Tangible user interfaces

, which place a greater emphasis on touch and physical environment or its element.

Textuser interfaces

are user interfaces which output text, but accept other form ofinput in addition to or in place oftyped commandstrings.

Voice user interfaces

, which accept input and provide output by generating voice prompts which are transmitted via a telephonenetwork and heard bythe user using a telephone. The user input is made by pressing telephone keys.

Natural-Language interfaces

- Used for search engines and on webpages. User types in a question and waits for a response.

Zero-Inputinterfaces

get inputs from a set ofsensors instead ofquerying the user with input dialogs.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface

Zooming user interfaces

are graphical user interfaces in which information objects are represented at different levels ofscale anddetail, and where the user can change the scale ofthe viewed area in order to show more detail.See also:Archy, a keyboard-driven user interface by Jef Raskin, arguably more efficient than mouse-driven user interfaces for documentediting and programming.

History

The historyofuser interfaces can be divided into the following phases according to the dominant type ofuser interface:Batch interface, 1945-1968Command-line user interface, 1969 to presentGraphical user interface, 1981 to present

—

see Historyofthe GUI for a detailed look Tangible interfaces /

UbicompTouch User Interface (TUI), e.g. point ofsale devices, iPhone

Modalities and modes

modality

is a path ofcommunication employed by the user interface to carry input and output. Examples ofmodalities:Input

—

computer keyboard allows the user to enter typed text, digitizing tablet allows the user to create free-form drawingOutput

—

computer monitor allows the system to display text and graphics (

vision modality

), loudspeaker allows the system toproduce sound (

auditory modality

)The user interface may employseveral redundant input modalities and output modalities, allowing the user to choose which ones to use forinteraction.A

mode

is a distinct method ofoperation within a computer program, in which the same input can produce different perceived resultsdepending ofthe state ofthe computer program. Heavy use ofmodes often reduces the usabilityofa user interface, as the user must expendeffort to remember current mode states, and switch between mode states as necessary.

Standardization

This year ISO has published its standard ofISO/IEC 24752 to specifythe technical requirement ofITsystem.

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