Graphical specification of flexible user interface displays

Abstract

This paper describes the implementation concepts behind the user interface editor of the Apogee UIMS. This editor allows many aspects of a user interface to be specified graphically without a conventional textual specification. The system supports the specification of flexible user interfaces — ones that can adapt automatically to changes in the size of objects they present and that can adapt to specific user needs in a dynamic and responsive fashion. To serve as an implementation base for this editor, the Apogee UIMS supports an active data model based on one-way constraints. This model is implemented by a small object-oriented programming language embedded within the system.