Research On User Interface Development Methods Based On Models And Patterns

Nowadays, people use all kinds of computing devices to access information systems. The variety of the devices brings some new challenges to the development of User Interface (UI): (1) How to develop the different versions of UI which can provide consistent user experience to different devices when to access the unique system. (2) How to effectively manage the engineering complexity when developing different versions of UI. (3) How to handle the technology complexity when migrating, distributing, and merging UI among the different devices. Therefore, Human Computer Interface (HCI) community introduced the Model-Based User Interface Development (MBUID) method which try to describe the interface once at high abstract level, then by transformation of the model, the UI can run on different devices. But the automatic generated UI by this method has low usability, interface development also lacks reusability, which leads the low promotion of this method in industrial field. Recent years, reserch community has found a usability tool based on modeling method, which is User Interface Design Pattern (UIDP), to solve the problem mentioned above by improving modeling and transforming process. This paper is closely focusing on this technology and carrying out analysis and research. The specific contents and innovation achievement are as follows:1. This paper provides a Model & Pattern-Based User Interface Development (MPBUID) framework based on fully analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the method which is the combination of model and patten. According to the mature Cameleon Reference Framework (CRF) in MBUID method, interface development can be devided into four levels:task and concept model, abstract UI, concreate UI and final UI. Then based on the four levels, UIDP can be classified. The corresponding kind of UIDP can be used to buid up models in defferent levels and transform model between the levels. The MPBUID framework could increase the usability of (semi-)automatic generated UI and the reusability of interface development in practice. Comparing with other similar methods, MPBUD framework has two main characteristics:it could be compatible with most of the modeling and transforming technology based on MBUID method, and it supports the iterative development of multiple devices UI.2. This paper provides the UI development procedure which uses UIDPs development based on MPBUID framework. Firstly, it defines the commom procedure to use UIDPs within MPBUID framework. Then it describes the usage of UIDPs at each level according to the four levels defined by the framework. Lastly, it shows the feasibility of the procedure by a case study.3. By the requirement of the MPBUID framework, this paper studies the unified description method for defferent kinds of current UIDP description forms, then it provides a Generative User Interface Design Pattern Markup Language (GUIDPML). The outstanding advantage of this language is that it is generative.It could be directly applied to the (semi-)automatic modeling and transforming of models in MPBUID framework.4. This paper designs a MPBUID framework support tool. This tool helps to simplify the interface development procedure of the MPBUID framework and makes the developer easy to learn and apply the interface development technology which uses MPBUID framework. The tool can improve the degree of automation and development efficiency of UI development.In conclusion, this paper’s research work tries to make contribution to the promotion of MBUID methods at UI development practice by improving the use of the UIDP technology in MBUID methods.