User interfaces - questions and answers
Q1. What do HCI, GUI, WIMP and CLI stand for?
Human Computer Interface, Graphical User Interface, Windows, Icons, Menus and Pointers and Command Line Interface.
Q2. Give two examples of pointing devices commonly found in WIMP interfaces.
Mouse, graphics tablet / stylus, using a finger on a touchscreen.
Q3. What is an icon?
A small picture indicating a function. The user clicks on an icon rather than having to read words and then sleect a word.
Q4. Who would typically use a CLI interface. Explain why.
Network managers and technical people typically use CLI interfaces.
Q5. Describe some typical characteristics of a form-based interface.
This type of interface can take a long time to learn and is not intuitive. For inexperienced users it can be a frustrating type of interface whilst for experienced users it can be very powerful. This is because command line interfaces provide commands that can get a user very close to the workings of the components of a computer system. There are commands that can manipulate the hardware and software in a computer system in a way that simply cannot be done using a GUI. Indeed, there are tasks where you have to use a command line interface to carry them out. UNIX and DOS are good examples of operating systems that use this kind of interface.
Q6. Who would typically use a form-based interface?
Someone, who has to enter in the same information in again and again e.g. large companies taking orders over the phone.
Q7. Why might a designer decide to incorporate a menu-based interface?
Menu-based user interfaces are ideal for situations where the user's IT skills cannot be guaranteed or in situations which require selections to be made from a very wide range of options or in situations which require very fast selection. The user of a system that uses a menu-based interface will be presented with a limited number of options on the screen. Once a selection has been made, the user is presented with a sub-menu. This gives them further options. They make another selection and may be presented with a further sub-menu. This continues until the user is able to select exactly what they want from the choices finally displayed on the screen.
Q8. State three places where you might find a menu-based interface?
E.g. a tourist office, a fast food restaurant, a cinema to order / collect tickets.
Q9. Describe what is meant by a natural language interface.
This kind of interface requires the user to enter responses to questions asked by the computer. The questions are displayed on the VDU and the answers are entered via the keyboard. This kind of interface is called a 'natural language' interface because the computer and the user appear to be holding a conversation.
Q10. What is meant by a dumb terminal?
A dumb terminal is a computer station that comprises of only a VDU keyboard and a mouse. There is no CPU or hard drive and has no processing power. It relies on the processing power of a central server.