This paper describes a framework that serves as a reference for classifying user interfaces supporting multiple targets, or multiple contexts of use in the field of context-aware computing. In this framework, a context of use is decomposed in three facets: the end users of the interactive system, the hardware and software computing platform with which the user have to carry out their interactive tasks and the physical environment where they are working. Therefore, a context-sensitive user interface is a user interface that exhibits some capability to be aware of the context (context awareness) and to react to changes of this context. This paper attempts to provide a unified understanding of context-sensitive user interfaces rather than a prescription of various ways or methods of tackling different steps of development. Rather, the framework structures the development life cycle into four levels of abstraction: task and concepts, abstract user interface, concrete user interface and final user interface. These levels are structured with a relationship of reification going from an abstract level to a concrete one and a relationship of abstraction going from a concrete level to an abstract one. Most methods and tools can be more clearly understood and compared relative to each other against the levels of this framework. In addition, the framework expresses when, where and how a change of context is considered and supported in the context-sensitive user interface thanks to a relationship of translation. In the field of multi-target user interfaces is also introduced, defined, and exemplified the notion of plastic user interfaces. These user interfaces support some adaptation to changes of the context of use while preserving a predefined set of usability properties.
The increasing proliferation of computational devices has introduced the need for applications to run on multiple platforms in different physical environments. Providing a user interface specially crafted for each context of use is extremely costly and may result in inconsistent behavior. User interfaces must now be capable of adapting to multiple sources of variation. This paper presents a unifying framework that structures the development process of plastic user interfaces. A plastic user interface is capable of adapting to variations of the context of use while preserving usability. The reference framework has guided the design of ARTStudio, a model-based tool that supports the plastic development of user interfaces. The framework as well as ARTStudio are illustrated with a common running example: a home heating control system.
Mobility coupled with the development of a wide variety of access devices has engendered new requirements for HCI such as the ability of user interfaces to adapt to different contexts of use. We define a context of use as the set of values of variables that characterise the computational device(s) used for interacting with the system as well as the physical and social environment where the interaction takes place. A user interface is plastic if it is able to adapt to context changes while preserving usability. In this paper, we present a process and a software mechanism that support context changes for plastic user interfaces. We propose to structure adaptation as a three-step process: recognition of the situation, computation of a reaction to cope with the situation, and execution of the reaction. Reactions are specified in an evolution model which, in turn, is executed by a context supervisor. This supervisor is notified of context changes by a software probe that automatically detects deviations from the current situation. When notified, the supervisor executes the evolution model, and, when possible, adapts the user interface to the new context of use.
The Papillon project is a collaborative project to establish a multilingual dictionary on the Web. This project started 4 years ago with French and Japanese. The partners are now also working on English, Chinese, Lao, Malay, Thai and Vietnamese. It aims to apply the LINUX cooperative construction paradigm to establish a broadcoverage multilingual dictionary. Users can contribute directly on the server by adding new data or correcting existing errors. Their contributions are stored in the user space until checked by a specialist before being fully integrated into the database. The resulting data is then publicly available and freely distributable. An essential condition for the success of the project is to find a handy solution for all the participants to be able to contribute online by editing dictionary entries.In this paper, we describe our solution for an online generic editor of dictionary entries based on the description of their structure.
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