11.2 Types of User Interface

There are various types of methods which users can interact with the system. In this section, we will discuss several types of user interface; menus, question-and-answer dialogue, forms, command language interfaces and natural language interfaces. Although output design involves a separate set of physical design issues, it is an integral part of a larger concept called user interface. A user interface describes how users interact with an information system, and it consists of hardware, software, screens, menus, functions, and output and features hat affect two way communications between user and information system (Shelly et. al., 2006). User interface consisted of process-control screens that allowed the users to send commands to the system. Before this, the primary focus is also changed to users itself; either inside or outside the company regarding how they communicate with an information system.

A user interface is based on basic principles of human-computer interaction. Human computer interaction describes the relationship User interface (HCI) defines the ways in which users interact with an information system. User interface design is the specification of a dialogue or interaction between user and information system. User interface design is the specification of a dialogue or conversation between the system user and the information system.

11.2 Types of User Interface

11.2.1 Menus
Menu is the most commonly employed in information system. Menu interface is an interface types in which a list of system options is provided and a specific command is invoked by user selection of a menu option. A menu has a list of options; so users can select from the list of options. A specific command is invoked or another menu is activated. Menus have become widely used interface types in today information system development. There are two methods for positioning menus; pop-up menu and drop down menus. Most applications combine these two types of methods; pop-up and drop down menu.

Pop-up menus
A menu-positioning method that places a menu near the current cursor position; so users don't have to move the position or their eyes to view system options. Figure 11-2 shows an example of pop-up menus from Microsoft Word application. There are various uses available from the pop-up menus (e.g. save, delete, copy).

Drop-down menus
A menu-positioning method that places the access point of the menu near the top line of the display; when accessed, menus open by dropping down onto the display. This type of menus, a list of available menus drops down from the main top line of the menus when accessed. Figure 11-3 shows an example of drop-down menus from Microsoft Word application. Drop down menus have become popular since it provide consistency in menu location and operation among applications and efficiently use display space.

11.2 Types of User Interface

11.2.2 Question-and-Answer Dialogue

This type of interface, the system displays a question to the user on the screen. In order to communicate, users need to answer the question by using keyboard or mouse. Then, the computer acts on the input information in a preprogrammed manner, typically by moving to the next questions. There are two types of common question-and-answer interface; First, users answering the question and the information system directs the question in sequence basis. Normally, the next questions are related or connected by the previous questions. Figure 11-5 shows an example of question-and-dialogue from Microsoft Word application. Second, by using a dialog box. Users are prompted with questions to which they supply the answer. In Figure 11-5, notice that users are suggested an answer by the system. Question-and-answer dialogues are popular in a web based applications. For example, in course registration system, students were asked to confirm the registration.

11.2 Types of User Interface

11.2.3 Forms

The purpose of forms it to allow users to fill in the blanks when working with a system. Normally, form was used to get input and present the information. A good form should have self-explanatory title and field headings, followed by fields that have been organized into grouping with boundaries to differentiate them. Blank fields are sometimes provided with a default values, and the cursor is moved by the users from field to field by a mouse click; for instance. We also need to minimize the need to scroll down the windows. We already discussed in designed a form in previous chapter; Input design. Form-fill interfaces consist of on-screen forms or web-based forms displaying fields containing data items or parameters that need to be communicated to the users. In the previous lesson, we have discussed in detail about forms.

11.2.4 Command Language Interfaces

Command language interface is an interface types whereby users enter explicit statements into a system to invoke operations. For example; to copy a file name database.doc from C location to disk A using DOS can be done by using the statement :
COPY C:DATABASE.DOC A:DATABASE.DOC
This type of interface requires user to remember the syntax, names and operation to be done. A command language allows the users to control the application with a series of keystrokes, commands, phrases, or some sequence of these three methods. Command-language manipulates the computer as a tool by allowing the users to control the dialog. When user gives a command to the computer using a command language, it is executed by the system immediately. Then the user can proceed to another command.

11.2 Types of User Interface

11.2.4 Natural Language Interface

Natural language interfaces are perhaps the dream and ideal of inexperienced users, since they permit users to interact with the computer in their everyday or natural language. This technique accepts inputs and produce outputs in a conventional language such as English. Natural language interface is being applied within both keyboard and voice entry system. There is no special skill required of the users, who interfaces with the computer using natural language. Figure 11-6 shows an example of natural language interface. For example, first question, "List all the students who get A for Course: CCES2332" is a straightforward question.

Figure 11-6: Natural Language Interface

11.2 Types of User Interface

Most today's user interfaces are graphical are graphical. The graphical user interface is provided within either the computer operating system or the internet browser. There are several types of graphical user interface. Not all types of interfaces discussed above are considered as graphical user interface. The most popular used of graphical user interfaces are menus.