Constraint grammars–a new model for specifying graphical applications

  • Authors:
  • B. T. Zanden

  • Affiliations:
  • Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA

  • Venue:
  • CHI '89 Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
  • Year:
  • 1989

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Abstract

User Interface Management Systems often attempt to separate the graphical and nongraphical aspects of an application, but rarely succeed. Constraint grammars provide a new model for specifying interfaces that achieves this goal by encapsulating the data structures in a single package, and providing a powerful transformation-based editing model for manipulating them. Constraint grammars incorporate a number of important tools, such as the part-whole hierarchy, almost hierarchical structures, and multidirectional constraints, that permit designers to specify a wide variety of graphical applications, including simulation systems, program visualization systems, and visual programming environments.