Introduction to Graphical User Interfaces and their use by CITIS

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:7249984

Sherrick, S Q

A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a powerful tool that is used for simplifying a computing environment. The paper provides a tutorial on the various meanings of the term GUI, describes the usefulness of GUIs, identifies problems with GUIs, and recommends that the X Window System GUI be used within the Contractor Integrated Technical Information Service (CITIS) specification. The term 'GUI' can have various meanings in different contexts. In order to provide a framework for discussion in the paper, a GUI is characterized as having at least one of the following components: Display Manager Program, Application User Interface, or Application Programmer's Interface (API). One of the major problems with GUIs is the potential lack of portability of an application developed to run using a particular GUI. The X Window System provides a means of overcoming the problem because applications developed using the X Window API may be run using almost all other GUIs. Consequently, the X Window System can be used by CITIS to provide easy to use applications which may be used on almost all GUI platforms.

• Research Organization: National Inst. of Standards and Technology (CSL), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7249984
• Report Number(s): PB-92-213404/XAB; NISTIR--4876
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200* -- Mathematics & Computers
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
COMPUTER OUTPUT DEVICES
COMPUTER-GRAPHICS DEVICES
DISPLAY DEVICES
INTERACTIVE DISPLAY DEVICES
MAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS
RECOMMENDATIONS
SPECIFICATIONS
STANDARDS