A lightweight presentation model for database user interfaces.

Gray, Philip; Cooper, Richard; Kennedy, Jessie; McKirdy, Jo; Barclay, Peter J.; Griffiths, Tony

Abstract

The Teallach project is building a system which eases the design and implementation of
user interfaces (web-based or otherwise) to object-oriented database applications. Teallach takes a model
based approach and is constructing its system around three main models – a domain model which
describes the database structures with which Teallach can cope; a task model, in which the user-involved
aspects of the application can be described; and a presentation model. The presentation model is
intended to support the storage of user interaction objects, so that these objects can be found, customised
and composed into user interfaces suitable for the tasks. In seeking an appropriate presentation model,
we have found that previous models are either those underlying toolkits, which are overly concrete and
detailed, or are abstract models based entirely around the look of the interaction objects, but not their
intended role. We are implementing a model which describes each interaction object in terms of its
purpose, the kinds of data with which the user is allowed to interact, constraints on its use, and a
description of configurable aspects of the interface in terms of the ways in which they support
interaction. This paper describes this model and gives examples of its use.

Citation

Gray, P., Cooper, R., Kennedy, J., McKirdy, J., Barclay, P. J., & Griffiths, T. (1998, October). A lightweight presentation model for database user interfaces. Presented at ERCIM\'98

• Conference Name: ERCIM\'98
• Start Date: Oct 19, 1998
• End Date: Aug 21, 1998
• Publication Date: 1998
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2009
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: 4th ERCIM Workshop on "User Interfaces for All"
• Keywords: Teallach model; User interface design; User interface implementation; Object oriented databases; Domain model; Database structure; Task model; User queries; Presentation model; Interaction object storage; Model interaction; Usage
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/2973
• Publisher URL: http://ui4all.ics.forth.gr/UI4ALL-98
• Contract Date: Nov 13, 2009