User Interfaces Notes

User Interfaces

Information Technology

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

  • Define the term "user interface" correctly.
  • Differentiate between the two categories of user interfaces.
  • Give examples of each category.

User Interface (UI)

  • A user interface (UI) is the point at which the user and the computer/device interact.
  • It is also a function executed by the Operating System.
  • UIs aim to make interactions with a system intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable.
  • There are two major categories of user interface:
    • Hardware Interface
    • Software Interface

Categories of User Interface

  • Hardware:
    • Touch Screens
    • Special Keyboards
    • Qwerty Keyboards
    • Game Console
    • USB
    • HDMI
    • ETHERNET Cables
  • Software:
    • Command-line Interfaces
    • Graphical User Interfaces
    • Menu-driven Interfaces
    • Touch User Interface

Hardware Interface (HUI)

  • A hardware user interface (HUI) is a physical interface that allows users to interact with hardware devices.
  • Hardware UI also facilitates communications between multiple devices.
  • Examples:
    • If the hardware device is a keyboard, the hardware interface is the keys on the keyboard.
    • If the hardware device is a mouse, the hardware interface is the right and left click buttons as well as the scroll wheel in the center.
    • If the hardware device is a USB port (storage device), the hardware interface is the USB cable.
  • Braille Kindle (TUI)
  • Ethernet Cable to Ethernet Port
  • Keypad
  • Touchpad (TUI)
  • Light Pen (pointing device)

Software Interface

  • A software interface is a point of interaction between different software components and a user, enabling communication and the exchange of data.
  • Examples:
    • Command-line Interfaces
    • Graphical User Interfaces
    • Menu-driven Interfaces
    • Touch User Interface

Command-line Interface

  • A Command-line interface is a UI where the user issues commands to the computer in the form of successive lines of text (command lines).
  • A program which handles the interface is called a command language interpreter or shell.
  • Microsoft disk operating system (MS-DOS) utilized a command line interface.
  • A Menu Driven Interface is a type of user interface that lets a user interact with a computer or device by working your way through a series of menus.
  • There are two types of menus:
    • Drop down menu: Users get options displayed in a vertical list that may have horizontal dividers and links to submenus
    • Pop up Menu: The menu is displayed when the user positions the mouse over an object and clicks or activates the menu.
  • One common example of a menu-driven interface is also found in automated telephone systems.
  • We interact with these systems when we call an operator or when we are activating a data plan 10c2.

Touch User Interface (TUI)

  • A touch user interface (TUI) is a computer-pointing technology based upon the sense of touch.
  • Whereas a graphical user interface (GUI) relies upon the sense of sight, a TUI enables the sense of touch to activate computer-based functions.
  • It allows the user, particularly those with visual impairments, an added level of interaction based upon tactile or braille input.
  • TUI’s are not limited to use by just visually impaired persons but are also used by the sighted.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

The Graphical User Interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through windows, icons, menus, and pointers (WIMP).

Review Questions

  • What is the importance of a user interface?
  • State the two categories of user interfaces.
  • Identify three (3) examples of each category.
  • Differentiate Between the GUI and the Menu-Driven Interface; Are there any Similarities?
  • Name an operating system or electronic device that utilizes all of the Software based user Interfaces.