Abstract
We describe a new approach to constructing user Interfaces by declaratively specifying the relation- ships between objects via filters. A filter Is a package of constraints dynamically enforced between a source object and a view object. For example, the relationship between an employee object in a database and a bitmap object represented on a display screen can be modelled as a filter. The object in the database can then be modified by manipulating the object on the screen, and changes made to the employee object by other programs are Instantly reflected on the screen.
This paper describes a specification language for filters, an Implementation of filters with the aid of a constraint-satisfaction system, and a graphical Interface for designing filters. We illustrate the power and flexibility of the filter paradigm with an Interface example and show that it stimulates and supports the re-use of existing components and gives a design methodology for constructing interfaces.
Research was supported by NSF grants IRI-8604923 and IRI-8604977.
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Ege, R.K., Maiert, D., Boming, A. (1987). The Filter Browser Defining Interfaces Graphically. In: Bézivin, J., Hullot, JM., Cointe, P., Lieberman, H. (eds) ECOOP’ 87 European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming. ECOOP 1987. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 276. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-47891-4_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-47891-4_14
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