Localized and Global Approaches for Tiled Window Management.
Abstract
Window management systems provide a very flexible environment for the display of computer-based information. Some systems permit windows to overlap, while others require that windows be tiled. Some systems automatically determine the location and size of a new window, while others require the user to locate and size the window. This research compared two approaches to window management commonly used in tiled window systems. The first, termed the localized approach, creates space for a new or enlarged window by taking space from adjacent windows in the same row. Space is taken from nonadjacent windows only when adjacent windows do not have enough space to meet the needs of the new or enlarged window. The second approach, termed the global approach, creates space for a new or enlarged window by taking equal amounts of space from all the other windows in the same row. The objective of this research was to determine the relative efficiencies of these two approaches when used under each of four decision making scenarios. The results of a controlled, behavioral study of human performance suggest that one, or the other, of the two window management approaches is appropriate depending on: the amount of space available for information display, the variability in the sizes of the data sets that are to be displayed, and the interdependency among these data sets. (JHD)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA198734
Entities
People
- J. S. Greenstein
- Jianfeng Chen
Organizations
- Clemson University