WIMP (computing)

WIMP (computing)

In human–computer interaction, WIMP stands for "window, icon, menu, pointing device", denoting a style of interaction using these elements. It was coined by Merzouga Wilberts in 1980. Although its usage has fallen out of favor, it is often used as an approximate synonym of "GUI". WIMP interaction was developed at Xerox PARC (see Xerox Alto, developed in 1973) and "popularized by the Macintosh computer in 1984". [Andries van Dam: "Post-WIMP User Interfaces". In: "Communications of the ACM", 40(2) (February 1997), pp. 63-67. http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/253671.253708 [Citeseer http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/cache/papers/cs/11222/http:zSzzSzcs.ru.ac.zazSzhomeszSzg97rc001zSzpaperszSzp63-van_dam.pdf/dam97postwimp.pdf] ]

This style of interaction uses a physical input device to control the position of a cursor and presents information organized in windows and represented with icons. Available commands are compiled together in menus and actioned through the pointing device. This reduces the cognitive load to remember the possibilities available, reducing learning times.

Other benefits of this style include its ease of use for non-technical people, both novice and power users. Also know-how can be ported from one application to the next, given the high consistency between interfaces.

Since "wimp" in common speech is a derogatory term for a person lacking strength or courage, the acronym WIMP is sometimes used in a likewise derogatory manner [http://labs.mozilla.com/2007/07/the-graphical-keyboard-user-interface/] , especially by those who prefer more traditional command-line interfacesFact|date=June 2008.

Alternative Expansions

Different sources expand the acronym WIMP differently. The terms may be plural or singular, and the term corresponding to P varies the most. All of the following can be found on the web (as of 2004):
* W: Window(s)
* I: Icon(s)
* M: Menu(s); Mouse/Mice (rarely) (note that mice are a subset of pointing devices)
* P: Pointing device(s); Pointing; Pointer(s) (note that the term "pointer" is often used as a synonym for mouse cursor); Pull-down menu(s) (note that pull-down menus can be thought of as a subset of menus)

Another possibility is to have the P in WIMP stand for Program, allowing it to be used as a noun (like the noun GUI, for graphical user interface) rather than as an adjective or qualifier.

Criticism

User interfaces based on the WIMP style are very good at abstracting workspaces, documents, and their actions. Their analogous paradigm to documents as paper sheets or folders, makes WIMP interfaces easy to introduce to novice users. Furthermore their basic representations as rectangular regions on a 2D flat screen make them a good fit for system programmers. Generality makes them very suitable for multitasking work environments.

This explains why the paradigm has been prevalent over more than 20 years, both giving rise to and benefiting from the availability of commercial widget toolkits that support this style. Though several HCI researchers consider this to be a sign of stagnation in user interface design, a current lack of innovation in the search for new interaction models.

There are applications for which WIMP is not well suited, they argue, and the lack of technical support increase difficulty for the development of their interfaces. This includes any application requiring devices that provides continuous input signals, showing 3D models, or simply portraying an interaction for which there is not defined any standard widget. Andries van Dam call these interfaces post-WIMP GUIs.

ee also

* History of the graphical user interface

References

* Alistair D. N. Edwards: "The design of auditory interfaces for visually disabled users". In: "Proceedings of ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)", 1988, pp. 83--88, http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/57167.57180
* Mark Green, Robert Jacob, SIGGRAPH: "'90 Workshop report: software architectures and metaphors for non-WIMP user interfaces". In: "ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics", 25(3) (July 1991), pp. 229--235, http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/126640.126677
* Ashley George Taylor: "WIMP Interfaces" (winter 1997) http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_winter/Topics/dialog-wimp/


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Wimp — may refer to: * A physical or emotional weakling (considered to be derived from J. Wellington Wimpy, a character in the Popeye cartoon series). WIMP, as an acronym, may refer to: * Weakly interacting massive particle, a hypothetical class of… …   Wikipedia

  • WIMP (Benutzerschnittstelle) — Das englischsprachige Akronym WIMP steht meist für „Windows“, „Icons“, „Menus“ und „Pointer“ (bzw. „pointing device“). Es bezeichnet das derzeit dominierende Grundkonzept moderner grafischer Benutzerschnittstellen (GUIs) für Arbeitsplatzrechner.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • WIMP — Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (Academic & Science » Physics) Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (Academic & Science » Astronomy) * Windows Icons Menus And Pointers (Computing » Software) * Windows, Icons, Mouse, and Pointer (Computing »… …   Abbreviations dictionary

  • WIMP — WIMP1 noun Computing a set of software features and hardware devices designed to simplify or demystify computing operations for the user. Origin 1980s: acronym from windows, icons, mice, and pull down menus (or pointers). WIMP2 noun Physics a… …   English new terms dictionary

  • Window (computing) — This article is about the graphical display of the functions of a computer. For the operating system, see Microsoft Windows. For other uses, see Window (disambiguation). An example of some windows in a graphical user interface GNOME. Two… …   Wikipedia

  • Menu (computing) — A generic application menu In computing and telecommunications, a menu is a list of commands presented to an operator by a computer or communications system. A menu is used in contrast to a command line interface, where instructions to the… …   Wikipedia

  • Icon (computing) — On computer displays, a computer icon is a small pictogram. Icons have been used to supplement the normal alphanumerics of the computer. Modern computers now can handle bitmapped graphics on the display terminal, so the icons are widely used to… …   Wikipedia

  • Post-WIMP — In computing post WIMP comprises work on user interfaces, mostly graphical user interfaces, which attempt to go beyond the paradigm of windows, icons, menus and a pointing device, i.e. WIMP interfaces. The reason WIMP interfaces have become so… …   Wikipedia

  • Timeline of computing 1980–1989 — History of computing Hardware before 1960 Hardware 1960s to present Hardware in Soviet Bloc countries Artificial intelligence Computer science Operating systems Programming languages …   Wikipedia

  • Wearable Computing — (engl. tragbare Datenverarbeitung) ist das Forschungsgebiet, das sich mit der Entwicklung von tragbaren Computersystemen (Wearable Computer) beschäftigt. Ein Wearable Computer wiederum ist ein Computersystem, das während der Anwendung am Körper… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”