DeviceIndependence with UIML User Interface Markup Language

1
Device-Independence with UIML(User Interface
Markup Language)
Marc Abrams abrams_at_harmonia.com uiml.org W3C
Workshop on Web Device Independent
Authoring October 2000
2
Quotes from Position Papers

• New XML language should
• Allow author-once-deploy many scenarios
• Achieve clean separation between behavior,
  content, presentation Ruud Siebelink
• Issue is interaction not presentation Paul
  Smethers, WAP
• Ideal solution write well-formed code once
  Jansen
• Semantics meaning of Web content must be made
  clear at primary design level William
  Loughborough
• Must adapt to new devices not envisionedRalph
  Case, Stephane Maes

3
Where UIML Fits In
Application database
Content (XML, audio,)
Device Adaption UIML
Using CC/PP
XHTML
VoiceXML
XHTML
VoiceXML
4
UIML One Part of a Solution

• 3 years in development at Harmonia, Center for
  HCI at Virginia Tech
• Tools downloaded in 40 countries
• Compile to anything
• Anyone can freely implement UIML
• Objective is open standard
• One canonical representation of UI forany
  device, language, OS, UI-metaphor

5
Problem with Existing Approaches

• Suggested way to annotate existing markup
• ltcardgt
• ltselect classDISPLAY_SMALLgt
• lt/cardgt

6
Key ConceptUIML is a Meta Language

• XML
• Doesnt define tags (ltPgt,)
• Must add doc type definition to make it useful
• No need to change XML as new tag sets invented
• UIML
• Doesnt define tool-kit specific tags (ltMenugt,)
• Uses a few powerful tags (ltpartgt, ltpropertygt,)
• Must add toolkit vocabulary to make it useful
• No need to change UIML as new devices invented

7
UIML Model
Underlying principle of single authoring is MVC
to separate content/structure Ralph Case,
Stephane Maes
8
UIML Skeleton
lt?xml version"1.0" ... ?gt ltuiml version"2.0"gt
lt/uimlgt

• What parts comprise the UI whats their
  relationship?

9
UIML Skeleton

• lt?xml version"1.0" ... ?gt
• ltuiml version"2.0"gt
• ltinterfacegt
• ltstructuregtlt/structuregt
• lt/interfacegt
• lt/uimlgt

10
ltpeersgt Maps Classesto Targets

• ltd-class name"JButton" maps-to"javax.swing.JBu
  tton"gt
• lt/d-classgt
• Versus
• ltd-class name"JButton" maps-tohtmlinput"gt
• lt/d-classgt
• This part is written once, like a device driver
  for an OS.
• Events and calls to outside world handled
  similarly.

11
NxM Problem

• App composed on
• M pages
• accessed via N devices
• requires NxM authoring steps
• Ralph Case, Stephane Maes

12
UIML PermitsDevelopment Continuum
Usedevice-specificvocabulary ltpart
ClassJPopupMenugtversusltpart ClassSelectgt
Usegenericvocabulary ltpart ClassMenu gt
13
UIML Permits Families of UIs
14
Another Perspective
Device-independent markup
Device-dependent markup
Scripting languages
High-level language (C, Java)
Assembly language
Machine language
15
StillUIML is Not a Silver Bullet

• Some open problems
• Aid/enforce accessibility guidelines Jon Wu
• Support auto adaptation/personalizationRuud
  Siebelink
• Reorganizing UI
• Many apps will need to be re-designed entirely
  Guido Grassel
• 1 page in a desktop Web browser might be split
  into 2 screens for TV Peter Ferne

16

• European Workshop on UIML January 2001 in
  Paris(see uiml.org)

17
(No Transcript)
18
Supplemental Slides
19
Quote

• Level 0 represents universal content, level 1
  content with knowledge of device capability,
  Jon C.S. Wu

20
More Quotes

• Assumption that there is primordial content
  forming single original document
• These assumptions are false
• A news story in one paragraph in tabloid is not
  same as an extended column in a broadcast Miles
  Sabin

21
More Quotes

• WML/WMLScript differs significantly from
  HTML/JavaScript. Hence format used needs to be
  expressive enough Guido Grassel

22

• Identification of content should be
  device-independent
• Text may be represented in either
  fully-formated or paraphrased versions
  Gimson

23
More Quotes

• Choice between template-driven content-driven
  presentation generation Sebastian Nykopp
• Issue is interaction not presentation Paul
  Smethers on WAP

24
Toward N M