Prototypes from standard user interface management systems

Abstract

The theory of prototyping is presented. A description is then given of Oregon speedcode universe (OSU), a software development system using on-screen editing of standard graphical user interface objects, prototyping, program generation, and software accelerators, which are typically used to accelerate the production of running applications. A programmer uses OSU to design and implement all user interface objects such as menus, windows, dialogs, and icons. These objects are then incorporated into an application-specific sequence that mimics the application during program development and performs the desired operations of the application during program execution. Experimental results suggest that the techniques used by OSU can be used to develop 50-90% of an application without explicit programming, yielding productivity improvements of 2 to 10 times.<>