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Managing your private cloud, Part 2: Using the WebSphere CloudBurst REST API interface
Several interface options are available to help you to interact with the
IBM WebSphere CloudBurst Appliance, which provides functionality for creating,
deploying, and managing IBM WebSphere Application Server virtual systems in a
private cloud. These interfaces include a Web 2.0 graphical user interface, a
Jython command line interface, and an HTTP REST API. This article discusses
the HTTP REST API, which provides a language-neutral interface that is ideal
for integrating WebSphere CloudBurst capabilities into existing applications
or user interfaces.
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Articles |
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04 Nov 2009 |
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Using Apache Pivot to build an iTunes search client
Apache Pivot is an open source platform for building rich internet applications (RIAs) in a Java environment. It combines the enhanced productivity and usability features of a modern RIA toolkit with the robustness of the industry-standard Java platform. Apache Pivot applications take advantage of WTKX, an XML-based language for user interface design, which makes the application's output easy to visualize. In this tutorial, you will follow the implementation of a simple but practical Pivot application that allows a user to execute searches against the contents of the iTunes Store.
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Tutorial |
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13 Oct 2009 |
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Creating a declarative XML UI language
Writing GUIs in program code can often lead to messy design choices, which
in turn results in a blurring between business logic and UI code. Discover how to create a
declarative XML UI tag set with an accompanying Java(TM) framework that parses, validates,
constructs, and finally binds the declared GUI components to business logic at runtime.
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Articles |
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01 Sep 2009 |
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Mashup security
The mashup development model enables a vast array of possibilities for the
Web landscape. This openness, however, presents a plethora of new security
vulnerabilities. Discover tips and techniques for addressing some of these
problems.
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Articles |
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04 Aug 2009 |
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Leveraging Amazon Web Services for enterprise application integration
Discover how to leverage XML and Amazon Web Services to integrate enterprise applications, and to build cross-platform application-integration capabilities using the Microsoft(R) .NET C#) and Java(TM) platforms.
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Articles |
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16 Jun 2009 |
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Implement roles-based authorization
Learn how to implement a dynamic user interface
through user authentication. Authentication is often the requirement for
applications with multiple groups of users. Each group may require access to
application functionality that may need to be withheld from other groups. The
authentication mechanism must validate user credentials and control access to
application functionality based on the user's credentials. This article shows how
to implement a basic authentication mechanism using OpenLDAP and Tomcat. It
compares the OpenLDAP and Tomcat implementation to an OpenLDAP and WASCE
implementation. And finally, code examples show the implementation of the dynamic UI
using Java code and JSTL.
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Articles |
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14 Apr 2009 |
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Implementing Enterprise 2.0
The term Enterprise 2.0 is gaining traction in organizations across
the globe. This article investigates the underlying concepts of Enterprise 2.0,
its relationship with Web 2.0, and the various tools and services that apply to
it. Examine the benefits of employing Enterprise 2.0 in your business, and explore
some of the potential drawbacks associated with it. Use this article to help you decide how to best implement Enterprise 2.0 in your organization.
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Articles |
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17 Feb 2009 |
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Creating mashups with JavaFX
Are you a Java developer who wants to leverage the open Web to create
Rich Internet Applications (RIAs)? You are in luck. Now JavaFX empowers
developers to leverage the Java platform to create RIAs. In this article,
learn
how you can use JavaFX to create mashups. See how
JavaFX lets you tap into popular Web services such as Flickr and how you can
use it to create interactive user interfaces. Along the way, get a
taste of the new capabilities that JavaFX brings to client-side
development.
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Articles |
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10 Feb 2009 |
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Adaptive user interfaces for health care
applications
Adaptive user interfaces assist users in accomplishing tasks in an
application and construct a model of the user's preferences so as to serve them
better in the future. Examples include systems that filter news stories, recommend
products, and so on. This approach to personalized services is relatively new but has
great potential for improving the effectiveness of human-computer interfaces.
Health care is a significant area where adaptive user interfaces can be of
great use. Health care users range from having little computer knowledge (for
example, some
nurses or doctors) to having expert computer knowledge (for example, system administrators).
And, there can be many other distinguishing factors when it comes to patients.
Therefore, adapting a computer application's interface to different types of users is important to
improve the usability of such applications. Two major techniques used for
adaptation are adaptive presentation and adaptive navigation. Adaptive
presentation involves personalizing the contents presented to the user.
Adaptive navigation involves customizing ways by which users complete their
tasks in the application. These techniques can be used to enhance the
usability of health care applications, thereby contributing to their
success.
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Articles |
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20 Jan 2009 |
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Localized client-side validation messaging using Ajax
When building a Web application that caters to users across the globe,
there are two points to consider: internationalized/localized page content and
validation of user inputs and message displays. While you can easily build an
internationalized version of the page using resource bundles (locale-specific
property files) on the server side, it is very difficult to display
internationalized validation messages when the validation is being done at the
client side. Using Asynchronous JavaScript + XML (Ajax) is one option to make
your life easier. This article discusses using Ajax and resource bundles
together to make the process of internationalized/localized client-side validation messaging
a little easier.
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Articles |
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13 Jan 2009 |
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The Abstract User Interface Markup Language
Web Toolkit: An AUIML renderer for JavaScript and Dojo
Get an overview of the Abstract User Interface Markup Language
(AUIML) Web Toolkit (AWT). Learn how the AWT makes it possible to develop Web 2.0 interfaces quickly and easily by
merging the ease-of-use and expressiveness of the AUIML visual designer with the versatility
of the Dojo toolkit. Rapid development of user interfaces is made possible thanks to the AUIML
visual editor and also because of the availability of a number of ready-to-use patterns.
Experience has shown that the combination of these two factors provide a significant increase
in productivity, and this is even more true considering the fact that, currently, there is no
comparable technology that targets a Dojo interface.
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Articles |
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18 Nov 2008 |
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An introduction to XML User Interface Language (XUL) development
XUL is a tried and true application framework. In fact, the recently released Firefox 3.0 is not only built using XUL, but provides a XUL runtime environment that enables any Firefox user to run other XUL applications. In this tutorial, you start to program in XUL and learn about some tools to help you develop XUL apps. Build a XUL-based blog editor as you enhance your Web development skills to build desktop apps with XUL.
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Tutorials |
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04 Nov 2008 |
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Build a stylish image gallery using Lightbox 2 and JavaScript
The Web has increasingly become a medium for showing off art. From candid snapshots
taken by an amateur photographer to professional art galleries, Web pages are primary vehicles
for displaying images. But a beautiful image is hindered--or aided--by its frame. Using a
simple JavaScript library, you can "frame" your online images beautifully and provide an
intuitive user interface along the way.
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Articles |
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28 Oct 2008 |
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Build Ajax applications with Ext JS
Ext JS is a powerful JavaScript library that simplifies Asynchronous JavaScript
+ XML (Ajax) development through the
use of reusable objects and widgets. This article introduces Ext JS, providing an overview
of the object-oriented JavaScript design concepts behind it, and shows how to use the Ext
JS framework for rich Internet application UI elements.
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Articles |
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01 Jul 2008 |
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Get ready for Firefox 3.0
Mozilla Firefox 3 is a major release with many enhancements, some of which
are targeted at users, and some at developers. One of the most interesting updates
gives Web developers the ability to build Web applications that work even when the
user is disconnected from the Internet. Use this article to learn more about these new Firefox 3 features, especially the new offline application support.
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Articles |
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17 Jun 2008 |
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Real Web 2.0: Practical linked, open data with Exhibit
In the previous installment of this column you learned about Linking Open Data
(LOD), a community initiative for moving the Web from separated documents to a broad
information space of data. That article covered the main ideas of LOD, and in this article you will see how to quickly put these ideas to use. Learn about the Exhibit Web library from the MIT Simile project, which allows you to construct functional and visually attractive user interfaces without much work, once you have good LOD available.
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Articles |
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13 May 2008 |
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An introduction to RichFaces
Today's clients want and have begun to expect desktop features in
browser-based applications. RichFaces is one of a new breed of user interface
component suites available for Java Server Faces (JSF). Among other benefits,
RichFaces provides built-in JavaScript and Ajax capabilities to meet those
expectations. Joe Sam Shirah adds some new tools to your kit based on experiences
with a recent field project, including general setup for using RichFaces with
Facelets, and several specific component examples
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Articles |
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25 Mar 2008 |
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Browser extensions using XUL, Part 2: Assemble a cross-platform Firefox extension
XUL is a surprisingly easy way to build cross-platform browser
extensions or even stand-alone applications. Discover how to build powerful,
flexible Mozilla browser extensions that go beyond the capabilities of
other tools like embedded scripting languages or CGI -- because they're
built right into the user's browser.
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Articles |
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16 Oct 2007 |
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Browser extensions using XUL, Part 1: Create a Firefox browser extension with user-interface features
Create extensions that go beyond the built-in capabilities of
Web browsers. The Mozilla project's XUL engine is a user-interface
language that you can use to extend Mozilla browsers, or to build
stand-alone applications. XUL is a surprisingly easy way to build
cross-platform browser extensions, and this pair of articles demonstrates
how.
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Articles |
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02 Oct 2007 |
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Web development tips: Pay attention to the CSS @media rule
The CSS "@media" rule is a useful way to target an HTML or XML
document to an intended output device. Use of the "print" media is
now fairly widespread, and provides a much cleaner means of creating
printer-friendly pages than does a separate "printable version." The use
of the "screen" media has been somewhat underused, perhaps because of an
overly general assumption that screen is merely the "default
rendering." However, in regard to positioning--especially absolute
positioning--the screen media type has an important meaning that is
not covered by media-free stylesheet rules.
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Articles |
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18 Sep 2007 |
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Web development tips: Ten (or a few more) files every Web site needs
Regardless of what sort of Content Management System or Web
application framework you might use to develop your Web site, there are some basics you should cover. A sophisticated user interface and
rich content is great to have, but before you get to that, you
should provide the basic files that users anticipate finding and
that tell both humans and machines what your site does.
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Articles |
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11 Sep 2007 |
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Real Web 2.0: Wikipedia, champion of user-generated content
Encourage user contribution to
your Web site by learning from Wikipedia. Wikipedia builds on open source and respects the
geographical variety and potential accessibility needs of its users. It
provides tools to help users contribute, but also fosters an atmosphere
where contributions are verified and discussed by the community.
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Articles |
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04 Sep 2007 |
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The cranky user: What ever happened to Web engineering?
Does it ever occur to you that today's Web
developers could learn a thing or two from traditional computer
programming? The cranky user talks about the foundations of software
engineering and asks where in the Web those best practices have
disappeared to.
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Articles |
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24 Jul 2007 |
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Real world Rails, Part 2: Advanced page caching
Normally, user-related content defeats page caching because the content for each user is subtly different. Using JavaScript
with cookies, you can use page caching even when you're displaying some
custom user data. This article explores advanced page caching in Ruby on
Rails.
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Articles |
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26 Jun 2007 |
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The cranky user: Simple is the new sophisticated
Consumer devices like the Nintendo Wii and the Apple
iPod have shown that the simplest interfaces can win over users in record
numbers. This month the cranky user takes a look at why simplification works and how the
drive for innovation ties in with the "Principle of least
astonishment".
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Articles |
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12 Jun 2007 |
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The W3C Multimodal Architecture, Part 2: The XML specification stack
Gerald McCobb continues his introduction to the
forthcoming W3C Multimodal Architecture with a survey of the many XML
languages that you can use to author multimodal applications. He then shows
how several specifications -- SCXML, XHTML, REX, and XML Events -- could
work together in a complete multimodal application.
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Articles |
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31 May 2007 |
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Building Google gadgets, Part 2: Working with the user interface
Part 2 of the "Building Google gadgets" series introduces the advanced features
of gadgets, including creating a tabbed user interface, drag and drop, and MiniMessages,
and gets you started creating your own.
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Tutorials |
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22 May 2007 |
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The W3C Multimodal Architecture, Part 1: Overview and challenges
The W3C Multimodal Interaction Working Group has been refining its proposal for a Multimodal Architecture since 2002. In this first article in a three-part series, Gerald McCobb of IBM presents an overview of the group's progress. Get an early look at the emerging architecture and learn about the challenges Web developers should consider when deciding whether to implement it.
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Articles |
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08 May 2007 |
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Introducing developerWorks spaces
The developerWorks spaces initiative represents a new way
for people to create, discover, integrate, or present information, ideas,
business transactions, news, and even themselves to others through the
global environment of the Internet. Meet the first phase of the project, called "community topics," and find out how you can get involved.
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Articles |
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01 May 2007 |
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Building Google gadgets, Part 1: Fundamentals of Google gadgets
In this new Web development series, learn how to develop Google gadgets. Gadgets are small applications that you can add to most any Web page as a means to offer dynamic and rich content. Google has an abundance of gadgets to choose from. However, the most intriguing aspect of gadgets is that you can write them for your own use and then publish them on Google, where other developers can integrate your work into their Web projects.
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Tutorials |
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24 Apr 2007 |
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Take a legacy path to advanced GWT controls
The Google Web Toolkit (GWT) provides libraries and tools that let you develop Ajax applications in the Java programming language. Unfortunately, GWT's standard gallery of UI controls (widgets) doesn't provide the advanced features that modern enterprise applications require. This article shows a technique that addresses this deficiency. Find out how to give GWT controls advanced functionality with relatively simple coding by integrating a popular JavaScript grid component with a GWT application.
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Articles |
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24 Apr 2007 |
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Implementing client-side interportlet communication with Dojo and WebSphere Portal
Cooperatively and dynamically update portlets in a browser, using the Dojo JavaScript toolkit to share data and events.
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Articles |
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14 Mar 2007 |
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Develop Web applications for local use
Writing local Web applications can be quick, easy, and efficient for solving specific Intranet problems. Understand why a Web browser is sometimes a better interface than a GUI application, and when a CGI script may be the simplest and most elegant solution.
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Articles |
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27 Feb 2007 |
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The cranky user: Who needs a virtual keyboard?
Usability experts have long held that it's important to give users a familiar interface when you introduce a new product. This month Peter argues in favor of exploring the unique potential of the Web medium, rather than reproducing the limitations of physical objects in hyperspace.
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Articles |
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01 Feb 2007 |
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The cranky user: Ten ways to do better in 2007
So you say you're serious about improving your software and building better relationships with users in 2007? The cranky user offers 10 New Years resolutions to help you do it.
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Articles |
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03 Jan 2007 |
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The cranky user: Please don't interrupt me
Notification software often comes off like a bar-room bouncer when it should be acting like Jeeves the butler. This month, the cranky user offers tips for telling users what they really ought to know, but doing it graciously.
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Articles |
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01 Dec 2006 |
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Crossing borders: Streamlined, Part 2
Part 1 of this two-article series introduced Streamlined, a Rails-based open source framework that combines the power of Ajax, metaprogramming, and code generation to take Rails productivity to a new level. Part 2 explores how the metamodel behind Streamlined enables customizations.
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Articles |
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03 Oct 2006 |
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Unify your Web apps with UUE
Enterprise application integration (EAI) is the elusive Holy Grail of any large IT department. The value of integrating multiple disparate applications so they can share business data and business processes is well established. From information architecture to branding, applications that are integrated across a multifaceted user experience to share a unified user experience (UUE) are easier to learn and offer productivity gains. The standards, paradigms, and patterns that define the UUE can also help to accelerate design and development through the use of reusable components. Integrating the user experience (UX) does have its share of challenges and drawbacks. When done correctly, it can provide the enterprise with a homogeneous, familiar, efficient comfort when users interact with its application while it shortens development cycles.
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Articles |
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19 Sep 2006 |
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The cranky user: What to do when the screen goes blank
Find some fool-proof solutions to the computer-borne panic attack. (Hint: You won't find these in the manual.)
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Articles |
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01 Sep 2006 |
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The cranky user: Your language usage matters
Have you ever looked at a dialog box -- I mean, really looked at a dialog box? These user interface components, which are among the most important part of any application, are often riddled with typos, logical inconsistencies, mismatched verbs, and other howlers. Find out how to keep your application out of the "Worst Dialog Box Ever" lists.
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Articles |
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01 Aug 2006 |
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Using open source software to design, develop, and deploy a collaborative Web site, Part 1: Introduction and overview
In this series, follow along as the IBM Internet Technology Group team designs, develops, and deploys a closed community Web site using a suite of software that is freely available -- including Drupal, MySQL, PHP, Apache, and Eclipse technologies.
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Articles |
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11 Jul 2006 |
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The cranky user: Flash and substance
Why use tools like JavaScript, Shockwave, and Flash for harm when you can use them for good? Get a user's perspective on where Flash belongs on your Web pages, and where it doesn't.
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Articles |
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06 Jun 2006 |
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Dynamic interface design with Swing
The Swing UI toolkit makes it possible, though not always easy, to update user interfaces dynamically in response to events or user actions. This article reviews some of the common ways you can build UIs that update dynamically, a few pitfalls you might encounter along the way, and some principles to help you decide when this is the right approach for the job.
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Articles |
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25 Apr 2006 |
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Quality busters: Compare Web site appearance and functionality
Discover how to shift the priorities of your Web site from appearance to functionality and use Web standards to ensure cross-browser compatibility in this column by Michael Russell.
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Articles |
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18 Apr 2006 |
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The cranky user: Usability off the beaten path
Keyboards, mice, windows -- essentially, they have the same design. This month, the cranky user explores options that have looked beyond the box for innovative designs that users can really use.
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Articles |
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13 Mar 2006 |
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The cranky user: Do you really expect me to believe that?
Peter talks playground rules to corporate liars, big and small.
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Articles |
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02 Feb 2006 |
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User annotations in Ajax
The ability to add notes and comments to your Web site can be a powerful and attractive feature for users. This tutorial demonstrates how to implement an Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)-based user annotation system in the form of yellow sticky notes that sit on top of regular Web page content. The only additional, required configuration is a back-end Perl script that stores the annotations
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Tutorials |
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31 Jan 2006 |
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The cranky user: Ho ho hum online retailers
Forget about both Santa and ineffective design. It's that time of year again, and the cranky user has some well-timed advice for online retailers in this pre-Christmas column.
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Articles |
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02 Dec 2005 |
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The cranky user: Take off the training wheels
Like dull knives in the kitchen and training wheels on bicycles, many so-called safety features just lead to trouble. The cranky user suggests an alternative approach.
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Articles |
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01 Nov 2005 |
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Dynamic checkboxes with Struts
Struts Recipes co-author Danilo Gurovich
picks up where George Franciscus left off with an easy-to-follow Struts
recipe for creating dynamically selected checkboxes.
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Articles |
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25 Oct 2005 |
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Say goodbye to complexity when developing Web services
Get an introduction to the Ad Hoc Development and Integration tool for End Users (ADIEU), a tool for developing Web applications and Web services without having to know anything about Java programming.
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Articles |
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06 Oct 2005 |
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The cranky user: Watchen das blinkenlichten
Usability suffers when the design of computer interfaces is driven by the need to make a good first impression. This month the cranky user talks about the relationship between form and substance.
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Articles |
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03 Oct 2005 |
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Ajax for Java developers: Build dynamic Java applications
The page-reload cycle presents one of the biggest usability obstacles in Web application development and is a serious challenge for Java developers. In this series, author Philip McCarthy introduces a groundbreaking approach to creating dynamic Web application experiences. Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a programming technique that lets you combine Java technologies, XML, and JavaScript for Java-based Web applications that break the page-reload paradigm.
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Articles |
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20 Sep 2005 |
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The cranky user: But does it come in purple?
Customization typically offers users the ability to manipulate shiny objects, but not much real power. Wouldn't it be better to put the time into supporting a more powerful and flexible user interface?
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Articles |
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01 Sep 2005 |
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The cranky user: Oh, the pixel pickle
Do you think the pixel is the only unit of measurement for building graphical displays? Come on, you can measure better than that! This month, the Cranky user offers tips for user-friendly HTML layout and interface design, and explains why pixels aren't always the best unit for the job.
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Articles |
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03 Aug 2005 |
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Introduction to Swing
This hands-on introduction to Swing, the first in a two-part series on Swing programming, walks through the essential components in the Swing library. Java developer and Swing enthusiast Michael Abernethy guides you through the basic building blocks and then assists as you build basic but functional Swing application. Along the way you'll learn how to use models to ease the process of dealing with the data.
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Tutorials |
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29 Jun 2005 |
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The cranky user: Ergonomics, Part 2: Ergonomic devices
Following up on "Part 1: The science of not hurting the user," the cranky user looks at the various tools and devices marketed to solve ergonomic problems.
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Articles |
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01 Jun 2005 |
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The cranky user: Ergonomics, Part 1: The science of not hurting the user
With aching hands and wrists, the cranky user writes about ergonomics, from in-home doctor visits to the proper time for font smoothing.
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Articles |
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04 May 2005 |
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The cranky user: Ergonomics, Part 1: The science of not hurting the user
With aching hands and wrists, the cranky user writes about ergonomics, from in-home doctor visits to the proper time for font smoothing.
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Articles |
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04 May 2005 |
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The cranky user: Bad design can be so taxing
When people design Web forms, they often overlook some great sources of professional expertise in the world -- the existence of form design techniques with which nearly all users are familiar. This month, the cranky user looks at form design and management.
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Articles |
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05 Apr 2005 |
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The cranky user: Baby duck syndrome
What if something neither looks nor quacks like a duck, but users think it is a duck? The cranky user comments on baby duck syndrome and how it can trap users with systems and interfaces that don't really meet their needs.
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Articles |
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02 Mar 2005 |
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When Web pages don't work
Puzzled why your site is not living up to your expectations? The problem may not lie with your content or products, but rather in your site's user experience. Find out what common pitfalls to avoid by following a few simple guidelines to improve the user experience and transform surfers into customers.
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Articles |
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09 Feb 2005 |
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The user experience, Part 1
In this two-part article on improving application design, Dick Berry focuses first on the differences between GUI and Web environments, and reveals effective approaches for each that can enable the best possible user experience.
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Articles |
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09 Feb 2005 |
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The cranky user: Performance anxiety
Processors are supposedly getting faster all the time, so why is your computer still so slow?
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Articles |
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02 Feb 2005 |
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The cranky user: Everything's automated!
Today's user interfaces are so eager to please that sometimes they're downright pushy. In this month's The cranky user, Peter calls for more tough love in UI design and less overcompensation for user ignorance, confusion, and error.
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Articles |
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13 Jan 2005 |
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Defeat the no match found scenario
Differentiating between the number 0 and the uppercase letter O or between the number 1 and the uppercase letter I in search engines is a major cause of the no match found error message. Author Christopher Cring digs up a simple, pre-existing method designed to quickly and easily solve this common search problem of characters that cannot be easily identified.
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Articles |
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28 Dec 2004 |
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Quality busters: Make your error messages meaningful
Many applications treat users as if they were programmers. Messages that report errors are often cryptic, contain meaningless codes, and provide no help regarding what to do next. While the developers who wrote the application can use those messages, most users are left with one option: call the help desk. This article describes a more appropriate kind of error message for users: one that includes description, cause, and recovery steps.
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Articles |
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20 Oct 2004 |
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Quality busters: Don't violate the principle of locality
Modern applications are highly distributed, with components residing on many systems. These components consist of many application objects, such as program modules, databases, and configuration files. Improperly distributing application objects increases the number of necessary maintenance tasks; this in turn increases the likelihood that a task might be performed incorrectly, which increases the probability of an application failure. In this installment of Quality busters, you'll look at some of the ways in which application objects are improperly distributed.
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Articles |
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06 Oct 2004 |
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The cranky user: To err(or) is human
Writing informative, useful software error reports is the topic tackled by cranky user Peter Seebach.
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Articles |
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06 Oct 2004 |
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Quality busters: Customizing applications
To customize applications and program products for a specific operational environment, you must modify one or more configuration objects. These configuration objects can take many forms, such as text files, XML files, system registries, or a separate service. Managing the operational environment becomes more complex as the number of configuration objects increases.
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Articles |
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08 Sep 2004 |
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The cranky user: Upgrades, downgrades, and the update treadmill
Peter points out what's wrong with the endless-upgrade cycle, and shows you where the solution lies.
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Articles |
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02 Sep 2004 |
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Quality busters: The files that ate the disk
Nearly every application creates by-products which must be managed. These by-products include log files, tracings for debugging problems, intermediate files, data transfer files, temporary tables, and more. Failure to manage these transient objects can result in the application's failure due to limited disk space or other resource conflicts.
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Articles |
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23 Aug 2004 |
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Quality busters: Forget the environment
The quality of an application depends on more than how well it satisfies user-functional requirements. Even an application that successfully makes it through development and deployment can encounter grumblings from users and system operators if it is hard to use, keeps failing, is difficult to diagnose, or consumes excessive resources. In addition to user-functional requirements, you must also consider how well the application satisfies the non-functional requirements and fits into the organization's operational environment.
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Articles |
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10 Aug 2004 |
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The cranky user: Crash
Frequent computer crashes are totally unacceptable. They cost incredible amounts in lost productivity, frustrate you, and serve as a barrier between you and the promised features of purchased software and hardware.
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10 Aug 2004 |
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The cranky user: Policy, scourge of the people
Company policies have gradually grown from a way to keep practices consistent into a catch-all excuse for inappropriate responses. In this installment, cranky Peter Seebach explains why policy can be the enemy of the customer and the company, as well as why using the word "empowerment" in a corporate setting is so wrong.
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01 Jul 2004 |
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The BlueSpace wall display project
This article provides some of the implementation details behind the BlueSpace wall display, a high-resolution screen display built on the Java platform.
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22 Jun 2004 |
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The cranky user: All I want is a quick, easy install, Part 2
Peter adds a few finishing touches to his thoughts on what does and does not befit a well-mannered software installer.
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02 Jun 2004 |
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The cranky user: All I want is a quick, easy install
With the installer usually the first part of an application that a user sees, why is software installation such a notoriously buggy procedure? This month, in The cranky user column, Peter chronicles the ups and downs of installation, from the golden era of the floppy disk to the rise of the standard installer. He also offers some user-centered advice on building installers that work the way users want them to.
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05 May 2004 |
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The cranky user: Mixed signals on the high-tech highway
Mixed signals have become a fixture on the user landscape that most of you just ignore. Whether you're pressing Start to shut down a computer operating system or marveling at privacy-policy doublespeak, you've become so inured that you barely notice how exhausting and irritating it all is. Not so for the cranky user. This month's column reveals both the madness and the method behind the seemingly random insanity that most computer users are soaking in.
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02 Apr 2004 |
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The cranky user: Businesses behaving badly
This month, The cranky user looks at user reactions to common problems with user interfaces and corporate policies, and how these reactions can make some common business decisions counterproductive. When it comes to inconveniencing your customers, and sometimes even offending them, are some sales tactics worth it in the long run?
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04 Mar 2004 |
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Create rich client apps with the DOM
Move your Web applications beyond the handicap of the ubiquitous thin client architecture. Today's browsers finally support advanced client-side interactions across all objects in an HTML document. Thanks to the Document Object Model (DOM), UI designers can now create interfaces that let users manipulate data in real time while still offering the conveniences of a Web application. Author Mike Padilla shows you how to implement code that exposes robust client-side functionality that is both clean and extensible.
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17 Feb 2004 |
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The cranky user: You don't exist. Go away.
People were mistakenly declared dead long before people had computers. Frustration results when something or someone tells you that you don't exist, an experience the cranky user examines in this month's column.
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02 Feb 2004 |
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The cranky user: The importance of documentation
Computer documentation is shoddy, or more often absent. Missing information amplifies usability problems, leaving users stuck calling unfriendly technical support lines. In this installment of The cranky user, Peter Seebach explains what's missing in the documentation effort and why it is gone.
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14 Nov 2003 |
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The cranky user: What can users do?
Since some users have insisted, Peter decides to provide a value-add to bad software. In this installment of The cranky user, the author, against his better judgment, details four ways to get some use out of poorly designed systems. Bonus points: Some ways to help improve the software in the long run.
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03 Sep 2003 |
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Strike a balance: Users' expertise on interface design
Computers and users process information in distinct ways -- so do individual users. Although it's relatively easy to get a computer to understand input, what with fixed standards and universal APIs, usability with human users is not absolute. User interface usability is relative to the experience level of individual users. UI designer Mike Padilla provides an overview of UI design for Web-based productivity software with a focus on the broadest range of users, examining what makes an application UI usable and detailing concepts that can facilitate an efficient, broad-based UI design.
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02 Sep 2003 |
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The cranky user: Yes, Virginia, security affects usability
Peter gets cranky over incoherent or ill-considered advice about security. In this installment of The cranky user, he looks at how security affects usability and offers some background information on the threats computers face -- types of attacks, types of security holes, and how these problems affect users.
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01 Aug 2003 |
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The cranky user: Strategies for handling customer feedback
If your Web site doesn't include a feedback mechanism, it probably should. In this month's Cranky User column, Peter explains the importance of listening to the customer, and helps you develop strategies for dealing with the different types of feedback you will receive.
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03 Jul 2003 |
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Learn from your customers for usable Web apps
Usability consultant Paul Englefield takes you on a journey to demonstrate that listening to your customers is the only way to provide the ultimate usability when designing an e-commerce site or Web-based applications. Through examples, the article weaves user-centered design techniques into the steps of designing an effective business site, focusing on gathering data about your customers' (and their customers') usage behaviors, offers two design models, and demonstrates how to integrate customers' input into the testing and evaluation process.
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10 Jun 2003 |
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The cranky user: And in this corner: Copy protection versus usability
Peter gets cranky with software manufacturers that create copy-protection schemes (hard or soft) which affect users' abilities to actually use the software they've paid for. This article looks at the way in which copy-protection schemes have hurt users, as well as the trade-offs users face when developers choose between security and usability in software and Web pages in general.
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06 Jun 2003 |
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The cranky user: What ever happened to professional ethics?
Peter gets cranky on Web designers, software engineers, and even customer service reps; all of whom, he says, could use a refresher course in professional ethics.
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02 May 2003 |
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Create themes for Mozilla and Netscape
This tutorial demonstrates how to control the appearance of Mozilla and Mozilla-based browsers (such as Netscape 7 and above). It walks you through an example of creating an installable theme that you can download to change the look and feel of your browser and its components. The example theme makes use of XML, Cascading Style Sheets, and image resources to expand your experience with the browser, while requiring no programming knowledge.
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15 Apr 2003 |
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The cranky user: The cranky user recants
As time goes on, we all have to admit our mistakes; even columnists at respected Web sites like this one. Perhaps it's time I addressed a few of the gaffes I've made during the history of this column. Really, it's not that bad; one column of recanting for more than twenty columns that were entirely flawless. I hope this column is enlightening, as it's a bit hard to back down from my earlier positions. Luck being on my side, my readers will meet me halfway.
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01 Apr 2003 |
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The cranky user: Customer service -- it matters
Usability testing on phone systems is a valuable lesson for Web developers. After all, happy customers help with happy business growth.
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10 Mar 2003 |
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Experience remote usability testing, Part 2
Two Pervasive Computing specialists explain why and when remote usability testing is a benefit, illuminate application-sharing tools used for testing, and offer insights into their experiences. (Part 2 of 2.)
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01 Feb 2003 |
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The cranky user: Whose computer is this, anyway?
Software that installs unwanted additional programs creates a substantial burden on users, and makes it hard to exercise control over our own computers and software!
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01 Feb 2003 |
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Experience remote usability testing, Part 1
Two Pervasive Computing specialists explain why and when remote usability testing is a benefit, illuminate application-sharing tools used for testing, and offer insights into their experiences and the sometimes hard lessons they've learned. (Part 1 of 2.)
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01 Jan 2003 |
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The cranky user: Pigeonholed
Web sites often try to categorize visitors, transactions, questions, and more. These categories can be unnatural or limiting to the user -- as well as annoying. How can online sites please their visitors, while extracting needed information from them?
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01 Jan 2003 |
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Creating Java2D composites for rollover effects
When creating or using Java applications, you may have experienced some interesting rollover and/or selection effects when using default Swing mechanisms. A more consistent, more common result can be reached using the Java2D API which allows you to methodically define composite values for rollover and selection events. In this article, discover how images are constructed within Java language and how they can be manipulated using AWT composites.
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01 Sep 2002 |
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The cranky user: User interfaces
We look at a couple of the concepts discussed in Don Norman's book, The Design of Everyday Things, and how they might apply to computer interfaces.
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01 Sep 2002 |
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The cranky user: Everything I need to know about usability, I learned at the arcade
A program that is integral to the operation of your business can be hard to use -- yet you will use it anyway. A video game that is hard to use is no fun, and you won't use it. Forged in this crucible is an attitude that's common to most games: Usability is paramount. Productivity software should learn some of the same lessons.
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01 Jun 2002 |
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