Monday labs cannot be held due to a scheduling conflict -- go to Tuesday’s | ||
There are four Tuesday labs: | ||
8:30, 9:30, 1:30, 2:30 | ||
The term’s calendar is posted including Midterm dates; it’s subject to change | ||
RGB Yellow = Full, Full, Zero intensity |
Other people can teach you computer applications or you can figure them out for yourself |
How do we learn to use new tools? | |||
Be taught to use them -- car, bicycle | |||
Reading the owner’s manual -- chain saw | |||
Figure them out ourselves -- CD player |
How do we learn to use new tools? | |||
Be taught to use them -- car, bicycle | |||
Reading the owner’s manual -- chain saw | |||
Figure them out ourselves -- CD player | |||
Software designers wanting you to learn their tool ASAP, try for ‘intuitive’ | |||
Consistent Interfaces -- build on experience | |||
Suggestive icons -- bypass terminology | |||
Metaphors -- exploit analogous reasoning |
Find: | |
consistent | |
interface | |
icons | |
metaphor |
Most applications | |
have File and Edit |
‘New’ means create a ‘blank instance’ | ||
To understand ‘blank instance’ know that information has properties as well as content which are all stored in a structure with a place for everything | ||
A ‘blank instance’ is simply the structure without any of the content |
Software designers use standard ideas to make applications intuitive | |||
To learn a new application, check it out by clicking around | |||
Take a minute to ... | |||
Look under all menus to see operations | |||
Follow the “…” for menu operations | |||
Try to recognize what the icons mean | |||
Learn an application fast by trying it | ||
Beginning with a new instance, assertively try menu items | ||
Expect to fail and make a mess | ||
Exit the application, and if you are asked “Save?” reply “No” | ||
Try repeatedly until becoming familiar |
Software systems build on a consistent interface, standard metaphors, etc. | |||
Expect to teach yourself applications | |||
Do so by familiarizing yourself with the features … “Clicking Around” | |||
Assertively try out the features, “Blaze Away,” watching what they do | |||
Be efficient -- stay focused, don’t type a lot when you expect to exit |
Arguments about which is better, Mac or PC, create only heat, no light | ||
They are more alike than different | ||
Any Fluent person can use both |
Different vendors will produce similar software for the same task | |||
Superficially, the GUIs use similar features | |||
Fundamentally, the task largely determines how the software must work … they must be similar |
Different vendors will produce similar software for the same task | |||
Superficially, the GUIs use similar features | |||
Fundamentally, the task largely determines how the software must work … they must be similar | |||
Implications … | |||
Know one word processor, learn others fast | |||
SW differences: mostly glitz, convenience | |||
Don’t accept lousy … switch to other SW |
If SW is similar at core, computations can be taught independently of vendor |
If SW is similar at core, computations can be taught independently of vendor … consider text searching and replacement |
Two strings are required: search string and substitution string | |||
Adopt a notation: search û substitute |
Illustrating the use of the notation | ||
Using the replacement | ||
The sentence | ||
Becomes | ||
It’s easy to express substitutions | ||
The Problem: Eliminate single instances of a string without removing doubles | |
The Problem: Eliminate single instances of a string without removing doubles | |
The Problem: Eliminate single instances of a string without removing doubles | |
Roses are ¿red¿¿Violets are ¿blue¿¿... | |||
Deleting the single ¿ deletes them all! |
Roses are ¿red¿¿Violets are ¿blue¿¿... | |||
Deleting the single ¿ deletes them all! | |||
Placeholder technique … | |||
Substitute a placeholder for the longer string | |||
¿¿ û # | |||
Yielding | |||
Roses are ¿red#Violets are ¿blue#… | |||
Next, delete the shorter string | |||
¿ û e | |||
Yielding | |||
Roses are red#Violets are blue#… |
Finally, replace the placeholder with the original long string | |||
# û ¿¿ | |||
Yielding | |||
Roses are red¿¿Violets are blue¿¿… | |||
The intended result | |||
Summarizing the placeholder | |||
longstring û placeholder | |||
shortstring û e | |||
placeholder û longstring |
Humans must learn to use tools | |||
Software designers want you to learn easily | |||
SW uses consistent interface, metaphors, … | |||
Teach yourself applications by “Clicking Around,” and “Blaze Away” | |||
SW for a task must share core features | |||
Learn app.s independently of vendor |