ANNIE-IDE, a System for Developing Interactive User Interfaces for Environmental Models (Programmers Guide)

摘要

The document is a guide to the newly developed computer software called ANNIE-IDE, the ANNIE Interaction Development Environment. ANNIE-IDE provides a consistent methodology for building interactive interfaces for environmental software. ANNIE-IDE combines a toolkit of utility subroutines for building individual interactive screens with instructions for developing two parallel products: a file containing all text, questions, and messages used in interactive communication and a Fortran program containing the control strategy and sequencing instructions for interactions. The system provides an efficient means for storing and updating screen contents. The ANNIE-IDE package is based on a re-evaluation of currently available tools and ideas for constructing a user interface. Accordingly, the manual draws on an expanding body of knowledge of the 'human factors' involved in effective design of man-machine interfaces. By providing a straightforward but powerful set of tools, the ANNIE-IDE software and manual greatly reduce the difficulty a programmer will encounter in developing an interactive user interface.