Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!ucsd!nprdc!trejo
From: trejo@nprdc.arpa (Leonard J. Trejo)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: The Window Focus Problem
Summary: Task-related window groupings must be considered.
Keywords: feedback windowing interfaces
Message-ID: <1203@arctic.nprdc.arpa>
Date: 20 Dec 88 18:44:53 GMT
References: <318@aratar.UUCP> <651@sdics.ucsd.EDU> <1073@arctic.nprdc.arpa> <1168@arctic.nprdc.arpa> <1730@banzai-inst.sw.mcc.com>
Sender: news@nprdc.arpa
Reply-To: trejo@nprdc.arpa (Leonard J. Trejo)
Organization: Navy Personnel R & D Center
Lines: 46

In article <1730@banzai-inst.sw.mcc.com> wex@banzai-inst.sw.mcc.com (Alan Wexelblat) writes:
>In article <1168@arctic.nprdc.arpa>, trejo@nprdc.arpa (Leonard J. Trejo)
>suggests that we help focus by some sort of reduced-contrast or blurring
>scheme.  I just wanted to point out that the user's focus is not always so
>simple as the-window-where-the-mouse-currently-sits.
>
>For example, I frequently have tasks running in two or more windows at once.
>I then use a buffering interface (such as more(1)) to allow me to control
>the rate at which information is presented in one window while I type/take
>action in another window.  Even though my cursor remains most of the time in
>the latter window, I would be extremely annoyed by a system that reduced my
>ability to read other windows.
>
>In summary - let's not get so hung up on focus that we forget why we
>invented multi-window systems in the first place.

I think this is a very good point.  Perceptual segregation schemes of
the figure-ground variety, such as my color/contrast suggestion for
windows, should not ignore task-related associations between different
windows on the screen.  Of course, my original proposal did not necessarily
imply that readability would be significantly reduced in unselected 
windows, but I did ignore the possibility of task-related associations 
between windows.  Perhaps in the situation that Alan Wexelblat
describes the window which supports information processing in the
active (e.g., mouse-containing) window could be tagged with the same
color background or achromatic contrast level as the active window
itself.  In general, a group of windows defined by relationship to
a specific task could all be marked the same way.  This brings us back,
then, to the need for a unique marker for the active window.  Hmmm.
Perhaps in such cases we could have the active window stand out in 
space using binocular depth cues.  However, I think were at least 10
years away from having 3D displays on ordinary workstations.

I wonder what others' frequency of task-related window groupings is?  I 
have encountered two-window groupings in my work.  Can't say I've 
ever had three.

			L. J. T.

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