Abstract
Synchronous multi-user applications are designed to support two or more simultaneous users. The RENDEZVOUSTM1 system is an infrastructure for building such multi-user applications. Several multi-user applications, such as a tic-tac-toe game. a multi-user CardTable application, and a multi-user whiteboard have been or are being constructed with the RENDEZVOUS system. We argue that there are at least three dimensions of programming complexity that are differentially affected by the programming of multi-user applications as compared to the programming of single-user applications. The first, concurrency, addresses the need to cope with parallel activities. The second dimension, abstraction, addresses the need to separate the user-int~rface from an underlying application abstraction, The thmd dimension, roles, addresses the need to differentially characterize users and customize the user-interface appropriately. Certainly, single-user applications often deal with these complexities; we argue that multi-user applications cannot avoid them. [Keyworcls: User Interface Management System, Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, groupware, programming, dialogue separation, concurrency, roles]
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