Partitioned frame networks for multi-level, menu-based interaction

Abstract

Menu-based systems have continued to flourish because they present a simple interaction format that is adaptable to many diverse applications. The continued integration of menu-based interaction with increasingly sophisticated software systems, however, is resulting in complex, monolithic frame networks with several undesirable characteristics. This paper presents a novel approach to frame network construction and menu-based interaction for application systems that support user task specifications. The approach is based on partitioning the conventional, monolithic frame network into a set of hierarchically structured, disjoint networks that preserves the original network topology while reducing its overall complexity and size. By exploiting partitioned frame networks, menu-based interaction can support multiple levels of task specification. Initially, a task overview can be constructed without the user being encumbered by refinement details that could obscure the overall solution specification. Guided by the overview, subsequent interaction leads to a detailed refinement of the intended task specification.