Question

in programming principles, Answer the following questions: 1. Draw a customer-input screen for a utility company. What information should be captured? In what order should the fields appear? Keep in mind that programmers would need to know database structure for their screens to be useful. 2. Research programming languages that are especially suited to creating animations.

Answer 1

Some involve advances in basic underlying display and interface technologies (higher-resolution visual displays, three-dimensional displays, better voice recognition, better tactile displays, and so on). Others involve advances in our understanding of how to best match these input/output technologies to the sensory, motor, and cognitive capabilities of different users in different and changing environments carrying out a wide variety of tasks. But the new interfaces will need to do more than just physically couple the user to the devices. To meet these visions, the interfaces must have the ability to assist, facilitate, and collaborate with the user in accomplishing tasks.

The interface is the means by which a user communicates with a system, whether to get it to perform some function or computation directly (e.g., compute a trajectory, change a word in a text file, display a video); to find and deliver information (e.g., getting a paper from the Web or information from a database); or to provide ways of interacting with other people (e.g., participate in a chat group, send e-mail, jointly edit a document). As a communications vehicle, interfaces can be assessed and compared in terms of three key dimensions: (1) the language(s) they use, (2) the ways in which they allow users to say things in the language(s), and (3) the surface(s) or device(s) used to produce output (or register input) expressions of the language. The design and implementation of an interface entail choosing (or designing) the language for communication, specifying the ways in which users may express ''statements" of that language (e.g., by typing words or by pointing at icons), and selecting device(s) that allow communication to be realized-the input/output devices.

Language Contrasts and Continuum

There are two language classes of interest in the design of interfaces: natural languages (e.g., English, Spanish, Japanese) and artificial languages.

Layers of Communications
1.	Language Layer
	•	Natural language: complex syntax, complex semantics (whatever a human can say)
	•	Restricted verbal language (e.g., operating systems command language, air traffic control language): limited syntax, constrained semantics
	•	Direct manipulation languages: objects are "noun-like," get "verb equivalents" from manipulations (e.g., drag file X to Trash means ''erase X"; drag message onto Outgoing Mailbox means "send message"; draw circle around object Y and click means "I'm referring to Y, so I can say something about it.")
2.	Expression Layer
	Most of these types of realization can be used to express statements in most of the above types of languages. For instance, one can speak or write natural language; one can say or write a restricted language, such as a command-line interface; and one can say or write/draw a direct manipulation language.
	•	Speaking: continuous speech recognition, isolated-word speech recognition
	•	Writing: typing on a keyboard, handwriting
	•	Drawing
	•	Gesturing (American Sign Language provides an example of gesture as the realization (expression layer choice) for a full-scale natural language.)
	•	Pick-from-set: various forms of menus
	•	Pointing, clicking, dragging
	•	Various three-dimensional manipulations-stretching, rotating, etc.
	•	Manipulations within a virtual reality environment-same range of speech, gesture, point, click, drag, etc., as above, but with three dimensions and broader field of view
	•	Manipulation unique to virtual reality environment-locomotion (flying through/over things as a means of manipulating them or at least looking at them)
3.	Devices
	Hardware mechanisms (and associated device-specific software) that provide a way to express a statement. Again, more than one technology at this layer can be used to implement items at the layer above.
	•	Keyboards (many different kinds of typing)
	•	Microphones
	•	Light pen/drawing pads, touch-sensitive screens, whiteboards
	•	Video display screen and mouse
	•	Video display screen and keypad (e.g., automated teller machine)
	•	Touch-sensitive screen (touch with pen; touch with finger)
	•	Telephone (audible menu with keypad and/or speech input)
	•	Push-button interface, with different button for each choice (like big buttons on an appliance)
	•	Joystick
	•	Virtual reality input gear-glove, helmet, suit,

Web forms are at the center of every meaningful interaction, so they’re worth getting a firm handle on. Meet Adam Silver’s Form Design Patterns, a practical guide to designing and building forms for the web.

• Structure
  This includes the order of fields, the form’s appearance on the page and the logical connections between multiple fields.
• Input fields
  These include text fields, password fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, sliders and any other fields designed for user input.
• Field labels
  These tell users what the corresponding input fields mean.
• Action button
  When the user presses this button, an action is performed (such as submission of the data).
• Feedback
  The user is made to understand the result of their input through feedback. Most apps and websites use plain text as a form of feedback. A message will notify the user about the result and can be positive (indicating that the form was submitted successfully) or negative (“The number you’ve provided is incorrect”).

Forms may also have the following components:

• Assistance
  This is any explanation of how to fill out the form.
• Validation
  This automatic check ensures that the user’s data is valid.

Input Fields

Input fields are what enable users to fill in a form. Various types of fields exist for the information you need: text fields, password fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons, date-pickers and more.

NUMBER OF FIELDS

A rule of thumb in form design is that shorter is better. And this certainly seems intuitive: Less effort on the part of the user will lead to higher conversion. Thus, minimize the number of fields as much as possible. This will make your form feel less loaded, especially when you’re requesting a lot of information. However, don’t overdo it; no one likes a three-field form that turns into a 30-field interrogation. Displaying only five to seven input fields at a given time is a common practice.

MANDATORY VS. OPTIONAL

Try to avoid optional fields in forms. But if you use them, at least clearly distinguish which input fields may not be left blank. The convention is to use an asterisk (*) for required fields or the word “optional” for non-required fields (which is preferable in long forms with multiple required fields). If you decide to use an asterisk for mandatory fields, show a hint at the bottom of the form explaining what the asterisk is for, because not everyone understands what it means.

SETTING DEFAULT VALUES

Avoid setting defaults unless you believe a large portion of your users (for example, 90% of them) will select that value. Particularly avoid it for required fields.

INPUT MASKS

Field masking is a technique that helps users format inputted text. A mask appears once a user focuses on a field, and it formats the text automatically as the field is being filled out, helping users to focus on the required data and to more easily notice errors.

DESKTOP-ONLY: MAKE FORM KEYBOARD-FRIENDLY

Users should be able to focus on and edit every field using only the keyboard. Power users, who tend to use the keyboard heavily, should be able to easily tab through and edit fields, all without lifting their fingers off the keyboard

DESKTOP-ONLY: AUTOFOCUS FOR INPUT FIELD

Autofocusing a field gives the user an indication and a starting point to quickly begin filling out a form. Provide a clear visual signal that focus has moved there, whether by changing a color, fading in a box, flashing an arrow, whatever

LIMIT TYPING (AUTOCOMPLETION)

With more and more people using mobile screens, anything that can be done to prevent unnecessary typing will improve the user experience and decrease errors

Labels

Clearly written labels are one of the primary ways to make a UI more accessible. A good label tells the user the purpose of the field, maintains its usefulness when focus is on the field itself, and remains visible even after the field has been filled in.

NUMBER OF WORDS

Labels are not help text. Use succinct, short, descriptive labels (a word or two) so that users can quickly scan your form.

SENTENCE CASE VS. TITLE CASE

AVOID ALL CAPS

Never use all caps, or else the form will be difficult to read and much harder to scan quickly, because there will be no variation in character height.

INLINE LABELS (PLACEHOLDER TEXT)

A label set as a placeholder in an input field will disappear once the field gains focus; the user will no longer be able to view it.

VISUAL APPEARANCE

Make sure action buttons look like buttons: Indicate that it is possible to click or tap them.

VISUAL FEEDBACK

Design the “Submit” button in a way that clearly indicates the form is being processed after the user’s action. This provides feedback to the user while preventing double submission.

Validation

Form validation errors are inevitable and are a natural part of data entry (because users are prone to making errors).

Protecting Data

This way, users won’t lose any precious data if they accidentally close the tab or browser.

Users can be reluctant to fill out forms, so make the process as easy as possible. Minor changes — such as grouping related fields and indicating what information goes in each field — can significantly increase usability. Usability testing is simply indispensable in form design. Very often, testing with just a few people or simply asking a colleague to go through a prototype can give you good insight into how usable a form is.

programming languages that are especially suited to creating animations.