User I/O & Publishing

Useful assumptions, concepts and terms

The frame of reference of this paper is not language or platform specific. While for convenience we may use terms that have very specific meaning, the meaning for this paper is always the general conceptual meaning. For example, an MDI form is a Windows concept wherein an application is presented with a two-tiered menu structure. In Excel, the "first level children" are "File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Data, Window, Help". Each presents the next level of the menu with what we'll call "second level children". While our language is Windows specific, conceptually this idea can work on any platform and in any language. Whatever adaptations make sense so that the user's approach is "non-linear" or "event driven" are assumed within our meaning.

If the functionality of an application can be separated from its user interface, the ideas in this paper are more relevent. If the user interface is so intertwined with the functionality that they cannot be separated, then this paper is less relevant. We do not come from the school that says "the medium is the message".

The format of this paper is that it will be developed as the home page of a website. The ideas that inspire it, expand on it or that provide documentation of the approach will be presented as additional pages in the website. In addition, a demo is being prepared providing availability on a CD (pending agreement from others whose proprietary software will hopefully be included).

The Premise

We believe that object oriented achievements by contemporary software developers combined with certain disciplines make rapid application development possible at a remarkable level. We are developing an approach we call QScript whereby functions and forms can be described in terms of their desired functionality with the ability to then render the idea in any of several platforms including Windows and the world wide web. This approach builds upon many efforts; some are quite far along; some haven't begun. So, some paths for commercial use of these ideas are closer to reality than other paths.

The Plain Vanilla Magical Machine 2003
The Plain Vanilla Player