Re: TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 12, Issue 10

Subject: Re: TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 12, Issue 10
From: "Ashok Mathur" <acmathura26 -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 11:50:58 +0530

Dear Nancy,
RE HARD TO REVISE A UI

From: Nancy Allison <maker -at- verizon -dot- net>
" I'd like to be able to explain why it's a bad idea for a company to
develop a product's functions first, before thinking about the user
interface (or documentation).

… the developers have created very powerful functions, with the
strangest user interface you have ever seen… tools are scattered
around the interface in no discernible order; different
buttons lead to confusingly similar drop-down lists and directories,
with no clear indication of what you can or can't do in each area.

It's a geek's paradise, and a total mess. The lead developer said to
me, "Oh, we'll fix the UI later."<

I agree with you that creating a mock GUI before coding the software,
would greatly help both the tasks of creating the software and
creating the documentation for it.

I have been looking for a tool that would allow you to create a quick
mock GUI and have not yet found one.

The closest that I have come to is VB6 and Visual Studio6 combination
where you can drag and drop the GUI elements on a form without
bothering to code them further. VC++ does not give you the same
functionality with the same ease, though; ultimately the same
functionality can be achieved.

What has been the experience of others? What has worked and what do
you recommend to avoid?

Regards
Ashok
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