Newton Interface Design

Anticipate the User's Action

Offering dynamic pickers is obviously one way of anticipating user actions, but there are several other ways as well. The interface rule is simple:

Here are some examples:

Auto-number items
For example, in a checkbook application, you should auto-number the checks.

Preset items
For example, in applications that use the date, set the entry to the current date when new items are created.

Pre-fill known entries
For example, if a user does an Intelligent assistance of "Pay Bob", then fill out a new check to the last-found Bob in a checkbook application.


An online version of Programming for the Newton using Macintosh, 2nd ed. ©1996, 1994, Julie McKeehan and Neil Rhodes.

Last modified: 1 DEC 1996