The HITS Icon Editor: the specification of graphic behavior without coding

The authors describe the Icon Editor, a platform for exploring the construction of dynamic graphical icons and techniques for relating those entities to an application. Discussed is the specification of dynamic icons for use in an interface. Considered are a conceptualization for building appearance and behavior and a prototype system. The authors generalize the notion of tapping, the process of relating an interface object to its application. Tapping supports two-way communication between the interface and the application. The icons can monitor their application states and modify them via mouse input. This representation often involves a transformation of values between application and graphical states. The authors discuss the theory, current implementation, examples of icon construction, and future directions. The aim of the present work is development of a framework supporting knowledge-based tools to aid in building interfaces without coding