John Leo Z wrote: >Jim Self wrote: >. >> Certainly, the challenge at this point is to construct a complete >> non-CHUI interface to VistA so that potential users can choose a >> richer user interface than can be provided by a VT100 terminal. > >[jlz] I have for some time thought that a way forward may be available >by simply wrapping DHCP's roll-and-scroll menus in a prettier shell, >perhaps with bells and whistles available on the same screen. The
There have been quite a few efforts in this direction over the years by non-VA adopters of Fileman, by terminal emulation developers, and by MUMPS toolkit developers. My own efforts in this direction started about 24 years ago based on the capability of VT100 terminals to scroll one region of the display screen while others remain fixed in place. After Microsoft Windows came out about 15 years ago, some terminal emulators provided a capability to generate and interact with windows based input forms. Some terminal emulators have even supported mouse events since the early days of Macintosh more than 20 years ago. However, the goal is not simply to provide a prettier shell. >efficiencies of the old keyboard-only interface may be enhanced... and Whether a user interface can be operated effectively with or without input devices other than a keyboard is a separate issue from presentation capabilities and style of interaction. CHUI does not have to be strictly roll-and-scroll and the effectiveness of most users with many tasks can be greatly enhanced by a user interface that provides systematic support for additional input devices. >made more attractive to decision makers who don't know what they are >talking about when the reject the simpler interface on looks alone. > >> Another example is the web based command shell in M2Web. That combines some >> of the best >> features of roll-and-scroll with the richer interface capabilities of a web >> browser. > >[jlz] At least some of the FUD about VistA is not about capability but >about appearance alone. Except for an occasional beep, the only input that we (users) receive from most CHUI's is visual. Appearance is tremendously important as an indicator of functionality. I think you must be objecting to first impressions of people new to EMR who might reject CHUI portions of VistA based on superficial features without realizing the great depth and breadth of functionality that lies below the surface. Macintosh has been around for 22 years. Personal computers with graphics about 30 years. Graphical web browsers 13 or 14 years. Most users now have grown up with Macintosh or Microsoft Windows and video games and take GUI and pointing devices for granted, along with email, word processors, spreadsheets, and the web. It seems to me almost inevitable that their first impressions of any CHUI application would be unappealing. --------------------------------------- Jim Self Systems Architect, Lead Developer VMTH Computer Services, UC Davis (http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/us/jaself) --------------------------------------- M2Web Demonstration with VistA (http://vista.vmth.ucdavis.edu/) (http://openforum.worldvista.org/~forum/m.cgi) --------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security? Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642 _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members
