Experiments with Oval: a radically tailorable tool for cooperative work

ABSTRACT

This article describes a series of tests of the generality of a “radically tailorable” tool for cooperative work. Users of this system can create applications by combining and modifying four kinds of building blocks: objects, views, agents, and links. We found that user-level tailoring of these primitives can provide most of the functionality found in well-known cooperative work systems such as gIBIS, Coordinator, Lotus Notes, and Information Lens. These primitives, therefore, appear to provide an elementary “tailoring language” out of which a wide variety of integrated information management and collaboration applications can be constructed by end users.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.3 Group and Organization Interfaces

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.1 PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES
      D.1.7 Visual Programming
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications
          Subjects: Very high-level languages

  H. Information Systems
  H.1 MODELS AND PRINCIPLES
      H.1.2 User/Machine Systems
  H.4 INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS
      H.4.1 Office Automation
      H.4.3 Communications Applications
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: User interface management systems (UIMS); Evaluation/methodology; Interaction styles (e.g., commands, menus, forms, direct manipulation)

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Human Factors, Languages

Keywords:
computer-supported cooperative work, end-user programming, groupware, radical tailorability