User Interface : Graphical User Interface (GUI)

With a Graphical User Interface (GUI) the user interacts with the computer by using a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball.

The most popular form of GUI is a Windows, Icon, Menu and Pointer (WIMP) system. The important features of a WIMP system are :

1.

Window : An area of the screen which is used to display a particular program or piece of work. Many windows can be displayed on the screen at the same time. e.g.

 
2.

Icon : An informative picture / symbol displayed on the screen which the user chooses to select an action. Icons can usually be used to represent software packages, documents and hardware devices. e.g.
 
3.

Menu : A list of options which the user can pick from. Menus can be pull-down (selected from a menu bar at the top of the screen) or pop-up (selected by pressing a mouse button). e.g.

 
4.

Pointer : A symbol such as an arrow which is moved by a pointing device and can be used to select objects.

WIMP user interfaces are now very popular and are used on most computers. Examples of operating systems and programs that have a WIMP Interface are :

  1. Windows® XP
  2. Risc-OS®
  3. Any piece of software running under one of the above operating systems.

When you use a program such as a word processor that has a WIMP interface it is often the case that the document you are creating looks exactly the same on the screen as it will when it is printed out. If this is the case then the program is described as being WYSIWYG. This stands for What You See Is What You Get.

Advantages Disadvantages
  • Most operations are self-explanatory so that you do not have to remember lots of commands. This makes GUIs particularly suitable for inexperienced users.
  • Some operations are much easier using a GUI with a pointer. e.g. selecting text or drawing pictures.
  • Often you can have more than one program running at the same time, each of them using different windows.
  • Often GUIs are WYSIWYG. What you see on the screen is what you get if you do a printout.
  • Often with a GUI many programs use a similar interface, so it is easier to learn how to use a new program.
  • Most GUIs provide good help facilities.
  • GUIs can take up a lot of memory and need to be run on a fast computer. If you have a slow computer, a GUI may work slowly or not at all.

MS-DOS® and Windows® XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004