Embedding interface sketches in code
James Simpson, Michael A. Terry · 2011
This paper presents a user interface (UI) design tool, GUIIO, which uses ASCII text as its medium for rendering interface components. Like other UI design tools, GUIIO allows individuals to create and manipulate UI components as first-class objects. However, GUIIO has the advantage that its UI designs can be embedded directly within the program code itself. We implemented GUIIO as an extension to an existing development environment. As a result, developers can fluidly transition from editing code to editing the UI mock-up, with the text editor automatically switching its mode from code editing to UI editing as a function of the location of the cursor. By rendering UIs as ASCII art, GUIIO fills an important gap in the design, implementation, and revision of UIs by providing a highly portable and immediately accessible visual representation of the UI that embeds with the code itself.