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Herkimer J. Gottfried

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Publications by Herkimer J. Gottfried (bibliography)

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1998
 
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Burnett, Margaret M. and Gottfried, Herkimer J. (1998): Graphical Definitions: Expanding Spreadsheet Languages through Direct Manipulation and Gestures. In ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 5 (1) pp. 1-33.

In the past, attempts to extend the spreadsheet paradigm to support graphical objects, such as colored circles or user-defined graphical types, have led to approaches featuring either a direct way of creating objects graphically or strong compatibility with the spreadsheet paradigm, but not both. This inability to conveniently go beyond numbers and strings without straying outside the spreadsheet paradigm has been a limiting factor in the applicability of spreadsheet languages. In this article we present graphical definitions, an approach that removes this limitation, allowing both simple and complex graphical objects to be programmed directly using direct manipulation and gestures, in a manner that fits seamlessly within the spread-sheet paradigm. We also describe an empirical study, in which subjects programmed such objects faster and with fewer errors using this approach than when using a traditional approach to formula specification. Because the approach is expressive enough to be used with both built-in and user-defined types, it allows the directness of demonstrational and spread-sheet techniques to be used in programming a wider range of applications than has been possible before.

© All rights reserved Burnett and and/or ACM Press

1997
 
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Gottfried, Herkimer J. and Burnett, Margaret M. (1997): Programming Complex Objects in Spreadsheets: An Empirical Study Comparing Textual Formula Entry with Direct Manipulation and Gestures. In: Empirical Studies of Programmers - Seventh Workshop October 24-26, 1997, 1997, Alexandria, Virginia. pp. 42-68.

Spreadsheets have traditionally provided strong support for computations that use simple types such as numbers and strings, while providing little or no support for programming with more complex objects such as colored circles or user-defined types. In expanding spreadsheets to support complex objects, we wanted to learn whether programs using complex objects could be constructed more effectively by defining formulas textually or through the use of graphical techniques such as direct manipulation and gestures. In this paper we present an empirical study comparing these two techniques for constructing spreadsheet programs that use complex objects. The results show that programmers can use graphical techniques to program complex objects faster and with fewer errors than with the textual methods traditional of spreadsheets.

© All rights reserved Gottfried and Burnett and/or ACM Press

 
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Gottfried, Herkimer J. and Burnett, Margaret M. (1997): Graphical Definitions: Making Spreadsheets Visual Through Direct Manipulation and Gestures. In: VL 1997 1997. pp. 250-257.

 
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10 Feb 2010: Modified
16 Jun 2009: Added
28 Apr 2003: Added

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May 19

Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated.

-- Paul Rand, 1997

 
 

Featured chapter

Read the fascinating history of Wearable Computing, told by its father, Steve Mann

Read Steve's chapter !

 
 

Help us help you!