Creating user interfaces by demonstration

TL;DR: Peridot, a new User Interface Management System, addresses this problem by allowing the user interface designer to demonstrate how the input devices should be handled by giving an example of the interface in action.

Abstract: When creating highly-interactive, Direct Manipulation interfaces, one of the most difficult design and implementation tasks is handling the mouse and other input devices. Peridot, a new User Interface Management System, addresses this problem by allowing the user interface designer to demonstrate how the input devices should be handled by giving an example of the interface in action. The designer uses sample values for parameters, and the system automatically infers the general operation and creates the code. After an interaction is specified, it can immediately be executed and edited. This promotes extremely rapid prototyping since it is very easy to design, implement and modify mouse-based interfaces. Peridot also supports additional input devices such as touch tablets, as well as multiple input devices operating in parallel (such as one in each hand) in a natural, easy to specify manner. This is implemented using active values, which are like variables except that the objects that depend on active values are updated immediately whenever they change. Active values are a straightforward and efficient mechanism for implementing dynamic interactions.