FormBuilder: a tool for creating a consistent graphical user interface

FormBuilder is an interactive design tool. It allows a designer-not a programmer-to create menus and forms of arbitrary size, style, and complexity. Because FormBuilder separates the task of GUI development and code development it enables a logical step forward-to include the function of form prototyping & testing. This means that a form can be created and used without any application code. The designer can sit down with the potential application user and determine a satisfactory user interface standard before the application is written. Forms can be modified with the user present to obtain the most meaningful man-machine dialogue. FormBuilder allows the GUI designer to include context-sensitive help functions within the form definition. The paper describes the use of FormBuilder by Intergraph Ltd