The design and implementation of user interfaces has changed significantly over the decades. The chosen technology evolves from host-based forms of a mainframe application into fat-client applications that are implemented, for example, using Java Swing. It can also evolve into thin-client web applications, Rich Internet Application (RIA), and finally, multichannel applications that must support diverse platforms. There is no end in sight as regards this evolution. Hand-in-hand with this technological evolvement, the expectations of business units and thus of the end users are also changing. Enterprise applications are expected to generate business value today.
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User interface (UI) intensive applications must enable end users to handle their daily work as efficiently as possible. That means a paradigm shift for application developers—end users and their desires become the focus.
To allow good and structured UI design, standards on how UI can be defined effectively...