Brief History

Abstract

ECMA/TC35 was set-up in 1990 to develop an architectural reference model for the user system interface. The main purpose was to use the developed model to identify the standards required for this interface and also to improve the communication on user interfaces in generally providing a common framework and terminology. Work started by examining the currently available user system interfaces and the relevant work already in progress in other standardisation bodies. A number of meetings were dedicated to the consideration of user interfaces either commercially available or under development, and liaison was maintained with other standardisation bodies, in particular with ISO/IEC JTC1/SC18 WG9 and is ISO/TC159/SC4 WG5. In addition to the ECMA user interface reference model, this ECMA Technical Report contains a set of forms (see annex A), permitting the classification of a user interface according to the ECMA taxonomy. This annex contains examples of completed forms. The work of NIST was considered, and annex B describes the relationship between the interface in this Technical Report and the one described in FIPS 158. Annex C describes a set of input, output and input/output devices