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452

answers:

3

Where can I find resources related to the design and development of text-based user interfaces (e.g. interfaces exported via serial port from embedded devices to VT100 terminals)? I am interested in any material available - best practices, style guides, frameworks, etc.

Note that I am asking about resources related to the design and development of 'TUIs' rather than command-line interfaces (the thrust of http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1324056/text-user-interface-design-reference). Wikipedia differentiates TUIs from CLIs (and GUIs) as follows:

TUIs are different from command-line interfaces in that, like GUIs, they use the entire screen area and do not necessarily provide line-by-line output. However, TUIs only use text and symbols available on a typical text terminal, while GUIs typically use high-resolution graphics modes.

+2  A: 
Pavel Minaev
+2  A: 

Perhaps take a look at ncurses? It's a GNU library specifically designed for writing terminal-based UIs.

Amber
Amazingly, there's actually a book that's been written about `ncurses` in the last couple of years (I'm actually astonished by that), and it's gotten some good reviews.http://www.amazon.com/Programmers-Guide-NCurses-Dan-Gookin/dp/0470107596
Michael Burr
+1  A: 

For best practices and style guides, the IBM Common User Access (CUA) defines a "text subset" that should be helpful especially if your users are used to GUIs. Details are in Chapter 3 of:

http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr/BOOKS/F29BDG00/CCONTENTS

Additional CUA guidelines and standards are in:

http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr/BOOKS/F29AL000/CCONTENTS?DT=19921204095534

Michael Zuschlag