Glossary

This is a living document maintained by all SYMBIOTIK project members. Terms are presented in alphabetical order.

Adaptability
The capacity of a UI to adapt its behavior through explicit human intervention.
Adaptable User Interface
A UI that supports adaptability.
Adaptivity
The capacity of a UI to adapt without any explicit human intervention.
Affinity Diagram
A business tool used to organize ideas and data. It is one of the Seven Management and Planning Tools. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_diagram
Amensalism
Interaction configuration between two species where one of them is harmed while the other remains unaffected.
AUI
Adaptive User Interface
CAA
Context-aware Adaptation
Commensalism
Interaction configuration between two species where one of them is benefited while the other remains unaffected.
GUI
Graphical User Interface. A type of UI that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands.
HCI
Human Computer Interaction. The study, planning, and design of the interaction between users and computers.
HMD
Head-mounted display. A display device, worn on the head or as part of a helmet, that has a small display optic in front of one or each eye.
ICT
Information and Communication Technologies
IDE
Integrated Development Environment. An application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development.
Interactor
A single interaction object. Synonym: widget.
ML
Machine Learning
MBD
Model-Based Design. A development life cycle based on model capturing various aspects of an interactive application.
MDA
Model-Driven Architecture. The population of the software development process with difference models, each representing a particular view on the system being built. In MDA, each model is governed by a meta-model and model-to-model transformations.
MDE
Model-Driven Engineering
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
Meta-UI
Interactive system whose set of functions is necessary and sufficient to control and evaluate the state of an interactive ambient space. Synonym: extra-UI.
MVC
Model-View-Controller. A software architecture pattern that isolates “domain logic” (the application logic for the user) from the UI (input and presentation), permitting independent development, testing and maintenance of each (separation of concerns).
Mutualism
Interaction configuration between two species where both of them are benefited from each other.
Ontology
A formal and explicit specification of known concepts.
Parasitism
Interaction configuration between two species where one of them is benefited while causing harm to the other.
Context (of use)
Identifies the situation in which a certain action or event occurs. Several aspects can be considered within the context: the user, the device, the environment, etc.
Plastic UI
A user interface capable of adapting itself according to pre-defined or learned adaptation rules and its context.
Plasticity
Property of adapting a user-interface depending on the change of the context of use.
Platform
A class of devices that share the same characteristics in terms of interaction resources. Examples of platforms are the graphical desktop, PDAs, mobile phones, vocal systems, etc.
RTD
Research and Technical Development
SALC
Symbiotic Adaptation Life Cycle
SE
Software Engineering
Symbiosis
Any type of a close and long-term interaction between two species (e.g. a human and a computerized system). The interaction can be, for example, mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic.
UI
User Interface. The UI is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between humans and computers at the UI level is the effective operation and control of the computer, and feedback from the computer which aids the operator in making operational decisions.