Q&A Hero

Q: Interface and dialogue design focuses on how information is provided to and captured from users.

Q: One of the primary advantages of impact printers is their ability to exactly replicate a screen report on paper.

Q: Tables are very beneficial for analyzing data changes over time.

Q: When displaying tables and lists, you should break long sequences of alphanumeric data into small groups of three to four characters each.

Q: When displaying tables and lists, you should right-justify numeric data and align columns by decimal points or other delimiters.

Q: The context and meaning of tables and lists are derived from the format of the information.

Q: When displaying textual information, use abbreviations and acronyms as often as possible.

Q: When designing textual output, both the left and right margins should appear justified.

Q: When designing textual output, you should hyphenate words between lines.

Q: When designing textual output, you should use single spacing wherever possible.

Q: When designing textual output, the text's case should be displayed in mixed upper- and lowercase.

Q: The guidelines for displaying text include case, spacing, and justification guidelines.

Q: Where possible, text should appear in all uppercase on forms.

Q: In business-related systems, textual output is becoming less important as the text-based applications that use these systems are slowly disappearing.

Q: Generally speaking, highlighting methods appear the same on all output devices.

Q: Highlighting methods should be consistently selected and used based upon the level of importance of the emphasized information.

Q: Form designers should use highlighting as often as possible to distinguish the different categories of data.

Q: Highlighting techniques can be used singularly or in combination, depending upon the level of emphasis desired by the designer.

Q: Color, intensity, and size differences are methods of highlighting.

Q: Highlighting should be used as often as possible to draw the user away from or to certain information.

Q: Gaining an understanding of the skills of the intended system users and the tasks they will be performing is invaluable when constructing a form or report.

Q: Notifying the user of the last page of a multipage sequence is a guideline for designing forms and reports.

Q: Designing usable forms and reports requires your active interaction with users.

Q: The purpose of the testing and usability assessment section of a form design specification is to explain to those who will actually develop the final form why this form exists and how it will be used.

Q: Structure charts, flow charts, and dialogue diagrams are the major deliverables for the human interface design stage.

Q: The major deliverables from the human interface design stage are logic models.

Q: Often, the initial prototypes of forms and reports are mock screens that are not working modules or systems.

Q: When preparing an initial prototype of a form or report, the structuring and refinement of the requirements involves much input from the end users.

Q: On the Internet, form interaction is the standard method of gathering and displaying information.

Q: Invoices and mailing labels are examples of forms.

Q: The data on all forms and reports must consist of data elements in data stores and on the E-R data model for the application or else be computed from these data elements.

Q: The contents of a form or report correspond to the data elements contained in an associated data flow located on a data-flow diagram.

Q: Identify the three-step process for designing dialogues.

Q: List eight guidelines for the design of human-computer dialogues.

Q: Briefly discuss the SOS guidelines.

Q: Identify ten validation tests and techniques used to enhance the validity of data input.

Q: Identify four sources of data errors.

Q: Templates used to display and process common attributes of higher-level, more abstract items best describes: A) object-oriented templates. B) CGI scripts. C) Java. D) style sheet-based HTML. E) style sheet-based XML.

Q: The use of small, simple images to allow a Web page to be displayed more quickly best describes: A) icons. B) lightweight graphics. C) cookie crumbs. D) MPEG files. E) template-based HTML.

Q: Which of the following is a technique for showing users where they are in a Web site by placing a series of "tabs" on a Web page that shows users where they are and where they have been? A) Cookie crumbs B) Site markers C) Data markers D) Site locators E) Site maps

Q: A formal method for designing and representing human-computer dialogues using box and line diagrams is referred to as: A) interface design. B) dialogue diagramming. C) conversation modeling. D) entity-relationship diagramming. E) logic modeling.

Q: The guideline specifying that dialogues be simple for users to enter information and navigate between screens is: A) navigation. B) ease. C) shortcuts and sequence. D) reversal. E) feedback.

Q: The guideline specifying that dialogues be logically grouped and have a beginning, middle, and end is: A) closure. B) shortcuts and sequence. C) consistency. D) control. E) feedback.

Q: The technique where users must confirm their intention twice before being allowed to proceed is called: A) double-confirmation. B) double-checking. C) replacement confirmation. D) validity confirmation. E) feedback confirmation.

Q: The sequence of interaction between a user and a system best describes a(n): A) interface. B) discussion. C) dialogue. D) session. E) listing.

Q: The ability to provide field-level help is often referred to as: A) context-sensitive help. B) screen-level help. C) systems-level help. D) application-level help. E) user-level help.

Q: Using lists to break information into manageable pieces conforms to the SOS guideline of: A) shortcuts. B) organize. C) simplicity. D) show. E) sequence.

Q: "Please wait while I open the file" is an example of: A) status information. B) a remark. C) a warning message. D) a prompting cue. E) a class or composition validation test.

Q: Testing to ensure that data conforms to a standard format is the purpose of the: A) missing data validation test. B) pictures/templates validation test. C) reasonableness validation test. D) size validation test. E) self-checking digits validation test.

Q: Testing to assure that data is of proper type is the purpose of the: A) expected values validation test. B) range validation test. C) class or composition validation test. D) values validation test. E) self-checking digits validation test.

Q: Entering invalid data into a field describes: A) transposing. B) transcripting. C) appending. D) truncating. E) hashing.

Q: Reversing the sequence of one or more characters in a field is called: A) transposing. B) transcripting. C) appending. D) truncating. E) hashing.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a rule for structuring data entry fields? A) Never require data that is already online or that can be computed. B) Always provide default values when appropriate. C) Data entries should not be justified. D) Always place a caption adjacent to fields. E) Provide context-sensitive help when appropriate.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a rule for structuring data entry fields? A) Never require the user to enter information that is already available within the system. B) Users should enter current dates into the form. C) Require users to specify the dimensional units of a particular value. D) All data entered onto a screen should automatically justify in a standard format. E) Always place a caption adjacent to fields.

Q: Movement to another screen corresponds to the functional requirement of: A) cursor-control capabilities. B) editing capabilities. C) exit capabilities. D) help capabilities. E) formatting capabilities.

Q: Which of the following functional capabilities are required for providing smooth and easy navigation within a form? A) Star capabilities B) Blending capabilities C) Capital capabilities D) Help capabilities E) Cash capabilities

Q: When designing the navigation procedures within your system, the primary concerns are: A) the design of between-field navigation and the ability to provide feedback. B) grouping data fields into logical categories and assigning group labels. C) consistency. D) formatting and meaningful labels. E) spacing and color differences.

Q: The way a user can move from one display to another best describes: A) dialogue sequence. B) transition plan. C) menu-driven interface. D) screen sequence. E) computer interface.

Q: When designing interfaces and dialogues, you follow a: A) prototyping approach. B) structured methodology approach. C) structured design approach. D) structured analysis approach. E) Structured English approach.

Q: Which of the following focuses on how information is provided to and captured from users? A) Structure chart B) Flow chart C) Entity-relationship diagram D) PERT diagram E) Interface and dialogue design

Q: Which of the following is NOT a true statement regarding paper versus electronic reports? A) Ink-jet printers and laser printers produce reports that look identical to the display screen. B) Impact printers can exactly replicate a screen report to paper. C) Impact printers are very fast, very reliable, and relatively inexpensive. D) Impact printers are mainly used for producing large batches of reports. E) When designing forms and reports for use with impact printers, you may be limited in the range of formatting, text types, and highlighting options.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a general guideline for displaying tables and lists? A) Labels should be separated from other information by using highlighting. B) Avoid overly fancy fonts. C) Columns should have at least two spaces between them. D) Right-justify textual data, and use a short line length. E) Similar information displayed in multiple columns should be sorted vertically.

Q: Which of the following are general guidelines for displaying tables and lists? A) All columns and rows should not contain labels. B) Place three blank lines between every five rows in long columns. C) Use the same family of typefaces within and across displays and reports. D) Do not include white space on printed reports for the user to write notes. E) Rows should be limited to 1000.

Q: Each of the following is a guideline for displaying text EXCEPT: A) use abbreviations and acronyms instead of full text. B) do not hyphenate words between lines. C) left-justify text and leave a ragged right margin. D) display text in mixed upper- and lowercase and use conventional punctuation. E) use double spacing if space permits.

Q: Which of the following is a guideline for displaying text? A) Use double spacing if space permits. B) Do not hyphenate words between lines. C) Left-justify text and leave a ragged right margin. D) Display text in mixed upper- and lowercase and use conventional punctuation. E) All of the above are guidelines for displaying text.

Q: Each of the following is a true statement about highlighting EXCEPT: A) highlighting techniques can be used singularly or in combination, depending upon the level of emphasis desired by the designer. B) highlighting should be used conservatively. C) highlighting methods should be consistently selected and used based upon the level of importance of the emphasized information. D) highlighting should be used as frequently as possible to draw the user to or away from certain information and to group together related information. E) it is important to examine how a particular highlighting method appears on all possible output devices that could be used with the system.

Q: Commonly used methods for highlighting include each of the following EXCEPT: A) reverse video. B) boxing. C) spacing. D) underlining. E) all capital letters.

Q: A common mistake using highlighting includes: A) blinking and audible tones. B) color differences. C) intensity differences. D) size differences. E) overusing highlighting elements.

Q: Making sure that all data and entry fields are clearly labeled corresponds to the following form and report guideline: A) balance the layout. B) design an easy navigation system. C) use meaningful titles. D) include meaningful information. E) market the form.

Q: Providing a current date that identifies when the form or report was generated corresponds to the form and report guideline of: A) balance the layout. B) design an easy navigation system. C) include meaningful information. D) use meaningful titles. E) market the form.

Q: Which of the following is a guideline for designing forms and reports? A) Design a complex navigation system B) Balance the layout C) Include as much additional information as possible to be comprehensive D) Use abbreviations in titles E) Limit the forms or reports to 1000 rows

Q: Designing usable forms and reports requires: A) prototyping. B) data modeling. C) active interaction with end users. D) process modeling. E) using structured analysis.

Q: Which part of the design specification explains to those who will actually develop the final form why this form exists and how it will be used so that they can make the appropriate implementation decisions? A) System description B) Narrative overview C) Sample design D) Testing and usability assessment E) Project overview

Q: Which of the following is the design specification section that provides a general overview of the characteristics of the target users, tasks, systems, and environmental factors in which the form or report will be used? A) System description B) Narrative overview C) Sample design D) Testing and usability assessment E) Project overview

Q: Briefly discuss generating alternative design strategies.

Q: Briefly identify the four entity-relationship diagrams that are produced and analyzed during conceptual data modeling.

Q: Contrast data modeling to process modeling and logic modeling.

Q: Discuss unary, binary, and ternary relationships.

Q: Define the following key data modeling terms: entity, attribute, relationship, degree, cardinality, and associative entity.

Q: Which of the following is a true statement? A) Mandatory features screen out possible solutions; essential features are the important capabilities of a system that will serve as the primary basis for comparison of different design strategies. B) Essential features screen out possible solutions; mandatory features are the important capabilities of a system that will serve as the primary basis for comparison of different design strategies. C) Mandatory features screen out possible solutions; essential features are those that users could live without. D) Essential features screen out possible solutions; mandatory features are those that users could live without. E) Desired features screen out possible solutions; mandatory features are the important capabilities of a system that will serve as the primary basis for comparison of different design strategies.