Small User Interfaces

These patterns are part of an ongoing project to capture and document techniques for the design and construction of systems that must function under tight memory constraints. Some patterns from this project are already published in the book Small Memory Software in the Addison-Wesley Software Patterns Series. The full chapter will include three additional patterns, together with more structure and a bibliography; the introductory 'Major Technique' pattern includes an overview of all the patterns involved. Throughout this paper we refer to pattern names in BOLD CAPITALS, and to 'forces', the major factors to consider in choosing patterns, in Italics. Unless otherwise qualified, the pattern names refer to those in this chapter or in the book Small Memory Software. We've illustrated many of the patterns with examples taken from a particularly memory-challenged system, the unique Strap-It-On TM wrist-mounted PC from the well-known company StrapItOn. This product, of course, includes the famous Word-O-Matic word-processor, with its innovative two-finger keyboard and Voice User Interface (VUI). Credits We'd like to thank all those who have reviewed, comment on, or shepherded these patterns. Particular thanks go to Linda Rising, our Europlop 2000 shepherd, for her usual incisive comments!