HabilisDraw: A Tool-based Direct Manipulation Software Environment

Abstract

Direct manipulation interfaces already employ a weak analogy to the use of physical tools in the real world. Despite certain tradeoffs, a stronger application of tool-using principles can lead to improvements in the design of software interfaces. I outline here some of the theory behind such an approach, and describe the design of systems that follow these principles, with emphasis on a tool-based drawing application called HabilisDraw.