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Common Input Devices
Biometric Input Devices
Barcodes
Optical Mark Reader
Skunk Marks
Data Scanning
Fields
Smart Card Technology
Active Reading Machine
UserConfigurable
Desktop and
Work Area
Toolbar
positioning and
Icon Style
Interface Similarities
Across Applications
Menu Structure
and Sequence
Context-Sensitive Help
Tooltip
Hotspot
Popup
Combination of Text and Graphics for End
User feedback
Dialog Boxes
Data Entry Screen Functions
Capability Category
Cursor Control
Editing
Exiting
End User Help
Examples
• Moving the cursor forward or backward to allowable data fields.
• Directly moving the cursor to the first or last field on the screen.
• Move the cursor forward or backward by one character within a data
field.
•
•
•
•
Delete the previous character.
Delete the current character.
Delete the entire field entry.
Clear the entire form of data.
• Commit the data on the screen to the database or application
program.
• Navigate to a new screen or form.
• Confirm recent data entry before moving to another screen or form.
• Obtain help with a particular data field definition or entry.
• Obtain help on the purpose and limitation associated with a particular
data entry screen.
Guidelines for Input Screen Design
Data Entry Activity
Guideline for Effective Design
Data Entry
Avoid requiring entry of data that can be computed, derived, or retrieved from
an existing on-line source.
Field Defaults
Provide relevant field value defaults where appropriate. (i.e. assume current
date for invoice date field)
Required Units
Clearly indicate the desired unit values for data entry fields. (i.e. pounds, inches,
dollars, tons, etc.)
Data Replacement
Provide “intelligent character replacement functions by suggesting a completed
entry after the user has typed the first few characters.
Field Captions
Provide information field captions such that the end user can determine the
appropriate data to enter.
Field Formatting
Provide explicit formatting examples where relevant to indicate the proper
method for entering data with required embedded symbols or a specific
sequence. (i.e. social security number, 999-99-9999 or date, mm/dd/yyyy)
Provide automatic alignment for data entries using left justification for text and
right-justification or decimal justification for numbers.
Data Alignment
End User Help
Wherever possible, provide context-sensitive help mechanisms and hot-key
access to help facilities.
Guidelines for HCI Dialogue Design
Dialogue Guideline
Explanation
Be consistent
All dialogues should be consistent in action, sequence, required keystrokes,
and terminology.
Enable user shortcuts
End users should be allowed to take advantage of shortcut keys or macro
commands wherever possible and appropriate.
Provide relevant feedback
Feedback should be provided to the end user for every data entry action.
Allow for closure
All dialogues should have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Provide error-handling
guidance
All possible errors should be captured by the system and reported back to
the end user in a manner that allows for correction or provides suggestions
as to how to proceed.
Wherever possible, end user actions should be reversible and data deletion
should not occur without explicit confirmation from the end user.
Allow reversal of action
Provide user control
Reduce cognitive load
The dialogue should allow experienced users to feel in control of the system
and should facilitate inexperienced end users by allowing the user to take
greater control of the process as experience develops.
Dialogues must be simple to use and must provide for a minimum cognitive
load on the end user.
Input Validation Controls
Input Control Mechanism
Explanation
Data Typing
Data should be checked for proper type (numeric, alphabetic, or alphanumeric)
Reasonableness
Data should be tested for reasonableness of value given the situation (negative interest rates
not allowed, appropriate rate of pay for specific employee category)
Expected Value
Data should be checked against some expected value where appropriate (model of automobile
should match make of automobile)
Fields should be checked and flagged for missing data that is deemed necessary to complete
the data entry process ( has a quantity been provided for every item on the purchase order?)
Missing or Required Data
Check-Digit Calculation
Check digit calculation should be conducted upon appropriate field entry to insure proper
account number or other numerical data accuracy.
Data Format
Data should be checked against any required format or template to insure proper entry (999-999999, (999) 999-9999, 99AAXX9AX)
Value Range
Data should be checked against any known or established value range (two-letter state codes
should come from acceptable list of codes)
Entry Size
The number of expected characters should be checked where appropriate (is the social security
number exactly nine digits?)
Allowable Entry
Data should be limited to a range of allowable entries and this range of choices should be
provided to the end user, where appropriate)
Check Digit Calculation
Process
Example
Number each digit of a numeric entry
according to place value from either right or
left beginning with 2.
Assume account number of 34763:
Multiply each digit in the numeric entry by its
assigned place value.
3 4 7 6 3
x 2 3 4 5 6
6 12 28 30 18
Sum the result of the multiplications.
6 + 12 + 28 + 30 + 12 = 94
Divide the sum by the modulus number
(usually 10 or 11)
Assume a modulus number of 11:
34763
23456
94 / 11 = 8 remainder 6
Subtract remainder from modulus number
and append check digit to numerical entry.
11 – 6 = 5 (check digit)
347635