Display-based problems in spreadsheets: a critical incident and a design remedy

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11th International IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages

Darmstadt, Germany

September 05-September 09

ISBN: 0-8186-7045-2

	ASCII Text	x
	D.G. Hendry, "Display-based problems in spreadsheets: a critical incident and a design remedy," Visual Languages, IEEE Symposium on, pp. 284, 11th International IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages, 1995.

	BibTex	x
	@article{ 10.1109/VL.1995.520820, author = {D.G. Hendry}, title = {Display-based problems in spreadsheets: a critical incident and a design remedy}, journal ={Visual Languages, IEEE Symposium on}, volume = {0}, year = {1995}, issn = {1049-2615}, pages = {284}, doi = {http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/VL.1995.520820}, publisher = {IEEE Computer Society}, address = {Los Alamitos, CA, USA}, }

	RefWorks Procite/RefMan/Endnote	x
	TY - CONF JO - Visual Languages, IEEE Symposium on TI - Display-based problems in spreadsheets: a critical incident and a design remedy SN - 1049-2615 SP EP A1 - D.G. Hendry, PY - 1995 KW - spreadsheet programs; visual programming; problem solving; human factors; series (mathematics); functions; computer displays; user interfaces; display-based problems; spreadsheets; critical incident; design remedy; discretionary user; grid partitioning; arithmetic series; block function; failure; progressional computation; tabular displays; usability; expressive power; cell referencing; visual programming; interaction style; human factors; cognitive dimensions; programming by demonstration VL - 0 JA - Visual Languages, IEEE Symposium on ER -

D.G. Hendry, Sch. of Comput. & Math. Sci., Robert Gordon Univ., Aberdeen, UK

DOI Bookmark: http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/VL.1995.520820

A critical incident is reported where a discretionary user needed to partition the spreadsheet grid into an arithmetic series of blocks and apply a function to each, but was unable to devise a solution. The incident is first scrutinized to explicate the reasons for the failure. Then, a new method for progressional computation on tabular displays is described and reviewed for usability. The method increases the expressive power of cell referencing but also simplifies the notation. The spreadsheet is shown to be a surprisingly poor artefact for three classes of display-based problem.

Index Terms:

spreadsheet programs; visual programming; problem solving; human factors; series (mathematics); functions; computer displays; user interfaces; display-based problems; spreadsheets; critical incident; design remedy; discretionary user; grid partitioning; arithmetic series; block function; failure; progressional computation; tabular displays; usability; expressive power; cell referencing; visual programming; interaction style; human factors; cognitive dimensions; programming by demonstration

Citation:

D.G. Hendry, "Display-based problems in spreadsheets: a critical incident and a design remedy," vl, pp.284, 11th International IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages, 1995

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