Suggested New Definition for Control and Configure

From: Eric Hansen 
To: UA List
Date: 1 June 2000
Subject: Suggested New Definition for Control and Configure

I took an assignment to propose a new definitions of "control" and
"configure". Here they are. They supersede those offered in my previous memo
[1].


<Old UAAG 7 May 2000>

Configure 
In the context of this document, to configure means to choose, from a set of
options, preferences for interface layout, user agent behavior, rendering
style, and other parameters required by this document. This may be done
through the user agent's user interface, through profiles, style sheets, by
scripts, etc. Users should be able to save their configurations across user
agent sessions (e.g., in a profile). The range of available configurations
(e.g., colors, font families and sizes, sound quality, etc.) may depend on
system or hardware limitations. 

Control 
In this document, the noun "control" means "user interface component" or
"form component". 
</Old - UAAG 7 May 2000>


<New - Eric's revision, 1 June 2000>
Control and Configure

In the context of this document both the terms "control" and "configure"
share in common the idea of governance such as a user may exercise over
interface layout, user agent behavior, rendering style, and other parameters
required by this document. Generally, the difference in the terms centers on
the idea of "persistence". When a user makes a change by "controlling" a
setting, that change usually does not persist beyond that user session. On
the other hand, when a user "configures" a setting, that setting typically
persists into later user sessions. Furthermore, the term "control" typically
means that the change can be made easily (such as via a "hot-key"
combination) and that the results of the change occur immediately, whereas
the term "control" typically means that the change take more time and effort
(such as via a series of menus leading to a dialog box, via style sheets or
scripts) and that the results of the change may not take effect immediately
(e.g., due to time spent reinitializing the system, initiating a new
session, rebooting the system). Configuration settings may be stored in
_profiles_. The range and granularity of the changes that can be controlled
or configured by the user depend on system or hardware limitations.

The term "control" may also refer to a "user interface component" or "form
component".
</New - Eric's revision, 1 June 2000>


[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000AprJun/0373.html
===========================
Eric G. Hansen, Ph.D.
Development Scientist
Educational Testing Service
ETS 12-R
Princeton, NJ 08541
609-734-5615 (Voice)
E-mail: ehansen@ets.org
(W) 609-734-5615 (Voice)
FAX 609-734-1090

Received on Thursday, 1 June 2000 14:08:06 UTC