Does anyone use User Interface Standards

[Labviewguru]

I am doing a little research on User Interface, and would like know if anyone out there uses standards.

More importantly, if anyone from NI knows, does LabVIEW have it's own standards, or whose do they use.

For myself, I would like to see National Instruments publish a user interface standards document, similar to the ones published by MS and Macintosh. I know that NI uses most of MS's documentation in their own interface creation, but LabVIEW has the unique ability to easily create user interfaces across multiple platforms, and a uniform NI Interface Standards document would be very useful to programmers.

I would like to see something along these lines posted as a topic if enough comments occur.

What
do you think? Should NI have user interface design standards? Who out there would use them? Who out there already uses another interface standards document and what is it (I assume many try to follow MS's...)

Thank you

[LBoltzmann]

NI has a development guidelines document. I will attach it below. Chapter 6 deals with style issues. We currently suggest this as a guideline for development without trying to impose strict standards. We are working on an update to this document with further suggestions/restrictions.

Hope it helps.

Marcus Monroe
Application Engineer
National Instruments

[Labviewguru]

Marcus,

The development guidelines are not what I am referring to as being used at NI. I am trying to find out if there is an interface (as in GUI or HMI) development guidelines document. This would be similar to Microsoft or Apple's documents, which dictate the appearance of an interface. This demonstrates why all of Microsoft's interfaces (dialog windows, etc) have a uniform appearance, and some other manufacturers windows do not (i.e. National Instruments, etc.)

If National Instruments uses such a document, then all of their interfaces would have a uniform appearance. If they use Microsoft's, then all of NI's interfaces (such as MAX, and various wizards, Lookout, etc) would have the same general appearance as Microsoft's.

What I am trying to rea
lly find out is if there is any interest in having an interface standards document for NI. This would provide a basis for uniform appearance of LabVIEW interfaces where necessary. Obviously, the whole idea of a programming language such as labVIEW is to have the ability to change the appearance, but if there is a standard that serves as a general basis, and the standard is used by NI, then there is a platform independent appearance standard for LabVIEW instruments and interfaces that matches NI's own software.

If such a document is used at NI, please let me know. If not, please advise as to the interest in using such a document.

Thanks,

PS: The development guidelines document is a great document.

[KellyH]

You also can access the LabVIEW Development Guidelines manual through LabVIEW by selecting Help»View Printed Manuals.