This document discusses adapting user interfaces designed for left-to-right languages to support right-to-left languages and cultures. It outlines what right-to-left user interfaces are and examines current support in software products and UI languages. The document suggests updates to the UsiXML format to better support right-to-left orientation, localization, and control behavior. These include adding direction properties and tags to support bidirectional text. The goal is to make UsiXML user interfaces more culturally aware by considering factors like alignment, justification and automatic widget selection and placement based on cultural dimensions.
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Adapting UsiXML User Interfaces to Cultural Background
1. Adapting UsiXML User Interfaces to Cultural Background IyadKhaddam, Jean Vanderdonckt
2. Outlines Right To Left UI: What is it? Awareness/support for RTL UI in SW products Current RTL UI support in UsiXML Suggested Updates to UsiXML Towards Culturally-aware UsiXML UI
5. Right To Left UI: What is it? Summary of RTL Effect on UI: Orientation Localization: Text localization Text localization: language encoding and character set (alphabet). Direction switching: direction of text writing. Graphics localization RTL sensitive graphics (non-horizontally symmetrical) Images with text inside Other localizable images (country flag…) Control localization Control rendering: ex: label control should support writing from right to left. Control behaviour: controls should be aware of special behavior for special keys (like pressing “enter” key in a text area)
6. Outlines Right To Left UI: What is it? Awareness/support for RTL UI in SW products Current RTL UI support in UsiXML Suggested Updates to UsiXML Towards Culturally-aware UsiXML UI
7. Awareness/support for RTL UI in SW products OS Support ERP Products UI Languages: XUL (XML User Interface)
11. Outlines Right To Left UI: What is it? Awareness/support for RTL UI in SW products Current RTL UI support in UsiXML Suggested Updates to UsiXML Towards Culturally-aware UsiXML UI
12. Current RTL UI support in UsiXML Orientation: UsiXML Supports Alignment (right, left, center). UsiXML Supports Positioning Positioning != Orientation
13. Current RTL UI support in UsiXML Localization: Text localization Text Translation: Resource Model. Support for Unicode is needed. Direction switching: Not Supported. Graphics localization Supported Number of localized images may be larger than LTR localized ones.. Control localization Not Supported. All controls are direction-insensitive. Left to the FUI. Problems: Reverse engineering, mixed UI with both LTR and RTL controls.
14. Outlines Right To Left UI: What is it? Awareness/support for RTL UI in SW products Current RTL UI support in UsiXML Suggested Updates to UsiXML Towards Culturally-aware UsiXML UI
15. Suggested Updates to UsiXML Add a new property to Context Model. The “dir” property. Values in [RTL, LTR]. Optional prop. Add a new property to class 2DgraphicalCio: “dir” property. Inherits value from objects trees. Properties Usage.
16. Suggested Updates to UsiXML Optional: Minimized localized images Image Component class: Add new property: ImageDir [LTR, RTL, empty(null)]
17. Suggested Updates to UsiXML Optional: Fixing the Direction switching Add direction tags to text: <LTR/> and <RTL/>. <RTL>تقابلنا في</RTL><LTR>Paris</LTR><RTL>السنة الماضية</RTL>
18. Outlines Right To Left UI: What is it? Awareness/support for RTL UI in SW products Current RTL UI support in UsiXML Suggested Updates to UsiXML Towards Culturally-aware UsiXML UI
19. Towards Culturally-aware UsiXML UI Usability: Tip 1: Align fields effectively: left-justifyedit fields. The corresponding labels should be right-justifiedand placed immediately beside the field. Tips 2: Justify data appropriately: For columns of data: right-justify numbers, and left-justify strings.