CFP: A Special Issue of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM TOCHI):

USER INTERFACE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGES FOR NEXT GENERATION USER INTERFACES

Special issue editors: Orit Shaer (Wellesley College), Robert J.K. Jacob (Tufts University), 
Mark Green (University of Ontario Institute of Technology) and Kris Luyten (Hasselt 
University)
Contact: [log in to unmask]
Deadline for Submissions: 7 November 2008
Additional information: http://tochi.acm.org/si/uidl.shtml

In the last decade, new classes of devices for accessing information have emerged along 
with increased connectivity. In parallel to the proliferation of these devices, new 
interaction styles have been explored. Among these new styles are virtual reality, mixed 
reality, 3D interaction, tangible user interfaces, context-aware interfaces and recognition- 
based interfaces. As a result of this increasing diversity of devices and interaction styles, 
developers of next-generation interfaces experience difficulties such as the lack of 
appropriate interaction abstractions, the need to create different design variations of a 
single user interface and the integration of novel hardware. As part of the user interface 
software research community effort to address these difficulties, the concept of a User 
Interface Description Language (UIDL), which has its foundations in user interface 
management systems and model-based authoring, has reemerged as a promising 
approach. UIDLs allow user interface designers to specify a user interface, using high- 
level constructs, which abstract away implementation details. UIDL specifications can 
then be automatically or semi automatically converted into concrete user interfaces or 
user interface implementations. Several UIDLs, mostly using XML as the general 
language, have been developed in recent years in order to simplify the development of 
next generation interfaces. However, many questions regarding the usefulness and 
effectiveness of UIDLs for next generation user interfaces remain open.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present high quality, original, manuscripts related to 
User Interface Description Languages for Next Generation User Interfaces. Manuscripts 
must be original, but significant expansions and revisions of papers recently presented at 
conferences and workshops will be considered. Possible topics include:

Requirements for supporting the design and implementation of next generation user 
interfaces.
Characteristics and comparison of interaction styles.
Models for specifying the structure and behavior of next generation interfaces.
Architectural frameworks for emerging interaction styles.
Lessons learned from developing, evaluating and using particular UIDLs.
Further information, including TOCHI's submission procedures and advice on formatting 
and preparing your manuscript, can be found at: http://www.acm.org/tochi/.

Submissions are to be made through the ACM online manuscript system at: 
http://acm.manuscriptcentral.com/tochi/.

Important Dates:

Deadline for authors to submit full papers: 7 November 2008
Deadline for reviewers to submit comments: 20 December 2008
Notification to authors: 25 January 2009
Deadlines for submission of revised version: 2 March 2009
To discuss a possible contribution, please contact the special issue editors at 
[log in to unmask]

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