Citation
ISO 9241-17:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 17: Form filling dialogues.
Status
International Standard. Will be replaced by ISO 9241-134.
Lifecycle Phase
Create the user experience.
Type of Guidance
Principles and general recommendations.
Application Area
Software.
Scope
This part of ISO 9241 provides recommendations for systems that use form filling interfaces (now commonly seen on the web). With form filling (or “fill in the blanks”) interfaces, users see a display of related fields and enter data where required. The standard begins by describing the appropriate application areas for these interfaces (for example, when users have experience with paper forms but limited experience with computers). The recommendations cover form filling structure, input considerations, feedback and navigation. Form filling structure covers: general; layout; and fields and labels. Input considerations covers: general; alphanumeric text entry; choice entries; control; and field validation. Feedback covers: echoing; cursor and pointer position; field errors; transmission acknowledgement; and database changes. Navigation covers: initial cursor position; movement between fields; return to initial field; tabbing; scrolling; and form selection. The standard contains two annexes. The first is a sample procedure for assessing applicability and adherence and includes a nine-page checklist (using a conditional compliance route, see the description of ISO 9241-12). The second annex is a bibliography and contains a table cross-referencing the recommendations in the standard to the academic sources.
Audience
User interface designers and evaluators.
See Also
ISO 9241-110:2006 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Part 110: Dialogue principles.
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