Re: Advantage of XML based GUI? (was Re: Ada-inspired OS/Language)

[nickroberts@blueyonder.co.uk (Nick Roberts)]

On Sat, 14 Sep 2002 12:19:57 -0400, "Chad R. Meiners"
<crmeiners@hotmail.com> strongly typed:

>
>"Warren W. Gay VE3WWG" <ve3wwg@cogeco.ca> wrote in message
>news:3D8358E1.9080703@cogeco.ca...
>> This doesn't always work out well with the "user". This is the same
>> problem with the McAfee Firewall software. They start with the
>> premise of locking everything down (which is good) and then asking 
>> questions of the user as they progress through their normal tasks.
>>
>> The problem with this model is that the end user
>> does'nt understand the questions! If the user is presented with a prompt
>> to allow/disallow TCP port 23 incoming access, he is stuck. The user
>> becomes impatient and will then:
>> ...

>Agreed, 

Also agreed.

>I have given some thought about this.  In my view all programs
>should come will installation information.  This information must be
>submitted to the OS at install time before it can be considered executable
>by anyone.  Each installation lists what capabilities the program needs and
>should be accompained with a plain text description of why the program needs
>that capablility.  The operating system can also maintain a list of
>capability descriptions so the user can compare the needs with the expected
>usage.  Based on this information the user can grant the program
>all/some/none of the requested capabilities.  If the user wants to install a
>program that does not have the accompanied installation information, they
>could run it in the interactive mode Nick described.

Perfect. This is indeed (honest!) just how I intend to do it (I thought
about installation matters a lot earlier this year).

In addition, the system will keep track of what was installed from where,
permitting intelligent backup, automatic piecemeal installation and update
from the Internet, and all manner of nice things. All done with careful
consideration of security (including viruses).

-- 
Nick Roberts
Per Ardua ad Disastra