When thinking about the differences between a character system and a graphical user interface (GUI), a few things come to mind. The most prominent is the look and feel of the system. When working in a character environment all you need is your keyboard. It is a bit more rustic than GUI, but you can still design a great interface for your customer’s specific needs. Working with a keyboard takes some getting used to, but when you are familiar with all your keys and their functions you can run through a system like a hot knife through butter! The sacred art of double-clicking becomes a thing of the past. The programmer controls the flow of action, as the user can only leave a specific field by pressing enter or the tab key. When a user starts a function or action he must either finish that action or back out of it completely before choosing to do something else.
GUI, on the other hand, is a bit more refined and friendly to end-users because it’s a lot like the Windows operating system. GUI gives the programmer the ability to play around with the screen layout, sometimes to the point of frustration. Often, too much time and effort goes into the design of the screens and not enough into the logic behind it. The user controls the flow of action because he can skip over certain fields using the mouse. A user can change his mind while busy with an action and change a security option before finishing.
What character systems buttons lack in finesse, they make up for in transparency. There's no wondering what Appr. means ('approve' for those who don’t know). With GUI you can pick an icon, but what might look like ‘approve’ to the programmer might mean something else to the user. Always be sure to add your tooltip when designing buttons in GUI. Buttons often look like hieroglyphics to the user.
Virtual real estate is something that doesn't exist in a character system and probably never will. Limited space will always be a problem, so designing a system that is understandable is a priority. Real estate and virtual real estate is one of the great features in GUI. There are no limitations to the amount of buttons you can add to your toolbar or the number of tabs you can add to your program. If and when it does become a problem a bigger screen is an easy solution.
I always remember thinking when I was young that a GUI system is an upper-class software system that only the elite can use. Recently I’ve come to realize that both character and GUI offer the exact same functionality and ease of use. It all boils down to personal preference. I have come to appreciate the 3D frames and fancy buttons that come standard with a GUI system, but deep down I will always be a fan of character.
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Written by Denielle Horn on behalf of QBCon.
