Using the Fieldwork Tools

Working with stick-e notes in the prototype is split into two distinct areas: definition and creation. This reflects the split of the software into the StickePlates program for defining and editing the stick-e note template, and the StickePad program for creating new notes based on a specific template and then allowing the user to edit them. The series of screen shots from the StickePlates program (see Table 5) demonstrates the process of defining a very simple stick-e note template.

1. The StickePlates template

constructor. Note that the picklist in the upper right corner indicates that there are no templates defined yet.

2. Clicking New invokes the new

template dialog. 3. After ‘Oking’ the previous dialog the picklist now shows the current template we’re working on as ‘giraffe’.

4. Clicking Add invokes a dialog to

define a new field, where the type and name/label of the field can be entered.

5. Some field types have properties

that can be edited by clicking the

Details button.

6. After ‘Oking’ the field definition

dialogs, the new field is added to the template.

Table 5. A sequence of StickePlates screenshots that illustrates the creation of a stick-e note template.

A number of stick-e note templates can be created and edited; the template picklist is used to select the current one. Having created a suitable stick-e note template, or set of them, the StickePad can then be used to create new stick-e notes. A very simple example to illustrate this process given in Table 6.

Chapter 3: Ecology Fieldwork Tools

1. The StickePad; empty in the

beginning. 2. Clicking the New button creates a new stick-e note that, by default, is generated from the last used or modified template. The template can be changed by selecting a different one from the picklist. Note: screen space is optimised in favour of the data boxes; the labels are never allowed to stretch beyond half the width of the screen.

3. Clicking on a data box(No. of giraffe in this example) invokes a

dialog to edit the value of that stick- e note field. The + or - buttons in the Edit Number dialog increment or decrement the number by a step amount predefined in the stick-e note template.

4. After editing a field, the

respective value in the stick-e note is updated.

5. Clicking Done saves the

changes to the stick-e note and it is added to the list of notes in the StickePad, annotated with the time and date of creation.

6. Clicking on the stick-e note entry

to edit it invokes the same editing window as was used to create it. However, the template picklist is replaced with the sequence of the stick-e note within the collection - as changing the template is pointless at this stage because it would wipe out the recorded data and create a completely new stick- e note.

Table 6. A sequence of StickePad screen-shots illustrating the creation of a new stick-e note from a template.

Having created some stick-e notes the user can either view them by scrolling through the list in the StickePad’s main screen or by viewing the ones in the surrounding area on the StickeMap (see Figure 14).

a very rapid manner was highlighted in the fieldwork experiences of the first-generation prototype. Therefore, we have attempted to streamline its user interface and provide some time saving features.

Stick-e notes naturally exploit an awareness of context. The particular context elements available to the StickePad software are the location, from an attached GPS receiver, and the time and date, from the internal Pilot clock (although a more accurate time could potentially be extracted from the GPS receiver). Therefore, any fields of a location, date, or time type could automatically be filled in by the StickePad when a new stick-e note is created. It is likely that these will be the values that the user really wants to enter, as they will typically be collecting real-time and real-location data. However, any of the fields can be manually adjusted should the need arise.

For stick-e note fields that record application specific context elements through simple data types, the current value of the field cannot be automatically obtained by the StickePad. The best that can be achieved is to provide a helpful user interface to enter, view, and adjust this data. Indeed, such a philosophy is also usefully applicable to contexts whose values are automatically accessible. Some of the data entry interfaces are illustrated in Table 7.

The Stick-e Note

A stick-e note template called

Fields was created to demonstrate

the use of the various field types. The default values of the various types in a new form are shown here. Date, Location & Time are set to current values.

Bearing

The bearing type allows the user to express a heading that lies between 0 and 359 degrees. To edit the figure one of the digits is clicked on and can be ‘scrolled’ up or down using the arrows. The dialog prevents an invalid value from ever being entered (as opposed to displaying a warning message when an incorrect value is entered).

Boolean

The true or false values can be toggled using the check-boxes.

Chapter 3: Ecology Fieldwork Tools

Date

The date dialog is re-used from the PalmPilot’s built-in Date Book application, so its operation will be familiar with Pilot users.

Location

Much like the bearing type, this dialog allows the user to adjust the latitude & longitude (which would normally be obtained from a GPS receiver) and prevents the user from entering any erroneous values. The Here button is provided to allow the user to refresh the value from a connected GPS receiver.

NotePad

Textual notes can be entered in a dialog similar to the one used within the PalmPilot’s built-in

NotePad application.

Number

A number can be typed in directly or adjusted using the + or - buttons. These buttons increment or decrement the number respectively by the step value that is specified in the stick-e note template. Also, the two hardware scroll buttons of the PalmPilot have been overloaded to act in the same manner as the + or – buttons. As the user can easily locate and operate these buttons without looking at the device, this provides a useful counting mechanism that minimises the attention the user needs to devote to the screen.

Time

The time dialog follows in the tradition of the bearing and location dialogs by providing scrolling number boxes that enforce the entry of correct values. A Now button is provided to update the value with the current time.

List

The list dialog utilises the other type dialogs to create and edit values for each list element. Buttons are provided to add, delete or edit these elements. Optionally, elements can also be time- stamped upon their creation, as is shown here.

Table 7. A selection of screenshots of various context element editing dialogs.

For bearing, date, number, and time fields, a range option can be specified when defining the form template. When editing such a field the user is then presented with a

control in the bottom right-hand corner of the editing dialog to facilitate switching between the two values of the range.