True-False Questions
1.
Key-indicator reports highlight data outside the normal operating
ranges.
Answer: False Page Reference: 366 Difficulty: Moderate
2.
Coding sheets are the predominant method of designing forms and
reports.
Answer: False Page Reference: 367 Difficulty: Moderate
3.
Form design specifications include narrative overviews, use case
diagrams, sample designs, and formal usability assessment.
Answer: True Page Reference: 367-368 Difficulty: Moderate
4.
Internet sites are usually configured for PDAs.
Answer: False Page Reference: 371 Difficulty: Moderate
5.
When designing form layouts, it is generally best to conserve space by
avoiding labels for data entry fields.
Answer: False Page Reference: 371-372 Difficulty: Moderate
6.
Text displays are easiest to read when the right margin is ragged.
Answer: True Page Reference: 374 Difficulty: Moderate
7.
Reliance on formatting for meaning and context is greater in tables and
lists than in textual displays.
Answer: True Page Reference: 374 Difficulty: Moderate
8.
To enhance readability, each page of a form or report should have a
different typeface.
Answer: False Page Reference: 375 Difficulty: Moderate
9.
Reports that print on impact printers allow a wider variety of fonts
and typefaces than those that print on laser printers.
Answer: False Page Reference: 376 Difficulty: Moderate
10. You should avoid using
nonstandard link colors when designing Web pages.
Answer: True Page Reference: 378 Difficulty: Moderate
11. You should avoid grouping fields
by categories when designing form layouts.
Answer: False Page Reference: 381 Difficulty: Moderate
12. For verification purposes, it is
best that users be required to re-enter information stored in company
databases.
Answer: False Page Reference: 383 Difficulty: Moderate
13. Data entered into numeric data
fields should automatically be right justified.
Answer: True Page Reference: 383 Difficulty: Moderate
14. Transcripting is a technique for
recognizing and preventing data input errors.
Answer: False Page Reference: 384 Difficulty: Moderate
15. Data error correction is easier
if it is done after the data has been entered into and stored on the system.
Answer: False Page Reference: 384 Difficulty: Moderate
16. Data input errors can be tracked
using audit trails.
Answer: True Page Reference: 385 Difficulty: Moderate
17. Prompting cues are used primarily
when data has been entered in error.
Answer: False Page Reference: 386 Difficulty: Moderate
18. When designing Web pages, it is
best for most links to open new browser windows.
Answer: False Page Reference: 390 Difficulty: Moderate
19. The Ctrl key should be used to
provide shortcuts during dialogue navigation.
Answer: True Page Reference: 391 Difficulty: Moderate
20. Dialogue diagrams can represent
sequence, selection, and iteration.
Answer: True Page Reference: 392 Difficulty: Moderate
Multiple-Choice Questions
21. Unlike forms, reports are ____________
documents.
a.
active
b.
passive
c.
input
d.
paper
Answer: b Page
Reference: 366 Difficulty: Moderate
22. ____________ reports contain
summary information on a recurring basis.
a.
Key-indicator
b.
Adhoc
c.
Drill-down
d.
Exception
Answer: a Page
Reference: 366 Difficulty: Moderate
23. Creation of forms and reports is
typically done using a ____________ design approach.
a.
sequential
b.
adhoc
c.
drill-down
d.
prototyping
Answer: d Page
Reference: 365-366 Difficulty: Moderate
24. Prior to the advent of graphic
user interfaces and rapid application development tools, design of user input
forms was accomplished using:
a.
Visual Basic.
b.
HTML.
c.
coding sheets.
d.
spreadsheet packages.
Answer: c Page
Reference: 367-368 Difficulty: Moderate
25. The section of a form design
specification that indicates the task supported by the form and the
characteristics of the form’s user is called the:
a.
narrative overview.
b.
sample design.
c.
testing and usability assessment.
d.
user interface.
Answer: a Page
Reference: 367-368 Difficulty: Moderate
26. PDA Web browsers are smart in
that they:
a.
select Web sites specifically geared for PDAs.
b.
adjust screen images to smaller size.
c.
convert graphic features to text form.
d.
eliminate hot links from Web pages.
Answer: b Page
Reference: 371 Difficulty: Moderate
27. Which of the following is a
technique to highlight information in a computerized business form?
a.
Manipulate spacing and margins
b.
Include buttons for navigation
c.
Use different fonts and colors
d.
Labeling data entry fields
Answer: c Page
Reference: 371-372 Difficulty: Moderate
28. Which of the following should be
avoided when displaying text in forms or reports?
a.
Double spacing between lines or paragraphs
b.
Left-justifying text and leaving ragged right margins
c.
Using conventional punctuation and mixing upper and lower cases
d.
Hyphenating words between lines
Answer: d Page
Reference: 374 Difficulty: Moderate
29. Whereas the context and meaning
of textual information is mainly derived through reading, the context and
meaning of tables and lists are mostly derived by the information:
a.
format and layout.
b.
color and font.
c.
widgets and scrolls.
d.
narrative and prose.
Answer: a Page
Reference: 374-375 Difficulty: Moderate
30. When designing forms or reports,
a table’s ____________ data should be right-justified.
a.
text
b.
numeric
c.
graphical
d.
alphanumeric
Answer: b Page
Reference: 375 Difficulty: Moderate
31. In general, line and bar graphs
are the preferred display medium when the user’s task involves:
a.
finding an individual data item from a larger data set.
b.
obtaining a narrative of data interpretation.
c.
analyzing data changes over time.
d.
conducting a question-and-answer dialogue with the system.
Answer: c Page
Reference: 376 Difficulty: Moderate
32. The number of Web sites currently
existing on the Internet ____________ the number of available work hours of
trained user interface professionals.
a.
is less than
b.
is about the same as
c.
slightly exceeds
d.
far exceeds
Answer: d Page
Reference: 378 Difficulty: Easy
33. Left-to-right and top-to-bottom
is a rule of thumb for designing a form’s:
a.
key selection.
b.
between-field navigation.
c.
page numbering.
d.
button layout.
Answer: b Page
Reference: 381-382 Difficulty: Easy
34. When designing user interfaces
for business forms, it is important to maximize:
a.
consistency and flexibility.
b.
uniqueness and aesthetics.
c.
color contrast and imagery.
d.
animation and sound.
Answer: a Page
Reference: 381-382 Difficulty: Moderate
35. Entering invalid data into a
field is known as:
a.
appending.
b.
truncating.
c.
transcripting.
d.
transposing.
Answer: c Page
Reference: 384 Difficulty: Moderate
36. It is a characteristic of batch
systems to handle data input errors:
a.
as the user types them in.
b.
after storing them to the databases.
c.
by storing them in log files.
d.
as soon as the submit button is pushed.
Answer: c Page
Reference: 384 Difficulty: Moderate
37. The type of data input validation
test that involves checking to ensure that the values of two or more different
fields are appropriate together is called a ____________ test.
a.
range
b.
combination
c.
values
d.
composition
Answer: b Page
Reference: 384 Difficulty: Moderate
38. A(n) ____________ is a technique
for validating that numeric data entries were sent to the database without
transmission errors.
a.
self check digit.
b.
composition test.
c.
transmission test.
d.
audit trail.
Answer: a Page
Reference: 385 Difficulty: Moderate
39. A record of the sequence of data
entries and the date of those entries is called a(n):
a.
transcription.
b.
batch file.
c.
entry record.
d.
audit trail.
Answer: d Page
Reference: 385 Difficulty: Moderate
40. A “please wait” message is a
common type of:
a.
error message.
b.
prompting cue.
c.
warning message.
d.
status information.
Answer: d Page
Reference: 386 Difficulty: Moderate
41. A prompting cue is a type of:
a.
feedback.
b.
validation test.
c.
design strategy.
d.
input field.
Answer: a Page
Reference: 386 Difficulty: Moderate
42. A Help question of the form “How
do I update a record?” is of which type?
a.
Help on help
b.
Help on concepts
c.
Help on procedures
d.
Help on commands
Answer: c Page
Reference: 387 Difficulty: Moderate
43. The sequence in which information
is displayed to and obtained from the user is called a(n):
a.
dialogue.
b.
field navigation.
c.
audit trail.
d.
control flow.
Answer: a Page
Reference: 378-379 Difficulty: Moderate
Essay and Problem-Solving
Questions
44. What is a report? Define five
types of reports. How are reports similar to and different from forms?
Answer:
A
report is a business document containing and summarizing predefined data; it is
a passive document for reading and viewing, often containing information
related to many unrelated records. Business reports can be classified as
scheduled reports, key-indicator reports, exception reports, drill-down
reports, and ad hoc reports. Scheduled reports appear at periodic intervals.
Key-indicator reports provide summarized critical information on a recurring
basis. Exception reports are generated to identify potential problems, often
identified by data outside normal ranges. Drill-down reports display summary
data and allow users to see details of selected summary items. Ad hoc reports
are reports created on demand for displaying information in support of to
non-routine decisions. Reports are similar to forms in that both provide
formatted data, sometimes in graphical form. However, whereas forms support
user-input, reports present non-interactive, passive information. In addition,
forms tend to pertain to single records, or at most a few related records,
whereas reports often generate global summary displays.
Page
Reference: 366 Difficulty: Moderate
45. Name and describe the three
sections to the form or report design specifications as presented in the
textbook.
Answer:
The
first section of the design specifications is a narrative overview with a use
case diagram. This provides a general overview of the target users, tasks,
system and environmental factors in which the form or report is used. The
second section is a sample design, usually created using CASE tools or GUI
development environments. The third and last section is a testing and usability
assessment, which provides results of user evaluations of the form or report
prototype.
Page
Reference: 369-370 Difficulty: Moderate
46. Discuss the recommended
guidelines for form and report design. Consider this in terms of
identification, content, layout, and navigation.
Answer:
When
developing forms and reports, it is important to use meaningful titles, which
describe the content and use of the form in question. Display of dates such as
current date and the form/report’s revision date further helps to identify the
form or report. In terms of content, only meaningful, useful information should
be included, which should be fully usable without modification. The layout
should be evenly balanced, with adequate spacing and margins, and all data
entry fields should be clearly labeled. You should include a meaningful and
concise navigation system, including information on moving forward or backward
and current location information.
Page
Reference: 371-372 Difficulty: Moderate
47. List and describe several methods
of highlighting information in forms or reports. Which special types of
information should be highlighted? What general guidelines should be followed
regarding the use of highlighting?
Answer:
Information
can be highlighted in several ways. Blinking and audible tones draw attention
to certain information. Color, intensity, size, and font differences also make
certain items stand out. Boxing and underlining are effective measures, as is
the use of all upper-case as well as nonstandard spacing. These techniques
should be used to call attention to data entry or processing errors, warning
messages, keywords, and recently changed data displays. Combinations of
highlighting techniques can be used, but highlighting should be used
conservatively. In addition, highlighting techniques should be used
consistently, with the type of highlighting indicating the type and priority of
the information.
Page
Reference: 372-373 Difficulty: Moderate
48. Name some text-oriented Internet
applications currently in wide use. How does the popularity of these
applications affect the importance of text-display design in forms and reports?
Discuss several guidelines regarding text-output design.
Answer:
The
most popular Internet applications using primarily text-mode displays are
email, bulletin boards and newsgroups, and information services. This
popularity of text-mode output adds to the importance of using sound
text-display design practices. When designing text outputs, it is useful to
keep the following guidelines in mind. Text should be primarily left-justified
with ragged right margins, and sentences should be written in normal upper-case
and lower-case mix, with adequate spacing between lines. Only familiar or well-defined
acronyms or abbreviations should be used, and hyphenation of words at line
boundaries should be avoided.
Page
Reference: 373-374 Difficulty: Moderate
49. List and describe the main areas
of a typical form layout, and discuss several guidelines for structuring data
entry in forms.
Answer:
The
typical form layout includes header information, sequence and time information,
instructions or formatting information, body or data details, totals or data
summaries, authorization or signatures, and comments. In general, structured
data entry should be easy, require minimal keystrokes or mouse clicks, and
operate in an intuitive sequence. To this end, data entry should not be
required for values that can be obtained from a database or calculated, and
default values should be available whenever possible. Automatic character
replacement should be implemented to further reduce the need for keystrokes.
Formatting and justification should correspond to the type and purpose of the
input data fields, and online help should be readily available. Flow of control
between fields on the form should follow a logical sequence, and it should be
simple for a user to select fields non-sequentially on demand.
Page
Reference: 380-383 Difficulty: Moderate
50. Describe at least four types of
keyboard-oriented data entry errors. Then describe at least five techniques
used by systems designers to detect data errors before saving or transmission.
Answer:
Data
entry errors can be caused by appending, truncating, transcripting or
transposing data. Appending means accidentally adding new characters to the
data in a field. Truncating means losing characters from a field. Transcripting
is entering invalid data, and transposing is entering characters in reverse
sequence. There are many techniques used by systems designers to detect and
correct input errors. One is a composition test, which verifies that the
entered data is of the correct type. Another is a range test, which verifies
that data fit within the designated bounds of allowable values. Reasonableness
checks ensure that combinations of input values make sense together, and
missing-data checks ensure that fields requiring data actually contain the
required data. Self-checking digits are often applied to data fields prior to
transmission, and then are checked afterward to ensure that no errors took
place during data transmission.
Page
Reference: 383-385 Difficulty: Moderate
51. Name and describe three types of
system feedback.
Answer:
Three
types of system feedback discussed in the textbook include status information,
prompting cues, and error or warning messages. Status information keeps users
appraised of what’s going on with the system. Status information includes the
following types of information: the page number in the sequence, the title of
the display, and “please wait” messages with status bars while background
processing is taking place. Prompting dues are statements (usually popups) that
alert the user when information is needed and provides a formatted means of
entering the necessary information. Messages such as error or warning messages
pop up under certain conditions, typically data input errors.
Page
Reference: 385-387 Difficulty: Moderate
52. Describe each of the three steps
involved in the process of designing a dialogue. Discuss several guidelines for
dialog design.
Answer:
Dialogue
design involves three main steps. The first step involves designing the
dialogue sequence, which depicts the path of display that users will navigate
through as the dialogue proceeds. The second step is to build a prototype,
consisting of static form or display designs built from CASE tools or
integrated development environments. The third step is to assess usability
through user tests and feedback. When designing dialogues, it is important to
include in your dialogue consistency, availability of shortcuts as well as
forward and reverse sequential navigation, consistent feedback, logical
groupings of displays that support closure, and error handling capabilities. In
essence, the dialogue should be easy to use and should provide the user with a
sense of control and understanding.
Page
Reference: 390-391 Difficulty: Moderate
53. What is a dialogue? What is
dialogue diagramming? Describe the symbols used in dialogue diagrams and fully
discuss the different types of information depicted by these symbols. Briefly
describe a typical dialogue diagram.
Answer:
A
dialogue is the sequence of interactions between a user and the system.
Dialogue diagramming is a formal method, using box and line diagrams, for
designing and representing interaction sequences between users and computers.
Each display in the dialogue is represented by a box symbol with three
sections. The top section contains a unique identification number. The middle
section gives a display name or description. The third section contains
references of displays that can be accessed by the current display. Lines connecting boxes are bidirectional and
depict the forward/backward navigation through the dialogue. A typical dialogue
between a user and a computer may begin with a login and introductory screen
followed by a main menu. The main menu is at the root of a tree of options,
where each option begins a subtree representing the subdialogue that fulfills
the display requirements for that menu option. Thus a dialogue is often
represented as a hierarchical organization of connected boxes. Dialogue
diagrams can represent sequence, selection, and iteration.
Page
Reference: 391-393 Difficulty: Moderate
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