Reverse engineering of user interfaces

Abstract

A method for reverse engineering user interfaces based on their structural and behavioural representations is presented. The interface structure is represented using an object oriented approach while interface behaviour is described using Milner's process algebra (CCS). A specification language for user interfaces has been designed for the multiple purposes of serving as a target language for the reverse engineering process, as a working specification language for interface redesign, and as a specification language for generating a new user interface for a specific platform. The motivations and advantages of such a representational method are discussed together with examples of user interface reverse engineering in a COBOL/CICS environment.