Adapting the User Interface of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) for Novice Users

The usability of a user interface is often neglected in the design and development of software applications. An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is prone to poor usability problems due to the rich functionality offered through its User Interface (UI). Since an IDE targets a wide range of users (from novice to expert users), the usability requirement for an IDE vary considerably. Novice users, such as first year undergraduate students, often have difficulty in understanding many of the features provided in an IDE and have a hard time locating the appropriate menu elements. We propose an Adaptive User Interface (AUI) architecture which provides a simplified UI for the Eclipse IDE. The AUI assists novice users in using complex IDEs. We develop adaptive algorithms that modify the existing menu system for the Eclipse IDE based on statistical user interaction patterns. Our adaptive algorithms perform a cost-benefit analysis when modifying the menu system. The algorithms determine the optimal changes which reduce the time needed by novice users when searching for menu elements. A prototype AUI is developed as an Eclipse plug-in for novice users of the Eclipse IDE. Through an initial case study, we demonstrate the benefits of our AUI in improving the usability of the Eclipse IDE.