Dialog Map Standards

The developer needs to consider the following standards when designing dialog maps:

Design the map with the user in mind. For example, a very dense screen is tiring and difficult to use. In general, the screen most pleasing to the eye is about 40 percent full.
The placement of fields on the screen, the use of high intensity, and the neatness of the format have a great deal of impact on the effectiveness of the system.
When the screen is sent to the terminal, the cursor should be in the position most likely to be used for data entry. Other frequently used fields should be easily accessible with the tab and return keys.
The sequence of fields, when tabbed, should match the most common pattern used for data entry.
Fields requiring special attention should be highlighted and clearly visible.
The screens should be as uncluttered as possible. The common error of using one screen format for excessive and/or dissimilar functions tends to produce cluttered or busy screens; separate screens with some common fields are more usable.
Users should be able to initiate processing by typing in the necessary data and pressing a control key. They should not be required to make decisions that could have been incorporated in program logic, nor should they be forced to use control keys or responses needlessly.