The natural language of interactive systems

TLDR

The work is motivated by the belief that improved human engineering can significantly increase the acceptance and use of computer technology. The study tests whether natural language features can guide the design of interactive command languages, aiming to demonstrate that a syntax using familiar, descriptive everyday words and well‑formed English phrases is easy and effective to use. Participants with varying interactive computing experience compared an English‑based command syntax editor to a notational syntax editor in a controlled experiment. The English‑based editor outperformed the notational editor, with performance differences strongly favoring the natural language approach.

Abstract

The work reported here stems from our deep belief that improved human engineering can add significantly to the acceptance and use of computer technology. In particular, this report describes an experiment to test the hypothesis that certain features of natural language provide a useful guide for the human engineering of interactive command languages. The goal was to establish that a syntax employing familiar, descriptive, everyday words and well-formed English phrases contributes to a language that can be easily and effectively used. Users with varying degrees of interactive computing experience used two versions of an interactive text editor; one with an English-based command syntax in the sense described above, the other with a more notational syntax. Performance differences strongly favored the English-based editor.