GenURC: generation platform for personal and context-driven user interfaces

The Universal Remote Console (URC) framework enables pluggable user interfaces. It is suitable for applications where the "one-size-fits-all approach" fails due to a heterogeneous user group with diverse needs and preferences. This paper reports about research and development work aiming at extending the URC's adapt-at-design-time approach by a complementary adapt-at-runtime approach. A new component (GenURC) within the URC environment generates a personal and context-driven user interface in a two-step process. A rich grouping file is used as an intermediate user interface description, containing "flexion points" for runtime adaptations based on the use context. This will allow for the integration of the URC framework with the GPII user preference model.