Design Pattern: IM(8) Paging

Context

The available display space is often smaller than the area populated with alarm activations . The human operator would like to explore an area with alarm activations that is larger than the alarm display.

Problem

The human operator needs to navigate across alarm activations that do not fit the display as a whole.
Solution

Divide alarm activations into a set of display-size pages based on paging. Paging is a display framing technique that allows the user to view a display as a set of display-size pages that are accessed in discrete steps [140]. Thus, rather than being presented as a scroll, the display page is presented as a set of discrete pages. These pages are often accessed sequentially. Paging should be available by means of moving a page icon on the scroll bar, or by the use of a dedicated function key for paging forward and a dedicated function key for paging back through a file. Scrolling makes it difficult to read alarm messages, especially when many alarms are coming in. Paging is preferred to view alarm lists in such conditions. However, it should not be used when searching through continuous text data.

Known uses
Fig1. Use of dedicated function keys in a vertical bar for paging from a CAS data logger
Fig2.Use of a pan window (framed in red) at the bottom of the interface
Rationale

Paging give users an easy mean to move back and forth over displayed material when requested data exceeds the capacity of a single display frame (Human-system interface design review guidelines. Division of Systems Analysis and Regulatory Effectiveness, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2002.)
Relations