Interface Design

ALSO CALLED: Graphical User Interface Design, Software Interface Design, User Interface Design, Presentation Layer, UI Design, GUI Design
DEFINITION: In the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model, the presentation layer ensures that the communications passing through are in the appropriate form for the recipient. For example, a presentation layer program may format a file transfer request inbinary code to ensure a successful file transfer. Programs in the presentation layer address three aspects of presentation:Data formats - for  … 
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INTERFACE DESIGN DEFINITION (continued): …  example, Postscript, ASCII, or binary formatsCompatibility with the host operating systemEncapsulation of data into message "envelopes" for transmission through the networkAn example of a program that generally adheres to the presentation layer of OSI is the program that manages the Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). This program, sometimes called the HTTP daemon, usually comes included as part of an operating system. It forwards user requests passed to the Web browser on to a Web server elsewhere in the network. It receives a message back from the Web server that includes a Multi-Purpose … 
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