A dialogue management system provides a user interface for a decision support system. It classifies users into 5 categories from parrots to experts and designs the interface accordingly. The presentation described 7 different interface styles that have evolved over time, including command languages, question-answer dialogues, menus, icons, hypertext, voice-based systems, and natural language systems. A good dialogue management subsystem acts as a window for users to interact with the decision support system.

1. GURUKUL KANGRI UNIVERSITY
PRESENTATION ON
DIALOGUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Submitted By-
MAYANK AGARWAL

2. DIALOGUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Introduction – Almost all the decision makers today often race
against time and often say: “I am too busy today to learn”. This
statement comes even after they have been provided with the latest
sophisticated equipment and office automation systems.
One of the main reason that can be thought of is the absence of a
good dialogue management subsystem. A dialogue management
subsystem acts as a window to the DSS and provides a good user
interface.

3. USER INTERFACE
The concept of user interface deals with all those
techniques that specify how a software and a user
communicate. The user interface encompasses the
following:
•Screen design
• Data display methodologies
•Help screen formats
•Error display formats
•Report generation methodologies
•Various input/output devices handling

4. Classification of user
User interface design is dependent on the type
of user who are using the system. Various
categories of users are:
•Category 1: Parrots.
•Category 2: Casual users.
•Category 3: Novices.
•Category 4: Professionals.
•Category 5: Experts.

5. Category 1: Parrots
These are the type of people who do not know
anything about the computers/software and
have to be taught at every step. They
meticulously follow what has been said and will
not deviate an iota from it. In case of problems,
they make a lot of fuss and need assistance to
overcome the same.

6. Category 2: Casual Users
These persons use the machine occasionally.
Category 3: Novices
These are the first time learners and are in the
process of acclimatizing with various features of the
machine. They have an intention to learn and need
assistance during their period of learning.

7. Category 4: Professionals
They belong to those who are well versed in the
working of the machine and software. For them,
not much help is needed.
Category 5: Experts
This is the ultimate level of users. Such kind of
people are more than professionals who can point
out changes to be made in the software for better
working.

8. INTERFACE STYLES
Various interface styles have evolved over a period of time.
These are now described.
1. Command Language
2. Question- Answer Dialogues (Q/A)
3. Menus
4. Icon Based System
5. Hypertext and Hypermedia Based System
6. Voice/Speech Based Systems
7. Natural Language Based Systems

9. 1:Command Language
This was the oldest method of interaction
between the computer and human beings. The
latter were expected to know the commands
for working and provide them in appropriate
sequence. The software developed was not
user friendly and help was minimal as the
users were computer literate.

10. 2: Question – Answer Dialogue (Q/A)
This is yet another mechanism by which the user
answer the questions put by the machine. The
answers have to be in well-formatted and
structured means so that the machine can
really do a pattern matching. The majority of
the Q/A dialogues are limited to a few words
or are very selective. This method become
famous after it was introduced in MYCIN, an
artificial intelligence based system for
diagnosing blood infections.

11. 3:Menus
Menus help the user to navigate through the
software. Whenever a menu is displayed, and
as the user navigates through the same, a
small help statement is provided, which tells
the person what item will do.

12. 4: Icon Based Systems
Today this is the most common and prevalent
method for interaction. In this, the complete
menus are displayed as icons and using the
input device mouse, the icons are selected. For
this happen, the software developers will have
to design necessary icons for various tasks
that are to be done and provide a detailed
method for installing the same in the system.

13. 5:Hypertext and Hypermedia Based
System
The success of icon-based manipulation system had
led to the development of hypertext and
hypermedia based systems. A typical example of
a HBS is found in the Help Routines in
WINDOWS. All important topics are underlined.
This indicates that further help is available for
those topics. when those topics are clicked, new
windows describing the commands and topic
opened up. When audio and video interface to
hypertext are provided, they are called
Hypermedia.

14. 6: Voice/Speech Based Systems
This artificial intelligence based concept is slowly
picking up and it is expected that within a
decade, commercial systems based on voice
recognition will be available. The process of
speech recognition capture the audio signals,
frees it from noise, analyses the voice for
frequency patterns, and carries out the process
of comparison.

15. 7: Natural Language Based Systems
Present day computer interface for querying
database are well-structured and expect the user
to be proficient in Structured Query Language
(SQL).