UI concepts

The UI (User Interface) in devices based on the Symbian platform consists -of at least one display for showing output to mobile device users and keys -that allow mobile device users to enter input. The number, size, and resolution -of displays varies among legacy -S60 devices and devices based on the Symbian platform, as do the -keys available for input.

-Symbian UI -

The display consists of the following elements:

Window - An area on the display. There are windows -that take up the entire display, and other windows that only take up part -of the display. For example, pop-up windows do not cover the entire display. -Pop-up windows have frames and typically the underlying window is partly visible -behind the pop-up window. Access to windows is gained through controls.
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Pane - This is a sub-element of a window that is dedicated -to a specific purpose. Windows may contain several panes, and panes may contain -sub-panes.

Windows -

The following figure illustrates a typical window for an application:

-Symbian UI window -

Typically, a window contains a status pane, a main pane, and a control -pane.

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Symbian UI can rotate between portrait and landscape layouts. For more -information on the design implications of this feature, see Symbian -UI with rotation.

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By default, the status pane:

occupies the top part of the display
shows information on the current application and state, and -general information about the device status, such as signal and battery strength
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contains five sub-panes: title pane, context pane, navi -pane, signal pane, and battery pane/universal indicator pane
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The main pane is in the middle of the display. Applications display -their application state in the main pane.

By default, the control pane:

occupies the bottom part of the display
displays the labels associated with the two softkeys
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appears even when pop-up windows are on the display, although -they are not contained in the pop-up window.

Mobile device users navigate through applications based on input from -selections in the control pane or key presses. The traditional hierarchical -tree structure forms the basis for navigation, with mobile device users moving -from one node, which represents a state, to another.

The figure below illustrates an example of a basic state hierarchy.

-Example of a basic state hierarchy in an application -

Tabs -

The Symbian UI supports tabs, which allow you to collect information -for a state onto different pages. These tabs exist in the same node of the -navigation hierarchy. The concept of tabs is related to the term view.

The following figure illustrates the use of tabs in an application.

-Windows with tabs -

The following figures illustrates how tabs appear in the navigation -hierarchy.

-Example of a hierarchy with tabs -