Abstract
This article proposes an operational definition of the notion of context for the design and development of context-sensitive systems. Our definition draws upon the distinction between the notion of an instant snapshot of observables (a situation) and the composition of these observables over time (a context). Observables and their relationships, which are elicited at the design stage of the development process, can be mapped, at the implementation phase, as colonies of contextors. A contextor is a software abstraction that models relationships between observables. Contextors share a common I/O structure including control channels and meta-data to ensure and express QoS (e.g., precision, stability), as well as common properties such as reflexivity and rema-nence. They can be combined as oriented graphs or encapsulated into higher computational units.
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Coutaz, J., Rey, G. (2002). Foundations for a Theory of Contextors. In: Kolski, C., Vanderdonckt, J. (eds) Computer-Aided Design of User Interfaces III. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0421-3_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0421-3_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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