ThoughtShuffler v0.2 2001-02-22 --- Simplified authoring example, with auto-prompting and dynamic menus
I. Starting from blank worksheet
Left-most column contains menu items [temporary arrangement]
Author is invited to double-click in two possible places
II. Author double-clicks in first cell of light-blue column. Prompt appears below and invites Author to type a short phrase to define a term. Typing occurs in cell the author clicked on, which turns green and displays a cursor to indicate it is ready for input
III. Author has typed in 'color' and is about respond to invitation to double-click on large cell across the top of the sheet
IV. Cell turns green to indicate it is waiting for input. Author types 'The color of the sky is blue.'
V. After author types in some text, Thought Shuffler automatically:
(1) sees what terms are already defined, such 'color' in this case
(2) pulls words out of the text and places them under existing terms, in bold; clicking on these words installs them as terms of interest to the author
(3) shifts some menu items in the left-most column to the right edge, to indicate they are valid/active/applicable
VI. Author continues to input text by double-clicking in next text cell, and typing 'The color of the sky is red.'
VII. Again Thought Shuffler automatically picks out the pre-selected terms, and lists other words underneath. Author is about to click on 'red' and thus make it a term to be placed in the light-blue column. Thought Shuffler re-examines all the texts to find terms......
VIII. ... and to check for inconsistencies. Seeing some, Thought Shuffler warns of possible conflict in the white cell in the top row, and suggests a menu command to 'examine conflicts.'
IX. Author has clicked on 'examine conflicts' and the display highlights the possible problem using blue to indicate common terms, and red to indicate terms that are not shared in both texts. The white cell suggests some ways of resolving the conflict.
X. Author chooses to resolve the inconsistemcy by adding a new term, 'Mars', to the light-blue column.
XI. Author clicks on the [initially] empty cell across from 'Mars' and under the second text about the sky being red. Thought Shuffler automatically pushes the term 'Mars' into the cell, and also into the text at the top of the column. As a result, the conflict is gone and the 'return to worksheet' menu item becomes active.
XII. Author edits the text to smooth out the explanation into a sentence.
XIII. Author returns to worksheet and the resolution is complete
