Naming page elements in end-user web automation.

ABSTRACTThe names of commands and objects are vital to the usability of a programming system. We are developing a web automation system in which users need to identify web page elements, such as hyperlinks and form fields, in pages written by other designers. Using a survey of 40 users asking them to provide names for page elements, we found that users' names varied widely. However, when names were restricted to using only visible words from the web page. we were able to develop name resolution techniques that automatically find the desired page element given the user's name for it, striking a balance between usability and the precision required by the programming system.