Query Filters, UI Design and the CNF/DNF caveat nobody talks about
The article explores the challenge of designing user-friendly query filter interfaces while maintaining logical expressiveness, focusing on the use of Disjunctive Normal Form (DNF) and Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF) as structured approaches. It highlights how DNF, in particular, can balance simplicity and flexibility by allowing users to build complex boolean logic without needing to understand syntax. The author reflects on the trade-offs between intuitive UI design and the underlying mathematical constraints that are often overlooked.
- ▪The author examines the tension between creating a simple user interface and preserving full logical expressiveness in query filters.
- ▪Disjunctive Normal Form (DNF) is proposed as a solution, structuring logic as an 'OR' of 'AND' groups to improve usability.
- ▪Any boolean expression can theoretically be converted to DNF, preserving expressiveness while simplifying user interaction.
- ▪A flat AND/OR toggle interface limits users' ability to express complex logic like (A AND B) OR (C AND D).
- ▪The article emphasizes that while CNF and DNF provide structure, they come with practical caveats in UI implementation.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
try { if(localStorage) { let currentUser = localStorage.getItem('current_user'); if (currentUser) { currentUser = JSON.parse(currentUser); if (currentUser.id === 1242584) { document.getElementById('article-show-container').classList.add('current-user-is-article-author'); } } } } catch (e) { console.error(e); } ManojGompa Posted on May 16 Query Filters, UI Design and the CNF/DNF caveat nobody talks about #uidesign #discretemathematics I've worked on and shipped plenty of things — some more complex, some more well-known. But every now and then, something small stops you mid-implementation and turns out to be worth thinking about properly. No grand architecture, no distributed systems — just a quiet little observation that I thought was worth writing down.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at DEV.to (Top).
Discussion
0 commentsMore from DEV.to (Top)
