Бағдарламалық интерфейстің сыртқы көрінісі мен сезімі

Aspect of software design related to user interfaces

In software design, the look and feel of a graphical user interface comprises aspects of its design, including elements such as colors, shapes, layout, and typefaces (the "look"), as well as the behavior of dynamic elements such as buttons, boxes, and menus (the "feel"). The term can also refer to aspects of a non graphical user interface (such as a command line interface), as well as to aspects of an API – mostly to parts of an API that are not related to its functional properties. The term is used in reference to both software and websites. Look and feel applies to other products. In documentation, for example, it refers to the graphical layout (document size, color, font, etc.) and the writing style. In the context of equipment, it refers to consistency in controls and displays across a product line. Look and feel in operating system user interfaces serves two general purposes. First, it provides branding, helping to identify a set of products from one company. Second, it increases ease of use, since users will become familiar with how one product functions (looks, reads, etc.) and can translate their experience to other products with the same look and feel.

In 2012 and 2014, Apple Inc. has filed lawsuits against competing manufacturers of smartphones and tablet computers, claiming that those manufacturers copied the look and feel of Apple's popular iPhone and iPad products.

An API, which is an interface to software which provides some sort of functionality, can also have a certain look and feel. Different parts of an API (e. g. different classes or packages) are often linked by common syntactic and semantic conventions (e. g. by the same asynchronous execution model, or by the same way object attributes are accessed). These elements are rendered either explicitly (i. e. are part of the syntax of the API), or implicitly (i. e. are part of the semantics of the API).