Hypermedia

Key takeaways

Hypermedia belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hypermedia to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hypermedia from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hypermedia, an extension of hypertext, is a nonlinear medium of information that includes graphics, audio, video, plain text, and hyperlinks. This designation contrasts with the broader term multimedia, which may include non-interactive linear presentations as well as hypermedia. The term was first used in a 1965 article written by Ted Nelson. Hypermedia is a type of multimedia that features interactive elements, such as hypertext, buttons, or interactive images and videos, allowing users to navigate and engage with content in a non-linear manner. The World Wide Web is a classic example of hypermedia to access web content, whereas a conventional cinema presentation is an example of standard multimedia, due to its inherent linearity and lack of interactivity via hyperlinks. The first hypermedia work was, arguably, the Aspen Movie Map. Bill Atkinson's HyperCard popularized hypermedia writing, while a variety of literary hypertext and non-fiction hypertext works (electronic literature), demonstrated the promise of hyperlinks. Most modern hypermedia is delivered via electronic pages from a variety of systems including media players, web browsers, and stand-alone applications (i.e., software that does not require network access). Audio hypermedia is emerging with voice command devices and voice browsing.

Development tools

Hypermedia may be developed in a number of ways. Any programming tool can be used to write programs that link data from internal variables and nodes for external data files. Multimedia development software such as Adobe Flash, Adobe Director, Macromedia Authorware, and MatchWare Mediator may be used to create stand-alone hypermedia applications, with emphasis on entertainment content. Some database software, such as Visual FoxPro and FileMaker Developer, may be used to develop stand-alone hypermedia applications, with emphasis on educational and business content management. Hypermedia applications may be developed on embedded devices for the mobile and the digital signage industries using the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) specification from W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). Software applications, such as Ikivo Animator and Inkscape, simplify the development of hypermedia content based on SVG. Embedded devices, such as the iPhone, natively support SVG specifications and may be used to create mobile and distributed hypermedia applications. Hyperlinks may also be added to data files using most business software via the limited scripting and hyperlinking features built in. Documentation software, such as the Microsoft Office Suite and LibreOffice, allow for hypertext links to other content within the same file, other external files, and URL links to files on external file servers. For more emphasis on graphics and page layout, hyperlinks may be added using most modern desktop publishing tools. This includes presentation programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint and LibreOffice Impress, add-ons to print layout programs such as Quark Immedia, and tools to include hyperlinks in PDF documents such as Adobe InDesign for creating and Adobe Acrobat for editing. Hyper Publish is a tool specifically designed and optimized for hypermedia and hypertext management. Any HTML editor may be used to build HTML files, accessible by any web browser. CD/DVD authoring tools, such as DVD Studio Pro, may be used to hyperlink the content of DVDs for DVD players or web links when the disc is played on a personal computer connected to the internet.

Learning There have been a number of theories concerning hypermedia and learning. One important claim in the literature on hypermedia and learning is that it offers more control over the instructional environment for the reader or student. Another claim is that it levels the playing field among students of varying abilities and enhances collaborative learning. A claim from psychology includes the notion that hypermedia more closely models the structure of the brain, in comparison with printed text.

Application programming interfaces

Hypermedia is used as a medium and constraint in certain application programming interfaces. HATEOAS, Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State, is a constraint of the REST application architecture where a client interacts with the server entirely through hypermedia provided dynamically by application servers. This means that in theory no API documentation is needed, because the client needs no prior knowledge about how to interact with any particular application or server beyond a generic understanding of hypermedia. In other service-oriented architectures (SOA), clients and servers interact through a fixed interface shared through documentation or an interface description language (IDL).

See also Cybertext Electronic literature Hyperland is a 1990 documentary film that focuses on Douglas Adams and explains adaptive hypertext and hypermedia. Metamedia

References

Further reading Hicks, David L.; John J. Leggett; Peter J. Nürnberg; John L. Schnase (1998). "A hypermedia version control framework". ACM Transactions on Information Systems. 16 (2): 127–160. doi:10.1145/279339.279341. ISSN 1046-8188. Dave, Pratik; Unmil P. Karadkar; Richard Furuta; Luis Francisco-Revilla; Frank Shipman; Suvendu Dash; Zubin Dalal (2003). "Browsing intricately interconnected paths". Proceedings of the fourteenth ACM conference on Hypertext and hypermedia - HYPERTEXT '03. p. 95. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.524.9176. doi:10.1145/900051.900071. ISBN 978-1581137040. {{cite book}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |citeseerx= (help) Geißler, Jörg (1995). "Surfing the movie space". Proceedings of the third ACM international conference on Multimedia - MULTIMEDIA '95. pp. 391–400. doi:10.1145/217279.215303. ISBN 978-0897917513. Jones, Steve (2003). Encyclopedia of New Media. Sage Publications. doi:10.4135/9781412950657. ISBN 9781412950657. Lister, Martin; et al. (2003). New Media: A Critical Introduction (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415223782.

External links The dictionary definition of hypermedia at Wiktionary

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hypermedia

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hypermedia claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hypermedia before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hypermedia ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hypermedia

In research: Hypermedia appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hypermedia in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hypermedia is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1960s neologisms, Electronic literature by genre, Hypermedia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hypermedia outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Hypermedia in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hypermedia means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hypermedia out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hypermedia in simple terms?

Hypermedia, an extension of hypertext, is a nonlinear medium of information that includes graphics, audio, video, plain text, and hyperlinks. This designation contrasts with the broader term multimedia, which may include non-interactive linear presentations as well as hypermedia.

Why does Hypermedia matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hypermedia?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hypermedia.