transparent
1. Not visible, hidden; said of a system which
functions in a manner not evident to the user. For example,
the {Domain Name System} transparently resolves a {fully
qualified domain name} into an {Internet address} without the
user being aware of it.
Compare this to what {Donald Norman
(http://www.atg.apple.com/Norman/)} calls "invisibility",
which he illustrates from the user's point of view:
"You use computers when you use many modern automobiles,
microwave ovens, games, CD players and calculators. You don't
notice the computer because you think of yourself as doing the
task, not as using the computer." ["The Design of Everyday
Things", New York, Doubleday, 1989, p. 185].
2. Fully defined, known, predictable; said of a
sub-system in which matters generally subject to volition or
stochastic state change have been chosen, measured, or
determined by the environment. Thus for transparent systems,
output is a known function of the inputs, and users can both
predict the behaviour and depend upon it.
(1996-06-04)