Abstract: A simplified procedural user interface ("PUI") for controlling the operation of a computer, defined in terms of the steps or procedures required to do a given operation. The PUI acts as a graphical checklist that indicates to the user what has to be done and then controls the operation of the computer required to implement the operation. The PUI provides a linked icon representation of a user's task in a series of hierarchical panels. The linked icons indicate the steps a user must go through to complete a task using the computer. The hierarchical panels on which the icons reside provide a means to logically group related task steps. The underlying concept is to simplify the computer operation by only presenting the capability required to do a particular task at a given time.