Browse One Hierarchy

A browser maintains a position within a hierarchy and moves that position by handling picks on lists of choices.

Therefore: Be clear about what hierarchy is being navigated. Avoid the temptation to navigate more than one hierarchy or to maintain more than one position in a single hierarchy.

Use LeftSelectsRight to visualize the path taken to a specific point in the hierarchy.

The browser is not a good model for operations that take place between two hierarchies or two points within a single hierarchy. CutAndPaste or DragAndDrop between two independent browsers provides a better model for organizational operations like move.

-- WardCunningham

On the other hand, a control that allows the browser to switch to another hierarchy, discarding information about the current hierarchy, still fits the pattern and can be useful in some circumstances. I built a Cross Reference Cards browser that handled a stack of cards with links. Only one stack could be browsed at a time, but one could switch to a different stack.

-- JoeDavison

see MultipleCategorizationPattern