Interface Draft: Breadcrumb Concept
Definition[edit]
A breadcrumb should provide a trail for users navigating within a page structure. It provides an easy way to access previously seen pages within the page structure. Users sometimes do not have in mind how to navigate to a certain page via multi level menu(s).
Problem
For web applications - where items are irrepealable be changed - there is no way back. Once an item has been changed it would not make sense to return to a previous view. And if so, the user needs to know the difference between 'back' and 'undo'.
Overview on 'Click Levels'[edit]
The rough overview shows main functional areas and click levels (this is a diagram only, not a specification of the page flow R4).
Why the following breadcrumbs do not make sense[edit]
Path
Path breadcrumbs are dynamic and show the path that the user has taken to arrive at a page Wikipedia on Breadcrumbs.
- PubMan does not provide a strict hierarchical structure. In many cases there is no single path to a page.
History of pages/Action history
- This is true for static content. If items change at one point in time it does not make sense to jump to a page reflecting a state which is different from the current/real one.
Attribute
Attribute breadcrumbs give information that categorizes the current page.
- Would make sense, but as pages are role dependent the attribute might reflect a wrong categorization
Why a breadcrumb makes no sense for the following functionality[edit]
Most pages are anyway redundantly displayed in a breadcrumb or inconsistent in use, because
Simple Search
- is anyway provided persistently inside header
- is not clear where breadcrumb leads to (revise search via advanced search?)
Advanced Search
- is anyway provided persistently inside header
Organisation Search
- is anyway provided persistently inside header
Export
- will mostly appear at the end of the breadcrumb
- will automatically be available after any search
Item Details (Revisions, Attachements, ...)
- will mostly appear at the end of the breadcrumb
Submission(methods)
- is inconsistent because item changed in status
Actions
- will be a mixture of structural breadcrumb and action history
- as actions lead to modifications the breadcrumb is rather a undo history (not possible!!)
Assumption[edit]
There is a certain functional area, where items do not change and where a breadcrumb could provide help (see Diagram). PubMan should provide a breadcrumb only for item lists, view item version, item details.
This additional navigation should not be called breadcrumb or be offered in a breadcrumb manner/stype in the interface because it is different.
Examples[edit]
In most cases the labels are not so long. Example shows the longest possible labels.
Public Repository
| Click Level | Label |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Results (10) |
| 3 | Results (10) > View Item (escidoc:1707) |
| 4 | Results (10) > View Item (escidoc:1707) > Revisions |
| 5 | Results (10) > View Item (escidoc:1707) > Revisions > View Item (escidoc:1707:3) |
Depositor Workspace
| Click Level | Label |
|---|---|
| 0 | Pending Items (4) |
| 3 | Pending Items (4) > View Item (escidoc:1707) |
| 4 | Pending Items (4) > View Item (escidoc:1707) > Item Log |
Mixed
| Click Level | Label |
|---|---|
| 0 | Pending Items (4) |
| x | Pending Items (4) > Results (10) > |
| x | Pending Items (4) > Results (10) > Results (99) > View Item (escidoc:1707) > Statistics |
| x | ... > Results (10) > Results (99) > View Item (escidoc:1707) > Statistics > All Items (45) |
Each entry representing a search result e.g. "Results (10)" should have a link applied to revise the search and to show the search string.