Browsing registry content provides a more open approach to locating records and resources than using Search interfaces that simply implement find and get operations. Using the customizable Browse controls you can locate Providers, Services, Endpoints and technical descriptions of other records with a minimum of input.
Like other console tabs, Browse is divided into a narrow left hand navigation tree and a more complex right hand view pane.
To reach a desired browse theme walk down the navigation tree until you locate its node. The top level nodes name themed approaches to browsing. Four are installed by default, however you can design and add your own.
Lists - This approach lets you walk through basic lists of registry data types, interfaces and other resources.
Views - This approach lets you walk through lists of services, endpoints and interfaces grouped according to states such as development stage, or according to aspects such as XML QName parts (that is, local name or namespace).
Usages - This approach lets you walk through lists of standard registry data types, interfaces and technical descriptions, sorted by user defined use types.
Reports - This approach lets you browse through lists of interfaces based on compliance with Web Services Interoperability (WS-I) specifications or provider reported stability states.
The right hand view pane displays all records that can be viewed under the theme and type selected in the navigation control. These lists can also be filtered. At the top of the pane there are four basic controls:
Result view (List box) - Lets you change the information displayed for each record in the list. The view types depend on the type of records you are viewing. Some views allow you to drill down through the list directly into lower level properties. For Providers this means with a click you can look at a summary of services; for Services this means you can see a summary of Endpoints.
Filter column (List box) - Lets you select a column on which the records shown should be filtered.
Filter value (Edit box) - Lets you enter a filter string to be applied to the value in the selected Filter Column. This string can include wildcards. The percent character ("%") is replaceable by any number of characters. The underscore character ("_") is replaceable by any single character. The backslash ("\") is an escape for all three of these characters.
Filter (Button) - Forces the list to be updated based on the filter parameters set in the Filter column list box and the Filter value edit box.
Standard browsable views for each record type are installed by default. Custom views can also be added.