In many environments the file system directory structure and naming conventions attempt to allow one to use a file manager to navigate the life cycle of a document. This overloading of functions makes it difficult for users to handle the complexity.
A file browser is a tool that lets the user navigate among files located in a directory structure to find a specific file. Whereas, when given a specific file, a life cycle navigator is a tool that lets the user navigate its life cycle from source to published copy and across versions.
Does a Life Cycle Navigator exit?
I see a user pointing at an object:
- Left mouse button displays the document
- Right mouse button has a Life Cycle Navigator (LCN)
The LCN displays a tree for a specific document within a file manger, for example:
- Published
- 3.2 Current
- 3.1
- 3.0
- +2.x
- +1.x
- +Archived
- +All
- Source
- Draft
- 3.2 Current
- 3.1
- 3.0
- +2.x
- +1.x
- +Archived
- +All
- +Work Flow
- +Properties
Or from a command line:
$ lcn x.pdf --open_source_document | my_favorite_editor
$ lcn x.pdf --show_published_version_info
$ lcn x.pdf --show_previous_publish_versions_info
See also, Life Cycle Navigator.
