BSCW manages two basic types of objects:

• Objects that do not contain other objects:
  • document
  • URL
  • user
• Objects that may contain other objects:
  • folder
  • calendar
  • discussion
  • search
  • email RFC 822
  • group (members of a workspace)
  • your own calendar
  • your own address book
  • your clipboard
  • your wastebag

In its Web-based user interface, BSCW displays the contents of container objects in pages that share a common basic structure and functionality. The page of a folder may be taken as a model of these pages. Therefore, we occasionally use the term "folder" to stand for any object that may contain a collection of objects.

If you use a Web browser with full support for JDK 1.1, you may install and use the JBrowser applet in addition to the Web-based user interface (see 3.2). The JBrowser interface is modelled after the Microsoft Windows Explorer. It displays the hierarchical structure of your folders, calendars, discussion forums and their contents in three communicating windows.

JBrowser is an optional part of the user interface. It can display a part of the information that you need in using BSCW. On the other hand, it provides a broader view of your folder tree in a familiar style, allowing you to "jump" between folders in different branches of your folder tree.

The HTML-pages of folders, calendars, discussions, your address book, your clipboard etc. all have a two-part structure consisting of:

• Header
• List of entries (body)

The following sections describe the general structure and functionality of such pages, using the folder page as an example.