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There are three versions of the classification browser: Standard, Enhanced and Hierarchy. All three versions operate in much the same manner: A user types in a classification number, the system displays the classification data and then the user navigates the data using the buttons and links that are provided on the screen.
In addition to the three different versions of the classification browser, you also have a choice as to whether you want to use window frames or not. This help page describes how to use the no-frames variety of classification browsers. There is a separate help page for the frames varieties.
The frames varieties split the display into three window frames (or panes) that display the command buttons, classification hierarchy and classification data in separate areas of the screen. This has the advantage of allowing you to scroll through the classification data without having the command buttons and hierarchy scroll out of view. In addition, the frames varieties allow you to change the classification hierarchy that is being displayed at the top of the screen by clicking on one of the records below it.
The no-frames varieties, on the other hand, display the command buttons, classification hierarchy and classification data all on one page. When you scroll down in the display, the buttons and hierarchy at the top of the page scroll out of view. Not only do you have to scroll to the top or bottom of the page to use the command buttons, but it is not possible to change the classification hierarchy at the top of the page. The page is much less dynamic than is possible with frames.
CLASSIFICATION BROWSERS The three versions of the classification browser differ in the degree to which they automate the application of classification tables in their display. Classification tables contain information that is used in more than one place in the classification system. This includes geographic names, forms of material and any other subdivisions that can be reused elsewhere in classification.
The Standard Browser The Standard browser displays the classification schedules with links to other areas of classification and to the classification tables. When you click on a table link in the Standard browser, the data on your screen is replaced with the contents of the table.
The Enhanced Browser The Enhanced browser adds support for a calculator that automatically merges classification table data into the main classification display. When you click on a table link in the Enhanced browser, the table is loaded in such a way that the table data appears to be part of the schedules data (including properly calculated classification numbers). Please note that the Enhanced browser will not automatically apply a table as you navigate through the classification data. You must explicitly click on a table link to jump to that table. The only exception to this is when you type a number into the "Class #' prompt at the top of the screen. The software will automatically apply tables to get you to the most specific record possible with that number.
The Hierarchy Browser The Hierarchy browser goes the furthest in seamlessly integrating classification data. This version of the browser automatically takes table links as you move back and forth in the data. You navigate the data hierarchically by moving down the one level at a time and by moving up one or more levels at once. Like the Enhanced browser, when you type a number into the "Class #" prompt at the top of the screen, the software will apply as many tables as necessary to get to the most specific record possible. The Hierarchy browser keeps track of your current level and limits the display to that many levels of classification data. By clicking on a link that says "Hide subtopics", "Show subtopics" or "Apply table", you change the maximum depth that the browser will go when creating the display.
THE DISPLAY Classification data is displayed a page at a time, with anywhere from twenty to one hundred records per page. You can change the default of twenty records per page by starting classification using the Subsets and Options link on the main classification menu.
Usually, the amount of data that is returned with each classification page will not all fit on your computer screen. In this case, you can scroll the information up and down with both your mouse and your keyboard. The mouse is used by clicking on the scroll bar at the right side of your screen. Alternately, you can use the cursor keys, and page up and page down keys to scroll the page up and down. Please note that in order to use the keyboard, you may have to click your mouse once inside the area you want to scroll. This is so that the Web browser knows which area you are referring to with your keystrokes. Once you have scrolled to the top or bottom of a classification page, you must use the navigation buttons at the top and bottom of each page to fetch another page from the server.
Each classification page consists of four sections. They are, from top to bottom:
The next row contains an input field for you to enter the classification number you are interested in displaying. After you have filled in a number, press the ENTER key or click on the "Go" button. The system will locate the closest classification number to the value you input. If you don't fill any value into the input field, the server will return the first page of records in the database.
Hierarchy Display This section of the page displays the full hierarchy of one of the classification records on the screen.
Formatted Classification Data This section of the page displays anywhere from twenty to one hundred classification records. The records are primarily indented according to their level in the classification hierarchy. The data may also contain links to other places in the classification system. For example:
For high technology industries in general see HC79.H53
In this case clicking on "HC79.H53" would cause you to jump to that place in the classification data. There are also "Cf." links and links to classification tables. Some examples include:
Cf. HG6046-6051 Commodity futures Food supply. Produce trade TABLE H18
Help Line Provided you are using MSIE or Netscape, any time you want to know what a link does, move your mouse anywhere over the link. The status line at the bottom of your Web browser will display a help message describing what will happen if you click on that link.
Classification Record Links Each classification record on the screen includes a set of capital letters in parentheses. For example:
HD9000-9999 Special industries and trades (H E R B N S T)
These links are used to perform actions related to that particular record. The possible letters are:
LOCATING A CLASSIFICATION NUMBER First, you must choose the appropriate link on the the main classification menu. For most users this will be one of the "Schedules Browsers". If you require direct access to the classification tables, you must use one of the "Tables Browsers".
Schedules Browser If you are using a "Schedules Browser", you can input a single classification number or a span (by separating the two numbers with a hyphen). These are examples of single numbers:
HD9000 HD9000.9.A1 KFN45
Please note that you can use either upper or lower case characters when looking for a classification number. The following are equivalent: HD9000.9.A1 and hd9000.9.a1.
These are examples of spans:
HD9000-HD9999 HD9000-9999 KFN1-KFN599 KFN1-599
When inputting a span, you can use the shorthand notation of dropping the leading text characters in the second number. You should avoid using any spaces in a classification number unless they are actually part of the number.
Tables Browser If you are using a "Tables Browser" you must always provide a table number in your request. If the table can be found, you will be "locked" into that table. The software will not go beyond the end of the table if you are using the next page and next 1/2 page navigation buttons. You also won't be able to back up beyond the start of the table when using the previous page and previous 1/2 page buttons. If you need to work in a different table, just input a different table number and press ENTER or click on the "Go" button.
Here are examples of table numbers on their own:
H1 H16 KFA-KFZ
Note that you can use either upper or lower case characters when inputting a table number. Both "KFA-KFZ" and "kfa-kfz" are equivalent.
In addition to just entering a table number, you can also add a space and a classification number or span. Here are examples of table numbers with classification numbers or spans:
H1 15.25 H16 5.A-Z KFA-KFZ 11.4.A-Z
In case you were wondering how the software can distinguish between the two hyphens in that last example (one in the table name and one in the classification span), the tables browser looks for the first space in your request. This is understood to be the table name. So in this case, the "KFA-KFZ" is extracted, leaving "11.4.A-Z", which is then interpreted as a span.
How Classification Numbers are Sorted Classification numbers can be either a single number (like HD9000) or a span (a range of numbers like HD9000-HD9999). The first number is sorted in ascending order, as you would expect. However, the second number in a span is sorted in descending order.
Here is an example a correctly sorted list of classification numbers:
KFN1-599 KFN1 KFN6-20 KFN6-10 KFN6 KFN7
A record that has a single classification number (KFN1) as opposed to a span (KFN1-599) will always sort after any others with the same first number.
The Standard Browser If you input a classification span (two numbers separated by a hyphen -- see above), the software will return the first record that has a classification number that is greater than or equal to your request. Remember that the second number in a span sorts in descending order when you aren't sure why you ended up where you did.
When you input a single classification number, the software will return the broadest record that matches your number. In the case of entering HF1, you will end up on HF1-6182 (which sorts before HF1) instead of HF1 itself.
If this is not what you want, you can add a hyphen to the end of a single classification number to tell the software to get to the most specific classification number to yours. To get directly to HF1, you would input:
HF1-
The Enhanced and Hierarchy Browsers Because both the Enhanced and Hierarchy browsers can automatically integrate classification tables into the schedules data, they take a very different approach to looking up a classification number. These browsers know how to calculate a classification number when tables are used. Conversely, when you are looking for a particular classification number, they know how to deconstruct the number and automatically apply any tables that are necessary to arrive at the calculated version of that number (tables and all).
As a result, the default behavior when you input HF1 is to return record HF1 and not HF1-6182. If you are inputting a single number (as opposed to a span) and you want to find the span that is associated with that number, you can add a hyphen to the end of your number to force the software to do just that. If you were looking for HF1-6182, you would input:
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