{{Short description|Visualization of tree-type data structures}} [[Image:GNUstep-liveCD.png|right|thumb|300px|A Miller Column browser as implemented by GNUstep. It incorporates a Shelf.]]
'''Miller columns''' (also known as '''cascading lists'''<ref>{{cite book|last1=Tidwell|first1=Jenifer|title=Designing Interfaces|publisher=O'Reilly|url=http://designinginterfaces.com/firstedition/index.php?page=Cascading_Lists|accessdate=5 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726134921/http://designinginterfaces.com/firstedition/index.php?page=Cascading_Lists|archive-date=26 July 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref>) are a browsing/visualization technique that can be applied to tree structures. The columns allow multiple levels of the hierarchy to be open at once, and provide a visual representation of the current location. It is closely related to techniques used earlier in the Smalltalk browser, but was independently invented by Mark S. Miller in 1980 at Yale University.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}} The technique was then used at Project Xanadu, Datapoint, and NeXT.
While at Datapoint, Miller generalized the technique to browse directed graphs with labeled nodes and arcs.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}} In all cases, the technique is appropriate for structures with high degree (large fanout). For low-degree structures, outline editors or graph viewers are more effective.
== History == Miller columns are most well known today as the “Columns view” mode of the macOS Finder, as well as the "Browser" view in iTunes. The columns in Finder descend directly from the NeXTSTEP File Viewer's use of Miller columns going back to 1986. The GNUstep project continues to offer a Miller column browser that closely follows the NeXT approach, bringing the advantages of a column browser to Linux, BSD, and other operating systems with large tree structures. The iPod's browsing of categories and audio file tag attributes is reminiscent of column browsing, although only one column is visible at a time.
== Issues ==
Miller columns have several issues from a usability standpoint: * Deeper and deeper navigation into directory structures is represented by fitting more and more columns into the display, eventually making each column too narrow to read without scrolling horizontally; the need for scrolling can be reduced or eliminated by using the keyboard to navigate through directories instead of the pointer * Sort options and metadata display are limited, though this can be mitigated by changing the view of the current directory when appropriate either using the pointer or a keyboard shortcut and, as in the macOS Finder and file dialogs, metadata can be seen in a preview column when a file is selected instead of a directory
== Use in file browsers == [[File:Vifm 0.13 set millerview.png|thumb|400px|ncurses-based file manager ''vifm'' featuring Miller columns]] * The macOS ''Finder'', the default file browser on macOS, uses Miller columns in its "Columns" view. * The open and save file dialogs in macOS also use Miller columns. * ''Path Finder'' is a shareware file browser for Mac OS X supporting Miller column view amongst others.<ref>{{cite web|title=Path Finder 6 by Cocoatech|url=http://www.cocoatech.com/pathfinder/|accessdate=28 May 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529085350/http://www.cocoatech.com/pathfinder/|archivedate=29 May 2013}}</ref> * ''GWorkspace'', a workspace manager for GNUstep which can be used as file browser, uses Miller columns.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://gnustep.made-it.com/Guides/GWorkspace.html#FILEVIEWER | title=GWorkspace User Guide | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> * ''ranger'', a terminal-based file browser with Vi-like key bindings, uses a multi-column mode similar to Miller columns.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ranger.nongnu.org/ | title=ranger | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> * [https://github.com/gokcehan/lf lf] (as in "list files") is a terminal file manager written in Go with a heavy inspiration from <code>ranger</code> file manager. * ''evidence'', an apparently obsolete file browser for Enlightenment, used Miller columns in its “browser-view”.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://evidence.sourceforge.net/features.html | title=Evidence -- enlightened file-manager | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> * ''Thunar'', the default file browser for Xfce, used to have a branch called “columns-view” which was given up later.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=96239#c9 | title=Bug 96239 – Multi-column list view (aka Miller Columns) | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://bugs.launchpad.net/nautilus-elementary/+bug/511400 | title=Bug #511400 "add a miller columns view" : Bugs : nautilus-elementary | date=22 January 2010 | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/6497/ | title=Idea #6497: "Finder-like column view in Thunar" - Ubuntu brainstorm | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> * ''Dolphin'', the default file browser of KDE, also canceled the further development of Miller columns due to the source code being too complex – making it difficult to maintain.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ppenz.blogspot.de/2012/01/dolphin-20-status-update.html?showComment=1325669619833#c91135672311802014 | title=ppenz: Dolphin 2.0 - Status Update | date=3 January 2012 | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> * ''Tkdesk'', a file browser for the X Window System, uses Miller columns.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://tkdesk.sourceforge.net/guide/guide.pdf | title=TkDesk User's Guide | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> * ''Marlin'' is a file browser written in GTK 3 which implements Miller columns. Marlin does not have any download files registered with Launchpad as of November 2016.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://launchpad.net/marlin | title=Marlin in Launchpad | date=9 June 2010 | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> * ''Pantheon Files'' (or just ''Files'', for short) is a fork of Marlin actively developed by the Elementary team.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://launchpad.net/pantheon-files | title=Files in Launchpad | date=7 May 2012 | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://elementaryos.org/support/answers/2874|title=Is Pantheon Files a fork of Marlin? | elementary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701193633/http://elementaryos.org/support/answers/2874|archive-date=2012-07-01|url-status=|accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> * ''FSViewer'' is an obsolete file browser for Window Maker using Miller columns.<ref>{{cite web|title=Projects — FSViewer|url=http://homepage.tinet.ie/~clernong/projects/fsviewer.html|accessdate=28 May 2013|author=George Clernon|date=17 May 1999}}</ref> * ''Greg's Browser'' is an NeXT-inspired column browser for the Classic Mac OS.<ref>{{cite web|title=Greg's Browser|url=http://kaleidoscope.net/greg/browser.html|accessdate=28 May 2013|author=Gregory D. Landweber|year=2000}}</ref> * ''WinBrowser''<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.winbrowser.com/mainfeatures.html | title=WinBrowser | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> and ''Ultraexplorer''<ref>{{cite web |title=Mustangpeak UltraExplorer |url=https://www.magsys.co.uk/delphi/ultraexplorer.asp |website=Magenta Systems Ltd |access-date=23 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG5NzIC5Vwk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/iG5NzIC5Vwk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live| title=Miller Columns — YouTube |website=YouTube |date=12 August 2010 | accessdate=May 28, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> are file browsers for Microsoft Windows supporting Miller columns. * ''One Commander''<ref name=OneCommander>{{cite web | url=https://onecommander.com | title=One Commander| accessdate=December 29, 2013}}</ref> is a file browser for Microsoft Windows using automatically scaled Miller columns in a tabbed interface. * ''ThatFile''<ref name=ThatFile>{{cite web | url=https://ebeytech.com | title=ThatFile| accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> is a file browser for Microsoft Windows with Miller columns. It additionally has tools to optimize user workflow. * ''Direttore File Manager''<ref name="Direttore File Manager">{{cite web | url=https://www.yellow-pointers-software.com/ | title=Direttore File Manager| accessdate=May 15, 2020}}</ref> is a file browser for Microsoft Windows 10 using Miller columns in one of its views. * Yet another Windows file manager that supports Miller columns is xplorer2. * The storage explorer on the ''Supabase''<ref name="Supabase storage">{{cite web | url=https://supabase.com/blog/supabase-storage | title=Supabase| date=30 March 2021| accessdate=May 9, 2023}}</ref> dashboard uses Miller columns in its "columns" view. * ''Directory Opus for Windows''<ref name="Directory Opus">{{cite web | url=https://www.gpsoft.com.au | title=Directory Opus| accessdate=March 6, 2023}}</ref> uses Miller Columns called FlatView to display hierarchy directory structures as Mixed or Grouped files and folders or Mixed files with no folders. FlatView display columns can be sized, sorted and filtered to display specific types of files or directories. * ''Whale'', a file manager for KDE has support for Miller columns<ref>{{Cite web |title=Add miller columns view (!16) · Merge requests · Carl Schwan / whale · GitLab |url=https://invent.kde.org/carlschwan/whale/-/merge_requests/16 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241207211500/https://invent.kde.org/carlschwan/whale/-/merge_requests/16 |archive-date=2024-12-07 |access-date=2026-03-07 |website=GitLab |language=en}}</ref> * ''KMiller'', another file manager for KDE was created specifically for that purpose<ref>{{Citation |last=DiamondEyesFox |title=DiamondEyesFox/kmiller |date=2026-03-06 |url=https://github.com/DiamondEyesFox/kmiller |access-date=2026-03-07}}</ref> * ''Files'', a file manager for Windows<ref>{{Cite web |title=Files · Docs - Layout |url=https://files.community/docs/customize-settings/layout |access-date=2026-04-10 |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == *Shelf: NeXT GUI element that can be combined with columns to make a file manager.
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://developer.apple.com/mac/library/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/ApplicationKit/Classes/NSBrowser_Class/Reference/Reference.html NSBrowser] The Cocoa/NextStep class that represents a generalized Miller Column widget *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060315170851/http://www.rbrowser.com/ RBrowser] a Miller Column FTP browser that started on NeXTSTEP *[https://github.com/dsharew/responsive-miller-column Responsive Miller Column] is a jQuery plugin implementing Miller columns
Category:User interface techniques Category:File managers Category:NeXT Category:MacOS user interface