# Browsing the catalog

Find racks, shelves, trays, mounts and devices in the community catalog with search, filters, sorting and the recently published strip.

Source: https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/catalog

## What the catalog is

[The catalog](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/catalog) holds everything Rack Maker knows about hardware: racks, frame parts, rails, shelves, trays, mounts, panels, printed parts, devices, power, fasteners, accessories and materials. Entries are measured by the people who own the gear, and anyone can use them in a project without signing in.

Catalog entries are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. A model file that an entry is drawn from keeps its own licence. See [Licences and credits](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/catalog/licences-and-credits).

![The Catalog page: the filters in a column on the left, the search box, the Recently published strip, the results grouped by category, and the work panel on the right](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/shots/catalog/browse-light.webp)

*The catalog, with its filters, the recently published strip and the work panel.*

[Start the catalog tour](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/catalog#tour) for a one-minute walk through the page. The **?** button next to the page title starts it again at any time.

## Searching

Type in the search box at the top of the page. Results follow as you type. Press `/` anywhere on the page to jump to the box, and `Esc` to clear it.

Search looks at an entry's name, id, category, kind, description, tags, the device's maker, its authors (the people credited on it and whoever published it), the racks it goes in, its size, its height in U and its power. So all of these work:

- a name or maker: `mac mini`, `ubiquiti`
- a size or height: `1U`, `19″` (or `19"`, or `19in`)
- a power figure: `65w`
- a rack: `rackmate`
- an author: `meadlock`
- `model file` for entries drawn from a 3D model file

Every word you type must match somewhere. Matches in the name rank highest.

## Filters

On a wide screen the filters are a column on the left. On a narrower one, **Filters** next to the search box opens them, with a count of the filters that are on.

| Filter                      | What it narrows by                                                                                        |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Drawn from a model file** | only entries drawn from an uploaded or bundled 3D file                                                    |
| **Category**                | Racks, Devices, Shelves, Trays, Mounts and the other categories                                           |
| **Goes in**                 | the racks the entry fits, worked out from how it mounts; **A shelf or tray** for things that stand on one |
| **Kind**                    | **Parts** (one thing) or **Assemblies** (made of other entries)                                           |
| **Author**                  | who made the entry: see below                                                                             |
| **Namespace**               | who the entry belongs to, such as `cbnsndwch` or your own handle                                          |
| **Status**                  | **Published**, and, when you can see any, your **Draft** and **In review** revisions                      |

Each option shows how many entries it would leave. **Kind**, **Author**, **Namespace** and **Status** only appear when there is more than one value to choose from. Pick several options in one filter to see entries that match any of them.

An entry's authors are the people credited on it as its author, a contributor, or who measured it, plus whoever published the revision you see. Entries that ship with the app were published by the app itself, so only their credits count. The revision an entry was forked from is not an author: its own authors are credited already. Each person is listed once, by display name: a credit that names someone's account, display name or handle counts as them, and so does a credit with the same name on another entry. In the address bar an author is their handle, or their name in lower case with dashes (`?author=james-meadlock`).

Above the results, a count says how many entries match (for example "12 of 140 entries"), and each filter that is on shows as a chip: select a chip to turn that filter off, or **Clear all filters** to turn them all off and keep your search.

![The catalog searched for mini with the Devices filter on: the count of matching entries, a chip for the filter, and the matching cards with the word highlighted](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/shots/catalog/search-light.webp)

*A search with a filter on. Each filter that is on shows as a chip above the results.*

## Sorting and grouping

**Sort** offers **Name, A to Z**, **Newest first**, **Smallest first** and **Largest first**, plus **Best match** while you are searching. **Group by category** splits the results into one section per category. It is on by default while you are not searching.

The search, the filters and the sort all live in the address bar. Copy the URL to share exactly the view you are looking at.

## Reading a card

Each result is a card with a picture of the entry. Its chips give the category, the size in mm, the height in rack units, the power, and what it goes in.

- A **model file** badge means the entry is drawn from a 3D file. Its licence and author are at the foot of the card.
- A **draft** or **review** badge marks a revision that is not published yet. Only you (and people who may review it) see these.

Open a card to see the entry's page: the part in 3D, its specs, credits, where to buy it and its revisions. See [Entries and revisions](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/catalog/entries-and-revisions).

## Recently published

When you are not searching or filtering, a **Recently published** strip above the results shows the last eight entries people published, with who published them and when. Entries that ship with the app are not listed there.

## Adding to the catalog

Two buttons sit by the page title:

- **Model a device** opens the [device modeler](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/modeler), which builds a device from its size and a photo.
- **New part** opens the [catalog editor](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/catalog/authoring) for anything else.

You need to be [signed in](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/getting-started/accounts) to keep what you make. Your drafts work in your own projects right away.

## The work panel

Signed-in users get a second panel beside the results (from 1280 px wide), or a second tab next to **Browse** on smaller screens:

- **Contribute**, if you are not a contributor yet: the **Contributor access** card, where you ask for it. See [Contributor access](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/catalog/contributing).
- **Pending work**, if you are a contributor or an admin. It holds the **Review queue**: revisions waiting for your review in the namespaces you own or maintain. Admins also see **Contributor requests** and **Reports**.

When something is waiting, a **waiting for you** badge next to the page title shows the count and jumps to the panel. Approving and rejecting from the review queue is covered in [Entries and revisions](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/catalog/entries-and-revisions#review).

![An admin's Pending work panel: the Review queue with a revision to approve or reject, Contributor requests with one request, and Reports with an open report](https://rack-maker.cbnsndwch.dev/docs/shots/catalog/work-rail-light.webp)

*An admin's work panel: reviews, contributor requests and reports.*