All browser and folder objects are part of a hierarchical structure, where each object has a "parent" object. In addition, some objects also have "child" objects. For example, in maindefs.bdf the browser "Netscape v4" is a child object of the folder "Netscape". Likewise, it can also be said that the "Netscape" folder is the parent of the "Netscape v4" browser.
Browser and folder objects are displayed in the BrowserHawk Editor in a tree-like structure, which depicts the parent-child relationships between the defined objects. For example, the "Default Browser" browser object is the parent of all other objects. Likewise the "Internet Explorer" folder object is the parent of all four versions of the defined Internet Explorer browsers.
This built-in hierarchy serves two very important purposes. First, it provides a highly intuitive way to visually group browser and folder objects. This results in browsers in a similar class or browsers from the same manufacturer being organized and listed together, making it easy to find, view, and change browser definitions.
Secondly, and most importantly, the hierarchy forms a basis for property value "inheritance" between related browsers. In other words, a child browser or folder will automatically inherit all the defined property values from its parent. This makes creating new definitions or updating existing ones an easy task.
Important note: When creating a new browser or folder, all properties for the new object are inherited from its parent object. However, if you later change the value of a parent's property, the change is NOT automatically made in any of its child objects unless you explicitly tell BrowserHawk to do so. This is done by clicking on the "Apply to child browsers" in the Property form.
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