collective.facetednavigation-0.7.2-1.lbn19.noarch

What is faceted navigation (the concept)

First, what is faceted classification:

A faceted classification system allows the assignment of multiple classifications to an object, enabling the classifications to be ordered in multiple ways, rather than in a single, pre-determined, taxonomic order.

-- Wikipedia (Faceted classification)

Once we know what faceted classification is, we can infer what is a faceted browser:

A faceted browser or faceted semantic browser is a user interface which makes use of faceted classification to allow the user to explore by filtering available information. Each facet typically corresponds to the possible values of a property common to a set of digital objects.

-- Wikipedia (Faceted browser)

An example would help, I guess:

A traditional restaurant guide might group restaurants first by location, then by type, price, rating, awards, ambiance, and amenities. In a faceted system, a user might decide first to divide the restaurants by price, and then by location and then by type, while another user could first sort the restaurants by type and then by awards. Thus, faceted navigation, like taxonomic navigation, guides users by showing them available categories (or facets), but does not require them to browse through a hierarchy that may not precisely suit their needs or way of thinking.

-- Wikipedia (Faceted classification)

Sources:

Faceted classification in Wikipedia; Faceted browser in Wikipedia.

Various examples of faceted navigation are also available on the home page of the MIT Exhibit project. What is Faceted Navigation (the Plone product)

This concept sounds cool, but what does Faceted Navigation (the product) exactly do?

Once we have installed the product, we will have to configure facets (i.e. criteria), which are actually linked to default or custom catalog indexes. Then the user will see a new link in the portal actions bar (along "site map" and other links), called "Faceted navigation". This link leads to an user interface that lets the user browse portal items via... a faceted navigation.