Described is a technology by which a resource selector traverses a hierarchical storage structure to enumerate its resources and provide a flat list of corresponding items. The user interacts with the flat list to select an item. The resource selector is particularly beneficial when incorporated into a handheld computing device. The resource selector may use a filtering criterion associated with an application program, e.g., the hierarchical storage may correspond to a file system, with the file extension (type) being the filtering criterion. A trigger coupled to the resource selector triggers the resource selector, in which the trigger may be incorporated into the application program, or may comprise an application-independent (e.g., operating system) component that knows which application program currently has focus and triggers the resource selector for that application.