Template:Tree list

Tree list is a simple template that calls upon some CSS in MediaWiki:Common.css to change the appearance of bulleted lists so that they have continuous connected lines. This makes hierarchical relationships much easier to follow with the eye. You open a tree list by simply invoking the template and then typing a bullet list, but make sure to close the list with Template:Tree list/end afterward.

{{Tree list}}
* The CEO
** VP of Manufacturing
*** Assembly line supervisor
**** Assembly line worker 1
**** Assembly line worker 2
** VP of Sales
*** Regional sales manager
**** Salesman 1
**** Salesman 2
**** Salesman 3
**** Salesman 4
{{Tree list/end}}

yields:

• The CEO
  • VP of Manufacturing
    • Assembly line supervisor
      • Assembly line worker 1
      • Assembly line worker 2
  • VP of Sales
    • Regional sales manager
      • Salesman 1
      • Salesman 2
      • Salesman 3
      • Salesman 4

Now, what if you want to show a node as a child of a previous parent in the list, not the parent of the current list of children? You invoke Template:Tree list/branching. The three asterisks before the call to branching means "End the list of children of the last third-level parent".

{{Tree list}}
* The CEO
** VP of Manufacturing
*** Assembly line supervisor
**** Assembly line worker 1
**** Assembly line worker 2
** VP of Sales
*** Regional sales manager
**** Salesman 1
**** Salesman 2
**** Salesman 3
**** Salesman 4
*** {{Tree list/branching}}
**** Corporate spy 1
**** Corporate spy 2
{{Tree list/end}}

yields:

• The CEO
  • VP of Manufacturing
    • Assembly line supervisor
      • Assembly line worker 1
      • Assembly line worker 2
  • VP of Sales
    • Regional sales manager
      • Salesman 1
      • Salesman 2
      • Salesman 3
      • Salesman 4
    • Template:Tree list/branching
      • Corporate spy 1
      • Corporate spy 2

However if you want to show the children on this level as belonging to an even higher-level parent, this does not seem to be possible without visual glitches. This is only an issue if you're committed to the idea of showing children at a specified level of indentation. The solution is to bump up the children a level. Note the reduction in asterisks to both the branching call and the subsequent employees.

{{Tree list}}
* The CEO
** VP of Manufacturing
*** Assembly line supervisor
**** Assembly line worker 1
**** Assembly line worker 2
** VP of Sales
*** Regional sales manager
**** Salesman 1
**** Salesman 2
**** Salesman 3
**** Salesman 4
** {{Tree list/branching}}
*** Corporate spy 1
*** Corporate spy 2
{{Tree list/end}}

yields:

• The CEO
  • VP of Manufacturing
    • Assembly line supervisor
      • Assembly line worker 1
      • Assembly line worker 2
  • VP of Sales
    • Regional sales manager
      • Salesman 1
      • Salesman 2
      • Salesman 3
      • Salesman 4
  • Template:Tree list/branching
    • Corporate spy 1
    • Corporate spy 2