Table tree
A table tree is an expandable table for showing nested hierarchies of information.
When to use
- Data that is genuinely nested, such as epics holding stories, or folders holding files.
- A hierarchy where a reader needs the parents to make sense of the children.
- A structure a reader will open and close while working, rather than read whole.
When not to use
- Flat data. A tree implies nesting, and faking it wastes the reader on structure that is not there.
- A hierarchy more than about three levels deep, where the indentation runs out of room.
- Grouping that would be better as a filter or a sort.
Content
What to write, and what to leave out.
- Label parents and children in the same way, so the levels read as one set.
- Keep the first level short enough to see the shape without scrolling.