Chapter 8 - Lists

Lists allow you to present content to users in a visually hierarchical format to better illustrate relationships between items. You can use lists just for indentation, too.

The content typically represented in a list includes:

Procedural steps to complete a task of some kind:
1. Open door.
2. Let dog out:
  1. Call dog
  2. Tell dog to go outside
3. Close door.
Bullets (like this example) to display highlights.
Menus of options or URLs or whatever.
List of files and subdirectories.
Bibliographies, etc, etc.

There are 3 primary types of lists:

Unordered (bulleted) lists
Ordered (numbered/lettered) lists
Lists of terms and definitions

Unordered Lists:

An unordered list is a list wherein each item has bullet in front of it and is indented under a larger heading. The entire text of the item is indented. The tags follow.

<ul>...</ul> (Unordered List tag):

Example:


	   <UL>

 	       
	   ... list items ...

           </UL>

Attributes:
    type=disc (closed circle bullet)
    type=circle (open circle bullet)
    type=square (closed square bullet)

List Items:

<li>...</li> (List Item tag):

The List Item tag contains the text (or even pictures) for each item in the list. If you have 10 items in an unordered list (<ul>...</ul>), you will have 10 List Item tags. An example follows:

<UL> <li>First item in the list</li> <li>Second item in the list</li> <li>and so on</li> </UL>

First item in the list
Second item in the list
and so on

You may use the List Item tag outside of the unordered list tags, but then you lose the auto-indenting of the unordered list tag.

Please note that the [TYPE] attribute can be used on the <LI> tag as well.

Ordered Lists:

An ordered list is a list wherein each item in the list is numbered or lettered in order of appearance.

<ol>...</ol> (Ordered List tag):

Example:


	   <OL>

 	       
	   <li>First item in the list</li>

	       
	   <li>Second item in the list</li>

	       
	   <li>and so on</li>

           </OL>

First item in the list
Second item in the list
and so on

Attributes:

type=A

type=a

type=I

type=i

type=1

TYPE=A

START=3

Please note that the TYPE and START attributes apply also to the List Item tag when used in an ordered list.

Terms and Definitions Lists:

An list of terms and definitions is useful for supplying the user with a list of words, abbreviations, or phrases and their associated meanings.

<dl>...</dl> (Definition List tag):

Example:


	   <DL>

 	       
	   <dt>Mother Hen

	          
	   <dd>A derrogatory term denoting the tendency of a mother to baby thier offpsring well
		     into adulthood.

	       
	   <dt>Mother Goose

	          
	   <dd>A fairy tale character.

           </DL>

Mother Hen: A derrogatory term denoting the tendency of a mother to baby thier offpsring well into adulthood.
Mother Goose: A fairy tale character.