Ordered list

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In HTML an ordered list <ol> .. </ol> is a HTML element for a list of items where each item is automatically prefixed by an indication of its position in the list.

An unordered list <ul> .. </ul> is a HTML element for a list of items where each item is prefixed by a fixed symbol, or nothing.

A list-style-type implies the prefixes to be equal or changing, and overrides the distinction between ol and ul.

Examples: decimal (default list-style-type for ol):

<ol>
<li>Amsterdam
<li>Rotterdam
<li>The Hague
</ol>

gives

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

Specifying a list-style-type:

lower-alpha:

<ol  style="list-style-type:lower-alpha">
<li>Amsterdam
<li>Rotterdam
<li>The Hague
</ol>

gives

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

Similarly:

upper-alpha:

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

lower-roman:

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

upper-roman:

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

disc (default list-style-type for 1st-level ul):

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

circle (default list-style-type for 2nd-level ul):

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

square (default list-style-type for 3rd and higher level ul):

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

"none":

1. Amsterdam
2. Rotterdam
3. The Hague

A starting value can be specified (naturally this has no effect if the prefix does not depend on the item's position in the list):

<ol start=2>
<li>Amsterdam
<li>Rotterdam
<li>The Hague
</ol>

gives

2. Amsterdam
3. Rotterdam
4. The Hague

Similarly (the starting value has to be in decimal form):

2. Amsterdam
3. Rotterdam
4. The Hague

2. Amsterdam
3. Rotterdam
4. The Hague

2. Amsterdam
3. Rotterdam
4. The Hague

2. Amsterdam
3. Rotterdam
4. The Hague

[edit] Comparison with a table

Apart from providing automatic numbering, the numbered list also aligns the contents of the items, comparable with using table syntax:

<ol start="9">
<li>Amsterdam
<li>Rotterdam
<li>The Hague
</ol>

gives

9. Amsterdam
10. Rotterdam
11. The Hague

{|
|-----
| align="right" | 9. || Amsterdam
|-----
| align="right" | 10. || Rotterdam
|-----
| align="right" | 11. || The Hague
|}

gives

9.	Amsterdam
10.	Rotterdam
11.	The Hague

This non-automatic numbering has the advantage that if a text refers to the numbers, insertion or deletion of an item does not disturb the correspondence.

[edit] See also

List (disambiguation)