This family of templates can be used to create a properly structured and accessible tree. This can be used to display family trees, succession to thrones, etc. They comprise:

Syntax

Start and finish of the tree

The tree must include a start and finish, using the templates {{Tree list}} and {{Tree list/end}} respectively. The tree is essentially a series of nested lists built with the asterisk *.

{{Tree list}}
* Here goes the content of the tree using asterisks.
{{Tree list/end}}

The branches of the tree

Each branch of the tree is built using nested lists:

{{Tree list}}
* A first level branch
** A second level branch
*** A third level branch
{{Tree list/end}}

produces

  • A first level branch
    • A second level branch
      • A third level branch

Unlabelled branches

An unlabelled branch may be formed by using the {{Tree list/branching}} template.

{{Tree list}}
* A first level branch
** {{Tree list/branching}}
*** A third level branch
*** Another third level branch
*** The final third level branch
** A second level branch
** {{Tree list/branching}}                 <!--- This branch ends the second level --->
*** A third level branch
*** The final third level branch
{{Tree list/end}}

produces the following:

  • A first level branch
      • A third level branch
      • Another third level branch
      • The final third level branch
    • A second level branch
      • A third level branch
      • The final third level branch

Collapse

To collapse a tree place {{Hidden begin}} before {{Tree list}} and enclose {{Tree list/end}} with {{Hidden end}}. {{Hidden begin}} default to just a show link on the right, but it takes a number of parameters see the template's documentation. In this case:

|border=1px  #aaa solid — a solid border around the tree
|title=Demonstration tree — a suitable name for the tree
|ta1=center – center the title= name 
{{hidden begin|border=1px  #aaa solid|title=Demonstration tree|ta1=center}}
{{Tree list}}
* A first level branch
** {{Tree list/branching}}
*** A third level branch
*** Another third level branch
*** The final third level branch
** A second level branch
** {{Tree list/branching}}                 <!--- This branch ends the second level --->
*** A third level branch
*** The final third level branch
{{Tree list/end}}
{{Hidden end}}
Demonstration tree
  • A first level branch
      • A third level branch
      • Another third level branch
      • The final third level branch
    • A second level branch
      • A third level branch
      • The final third level branch


If the parameter |expanded=on is added to {{hidden begin}} then the box will be drawn expanded rather than the default, which is to collapse the tree.

Examples

A family tree

Code :

{{hidden begin|border=1px  #aaa solid|title=A family tree (descendants of Henry VII of England)|ta1=center|expanded=on}}
{{Tree list}}
*[[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''(1)''' [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] (1457 - 1509)
**[[Arthur, Prince of Wales]] (1486 - 1502)
**[[Margaret Tudor|Margaret, Queen of Scots]] (1489 - 1541)
***[[James, Duke of Rothesay]] (1507 - 1508)
***[[Arthur, Duke of Rothesay]] (1509 - 1510)
***[[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] [[James V of Scotland]] (1512 - 1542)
****[[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] [[Mary, Queen of Scots]] (1542 - 1587)
*****[[Image:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] [[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''(7)''' [[James VI and I|James VI of Scotland and I of England]] (1566 - 1625)
******{{Tree list/final branch}}''From whom succeeding English, Scottish and British monarchs are descended.''
***[[Alexander Stewart, Duke of Ross]] (1514 - 1515)
***[[Margaret Douglas|Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox]] (1515 - 1578)
**[[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''(2)''' [[Henry VIII of England]] (1491 - 1547)
***[[Henry, Duke of Cornwall]] (1511 - 1511)
***[[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''(5)''' [[Mary I of England]] (1516 - 1558)
***[[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''(6)''' [[Elizabeth I of England]] (1533 - 1603)
***[[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''(3)''' [[Edward VI of England]]
**[[Elizabeth Tudor (daughter of Henry VII)|Elizabeth Tudor]] (1492 - 1495)
**[[Mary Tudor (queen consort of France)|Mary, Queen of France]] (1496 - 1533)
***Henry Brandon (1516 - 1522)
***[[Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk]] (1517 - 1547)
****[[Image:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''(4)''' [[Lady Jane Grey]] (1536 - 1553)
****[[Lady Catherine Grey|Catherine Seymour, Countess of Hertford]] (1540 - 1568)
****[[Lady Mary Grey|Lady Mary Keyes]] (1545 - 1578)
****Elizabeth Stokes (1555 - 1556)
***[[Eleanor Clifford, Countess of Cumberland]] (1519 - 1547)
****{{Tree list/final branch}}''From whom are descended the [[Earl of Derby|Earls of Derby]]''
***[[Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln]] (1523 - 1534)
**[[Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset]] (1499 - 1500) 
**[[Katherine Tudor (1503)|Katherine Tudor]] (1503 - 1503)
{{Tree list/end}}
{{hidden end}}

which gives

A family tree (descendants of Henry VII of England)

An ancestry tree

Ahnentafel style trees can be can be displayed using this template, but usually for less than 6 generations the customised Ahnentafel templates are clearer (see Template:Ahnentafel/doc). There is also an ahnentafel template ({{Ahnentafel-tree}}), that is based on this one, that makes construction this tree simpler.

{{hidden begin|border=1px  #aaa solid|title=Ancestry tree of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge|ta1=center|expanded=on}}
{{Tree list}}
*1. '''[[William, Prince of Wales]]''' (born 21 June 1982)
**2. [[Charles III|Charles III of the United Kingdom]] (born 14 November 1948)
***4. [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark]] (10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021)
****8. [[Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark]] (20 January 1882 – 3 December 1944)
****9. [[Princess Alice of Battenberg]] (25 February 1885 – 5 December 1969)
***5. [[Elizabeth II|Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom]] (21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022)
****10. [[George VI|George VI of the United Kingdom]] (14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952)
****11. [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon]] (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002)
**3. [[Diana, Princess of Wales|Lady Diana Spencer]]  (1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997)
***6. [[John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer]] (21 April 1926 – 29 March 1992)
****12. [[Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer]] (23 May 1892 – 9 June 1975)
****13. [[Cynthia Spencer, Countess Spencer|Lady Cynthia Hamilton]]  (16 August 1897 – 4 December 1972)
***7. [[Frances Shand Kydd|The Honourable Frances Roche]] (20 January 1936 – 3 June 2004)
****14. [[Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy]] (15 May 1885 – 8 July 1955)
****15. [[Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy|Ruth Gill]] (2 October 1908 – 6 July 1993)
{{Tree list/end}}
{{hidden end}}
Ancestry tree of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge

A cladogram

{{hidden begin|border=1px  #aaa solid|title=A cladogram|ta1=center|expanded=on}}
{{Tree list}}
*[[Tetrapoda]]
** {{Tree list/branching}}
*** Many extinct groups such as the ''[[Eucritta]]''
*** '''[[Lissamphibia]]''' Whose ancestors of the current amphibians
** {{Tree list/branching}}
*** Many extinct groups reminiscent of amphibians with more or less pronounced reptilian characteristics such as [[Eoherpetontidae]], the [[Embolomeri]], the [[Tokosauridae]], [[Chroniosuchidae]], [[Gephyrostegidae]], [[Solenodonsauridae]], [[Seymouriamorpha]], [[Westlothiana]], [[Lepospondyli]]
*** [[Cotylosauria]]
**** [[Amniota]], Originally all "Reptilian"
**** Other extinct sibling taxa like [[Diadectomorpha]] or [[Tseajaiidae]] are close enough to reptiles
{{Tree list/end}}
{{hidden end}}
A cladogram

See also

  • Wikipedia:Family trees
  • {{Chart}} — This template produces one row in a "family tree"-like chart consisting of boxes and connecting lines
  • {{Ahnentafel}} — This template takes genealogical data in the form of an ahnentafel and presents it as a graphical ancestry tree
  • {{ahnentafel-tree}} uses {{Tree list}} and will handle up to an ahnentafel of 511 places (9 generations), but will also display as little as one generation.