makeplane / makeplane/plane

[feature]: Sub-issue sequence IDs should reflect parent-child hierarchy

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#9,477 2 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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TypeScript
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Description

Summary:
The current work item numbering uses flat sequential IDs (e.g., parent=PROJ-5, sub=PROJ-6) which visually flatten the hierarchy. When viewing a list, it's not immediately clear which items are sub-issues of which parent. This is especially confusing in board/list views where sequential ordering doesn't map to parent-child depth.

Proposed solution:
Adopt a hierarchical ID format where sub-issues carry their parent's sequence as a prefix. For example:

  • Parent: PROJ-5
  • Sub-issues: PROJ-5.1, PROJ-5.2, PROJ-5.3

Alternatively (simpler): hide or visually indent sub-issue sequence IDs in list/board views, since sub-issues are already grouped under their parent in the tree view — the flat IDs add noise without conveying hierarchy.

Why this should be worked on:
Users working with deeply nested issues lose spatial awareness of the hierarchy. Flat IDs force users to cross-reference the tree view, slowing down navigation. This is a UX friction point that compounds as projects grow. Many project management tools (Jira, Linear, etc.) use hierarchical numbering or suppress sub-issue IDs for this exact reason.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

The issue names no files, tests, or entry points. First clarify whether hierarchical IDs or hiding/indenting IDs is the intended solution, then trace sequence-ID generation and rendering in board and list views. Done means the chosen behavior consistently communicates parent-child hierarchy without breaking existing issue references.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
full-stack
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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