[feature]: Sub-issue sequence IDs should reflect parent-child hierarchy
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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
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- 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