What is a tree menu?

An application is of no use if it takes hours for the users to find the content they need. With 94% of consumers demanding easy navigation on websites, instant navigation options are crucial for having successful apps and websites. Thankfully, digital menus eliminate this crippling need to scroll through lines of data to find the content and tools you need. Holding paramount importance in data organization, menus can be of any structure depending upon the type of software you are using.

A tree menu is a menu type that follows a hierarchical structure of data presentation. It enables you to categorize data items based on the kind of tasks, products, functions etc. In the apps you create with a low-code platform, you can add, modify and customize these categories and subcategories by editing records and pages.

Elements of a tree menu

A tree menu has three primary elements. They are named based on the relationship they have with the other elements of the table :

1. Parent: A parent is a page or record that has subgroups under it.
2. Child: A child is a subgroup of a parent element.
3. Sibling: Two pages that are subgroups of the same parent item are called siblings. They are on the same level in the hierarchy.

All the elements can be associated with multiple terms. If a child of one parent node has subgroups of its own, it is a parent to those subgroups and vice versa. In simple words, a tree menu is a digital flow-chart that not just guides users but also takes them to their target location with a simple click.

Salient features of a tree menu

1. Organized task flows

A tree menu can be used to define a group of interconnected business rules for one family of trees. A company can have separate trees for different departments, leads, accounts or projects. Each section can have tasks associated, for example, ‘amount payable’ and’ invoice creation’ can be children under the finance parent record. Each subset of a tree menu can be selected at a time, and the list of tasks under it can be performed to fulfill a specific purpose.

2. Well defined relationships between data points

The hierarchical structure of a tree menu allows selective grouping and nesting of information that exists within your organization. Multiple data points can exist within a tree structure menu and have relationships with each other. This allows users to prioritize tasks and information.

3. Quicker Navigation

A tree menu structure makes it easy to search for a page. Unlike linear menu structures in which you have to search for content from a list of options, the tree menu allows you to follow a hierarchical system to find what you’re looking for.

Making a tree menu in a low-code platform

Planet Crust is the driving force behind the Corteza open-source low-code development platform. You can create pages in Corteza, and use a simple drag and drop feature to organize them. These pages will show up to the end-user in a tree menu format. So, the Corteza low-code platform eliminates the need for knowing hardcoding skills that you would otherwise need to create tree menus. Get started for free!