Guideline Structure

HOWTO: Simulate a Hierarchy in Wikipedia Using Linked Pages

Problem

Wikipedia and other MediaWiki-based wikis do not have a true folder or hierarchical page structure. All pages exist in a flat namespace.

Goal

Create a logical hierarchy using normal pages that contain structured lists of links. This approach makes the wiki feel hierarchical without changing its technical structure.

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Step 1: Create a “Parent” Page

Create a main page that acts as a directory or table of contents for a topic.

Example:

Page title

Developers

Page content

= Developers =
This page contains all general developer-related information, guidelines, and processes.

== Developer Teams ==
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamBornemann]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamOdoo]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamNordex]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamMercedes]]

== General Documentation ==
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/Onboarding]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/CodeStandards]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/DevTools]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/BestPractices]]

[[HF_ALL|← Back to HF_ALL]]

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Step 2: Create the Linked Pages

Click a red link (for example HF ALL:Developers/Nordex to create that subpage.

Example:

Page title

Developers/Team Bornemann

Page content

= Team Bornemann =
Project Team Bornemann

[[Devolopers|← Back to Developers]]

Each page links back to its parent using:

[[ParentPageName|← Back to Parent Page]]

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Step 3: (Optional) Add More Levels

You can continue nesting pages by creating deeper paths.

Example:

Page title

Developers/Team Bornemann/Planning

Page content

= Team Bornemann – Planning =
Details of the planning phase.

[[Developers/Team Bornemann|← Back to Team Bornemann]]

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Step 4: (Optional) Create an Overview or “Tree”

You can manually display a hierarchy by nesting lists:

= Developers =

== Teams ==
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamBornemann]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamOdoo]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamNordex]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamMercedes]]

== Documentation ==
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/Onboarding]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/CodeStandards]]
** [[HF_ALL/Developers/CodeStandards/Python]]
** [[HF_ALL/Developers/CodeStandards/JavaScript]]

* [[HF_ALL/Developers/DevTools]]
** [[HF_ALL/Developers/DevTools/Git]]
** [[HF_ALL/Developers/DevTools/VSCode]]

This structure visually represents a hierarchy even though the wiki pages are flat.

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Tips

• Use consistent page names with slashes, such as Developers/Team Bornemann/Planning.
• Add a “Back to parent” link on each subpage.
• You can create a small template to simplify the “Back” link, for example:

{{HF_ALL|Developers/Team Bornemann}}

• Maintain a single “index” page (like Developers) that defines the hierarchy.

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Summary

To create a clean, structured hierarchy in MediaWiki under HF_ALL:

1. Create a department index page (e.g., HF_ALL/Developers)
2. Add subpages using /
3. Include back-links on every subpage
4. Build a tree-like structure using bullet lists
5. Keep only general internal documentation (no client-confidential info)

This creates a predictable, professional, and easy-to-navigate documentation system for all teams.