2 Domain Hosting

Bulleted & Numbered List Basics

Lists are an effective way to separate topics or data from the rest of the document. The most popular types of lists are bulleted and numbered.

In Dreamweaver, working with either type of list is essentially the same. The lists are referred to as follows:

Ordered List

This is the term for a numbered list.

Unordered List

This is the term for a bulleted list.

This document introduces bulleted and numbered lists. It also shows how to create lists, remove them, and use sublists.

• Creating Lists

• Making Lists Accessible for the Vision-Impaired

• Removing Bullets or Numbers

• Using Sublists

Creating Lists

When creating a list, you can either type the list and then make it bulleted/numbered or make the bulleted/numbered items as you type.

Creating a List of Items: Text Already Typed

1. Select the items to be in the list
   NOTE: Items must be separated by paragraph breaks, not line breaks. Paragraph breaks leave a blank line between lines of text, whereas line breaks do not.

2. From the Insert menu, select Text Objects » Unordered List or Ordered List
   OR
   In the Text Properties pane, click the appropriate button
   NOTE: These actions act like toggle switches—selecting or clicking once turns them on, selecting or clicking a second time turns them off.

Creating a List of Items: Text to be Typed

1. Set your insertion point where the list will begin (this must be on a blank line)

2. From the Insert menu, select Text Objects » Unordered List or Ordered List
   OR
   In the Text Properties pane, click the appropriate button

3. Type the first entry in the list

4. Press [Enter] 

5. Type the next entry

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the list is complete

7. Press [Enter] twice to create a blank line

Making Lists Accessible for the Vision-Impaired

For people with vision impairments, trying to get clear information from a list can be difficult. A screen reader is essential for the vision-impaired to receive information on a website. Numbered or bulleted lists not created correctly can be confusing and difficult to understand when read by the screen reader. There are some things you can do as a web developer to help ensure that your site can be used by all types of users.

Indicating the Number of List Items

Before making the list, indicate how many list items are going to appear. This will help the visually impaired know how many items there are going to be. Making sure you introduce your list with an explanation will help clarify the information and orient the impaired user.

Numbering the List Items

The best way to make lists clear is to number the items. When a number is placed before each list item, the screen reader will read that number first before going on to the actual item. The user will then know exactly what item he/she is listening to. 

Example:

1. Item one

2. Item two

3. Item three

Using Bullets

Bullets should rarely be used. When list items have bullets placed before them, the screen reader will ignore them and only incorporate a short pause between each list item. The user is able to distinguish the pause but may get confused between a pause used before list items and a pause used before sentences. If you must use bullets, try to use a lower case "o" in place of the bullet. The screen reader will then read them as the letter "o" and not a pause. This will help get rid of confusion. 

Example:

o Item one
o Item two
o Item three

You could also insert a blank line between each list item, or place a period at the end of each item.

Removing Bullets or Numbers

Sometimes, bullets or numbers are more distracting than simple lines of text would be. To remove a bullet or number, follow these instructions.

1. To remove bullets or numbers from a single item in the list, place the cursor within that item
   To remove bullets or numbers from an entire list, select the entire list

2. From the Insert menu, select Text Objects » Unordered List or Ordered List
   OR
   In the Text Properties pane, click the appropriate button
   NOTES:
   These actions act like toggle switches—selecting or clicking once turns them on, selecting or clicking a second time turns them off.
   If you remove a bullet or number from an item in the middle of a list, you will create two separate lists: one before and one after the item.

Using Sublists

Sublists show logical connections between the items of the sublist and the main list. The example below involves a numbered list; however, bulleted lists can have sublists as well. By placing Tutoring Needs and Job Placement Needs in a sublist below Student Needs, the author of the list shows these items to be especially applicable to students. See the following example:

Creating a Sublist: Text Already Typed

1. Select the list item(s) to be made into a sublist

2. In the Text Properties pane, click TEXT INDENT
   The sublist numbers or bullets will appear.
   NOTE: If you would like the sublist to have a different number style (e.g., a., b., c.), see Changing the List Item Style within Bulleted and Numbered List Options.

Creating a Sublist: Text to be Typed

These directions assume that you are typing a list and want to create a sublist.

1. If the cursor is not on a blank line, press [Enter]

2. In the Text Properties pane, click TEXT INDENT
   The sublist number or bullet will appear.
   NOTE: If you would like the sublist to have a different number style (e.g., a., b., c.), see Changing the List Item Style within Bulleted and Numbered List Options.

3. Type the next entry in the sublist

4. Press [Enter]

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the sublist is complete

6. Press [Enter]
   The cursor should be on a blank bulleted line.

7. To return to the main list, in the Text Properties pane, click TEXT OUTDENT

8. Continue typing the main list