Sub groups documentation

Write docs for https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/2772.

added subgroups label

mentioned in merge request !9061 (closed)

added docs-priority and removed docs-todo labels

@axil is working on it

assigned to @axil

@dzaporozhets are we calling this feature subgroups or nested groups? Is there a preference? The UI says subgoups but #2772 (closed) talks all about nested groups. Maybe we should talk with marketing also.

@dzaporozhets shouldn't the Path in the following screenshot be the full group path?

shouldn't the Path in the following screenshot be the full group path?

@axil no its fine. We do same for projects page.

are we calling this feature subgroups or nested groups? Is there a preference? The UI says subgoups but #2772 (closed) talks all about nested groups. Maybe we should talk with marketing also.

@axil good question. I believe feature should be named "nested groups". However UI says subgroups as groups that are right inside this group. Not sure if right name but we cant come up with better one. Good idea to talk to marketing

Edit: I put message into marketing channel - lets see if someone thinks a change needed

Subgroups implies only a single level down, whereas nested implies multiple levels of nesting. At least for me.

Otherwise, I want to say sub-sub-groups, and that gets awkward. But, sub-groups is also probably a more approachable term, and would be the feature people are looking for. People don't usually ask for "nested" groups. They want sub-groups. So one speaks more to the user, the other speaks to the technical details. Let's side with the user. :)

@markpundsack thanks! That makes sense. I'll go with subgroups then.

@dzaporozhets @axil @markpundsack I heard people calling it "hierarchical groups" and think that is a good name.

It seems to be common in the industry:

1. https://docs.bmc.com/docs/display/public/ac91/Hierarchical+groups
2. https://library.netapp.com/ecmdocs/ECMP1608423/html/GUID-FFEA9293-EA33-455A-8F97-D870478FA596.html
3. https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E16754_01/doc.75/e16695/are_heir_groups.htm#BRMAR198

@sytses I agree with your suggestion. It aligns with the idea that most companies have hierarchal organizations and that until now they have not had a solution that can reflect their org structure.

@dzaporozhets the maximum is 20 with or without the first group?

Also, every group can have its own visibility level, right? So it could be like:

group0 (private)
└── subgroup01 (public)
    └── subgroup02 (private)
        └── subgroup03 (internal)

@dzaporozhets I found two glitches that I believe need to be fixed in 9.0 in order to have proper docs:

• https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/29154
• https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/29155

Also, if I'm an Owner of a parent group, am I able to edit a member's group permissions for the nested groups as well?

mentioned in merge request !9783 (merged)

the maximum is 20 with or without the first group?

20 ancestors - so should be without

Also, every group can have its own visibility level, right?

@axil yes

added docs-review and removed docs-priority labels

Just want to point out that Hierarchical groups is much harder to say than subgroups or nested groups.

Are we using that as a global term for this feature but calling them subgroups within in the UI? I don't think hierarchical groups is as clear from a UI standpoint. If you're on a group page and see a tab for hierarchical groups, that doesn't imply that those groups are enclosed in the group you are on - like sub or nested do.

Yep, agreed. Nested groups is a nicer term, but as it is two words we opted for Subgroups in the UI. My thought is that we "officially" call them Subgroups since this is what we have in the UI and it will be confusing to use another term.

I used all 3 terms in the docs, in order to be able to be picked up by search.

mentioned in merge request gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com!4780 (merged)

Yeah, let's call the sub groups everywhere.

Also see google trends data for sub groups https://gitlab.slack.com/archives/product/p1489169185324281?thread_ts=1489137389.118254&cid=C0NFPSFA8

changed title from Nested groups documentation to Sub groups documentation

mentioned in issue #2772 (closed)

closed via merge request !9783 (merged)

mentioned in commit tnir/gitlab-ce@6619772f

mentioned in commit 352e38fc