postlevel

Postlevel is a term used in information systems to denote the depth or nesting level of a post within a hierarchical discussion thread or document tree. It is typically represented as a non-negative integer, with the root post having a postlevel of 0 and each successive reply increasing the level by one. In many applications, postlevel is stored as metadata on a post or derived from its position in the thread.

Postlevel is used to support rendering, navigation, and moderation in threaded conversations. By indicating how deeply a post is nested, systems can apply indentation, display rules, or collapsible sections that reflect the hierarchical structure. It can also influence permissions or visibility in some platforms, where certain actions are allowed only at specific levels or require traversing the level hierarchy.

Calculation and storage methods vary. In persistent storage, postlevel may be stored directly with each post record. In distributed or on-the-fly systems, it can be computed by walking from the post to the root of the thread and counting the number of edges, or by maintaining a path or parent reference that implies the level. Some implementations store only parent pointers and infer postlevel as needed, while others serialize explicit depth values for efficiency.

Edge cases include multiple root posts within a single discussion or threads that are merged or moved. Collapsible or expanded views can obscure actual postlevel, so consistent rendering relies on clear metadata. Postlevel is closely related to concepts such as depth in trees, indentation, and hierarchical data.

See also: depth, hierarchical data, thread, indentation, tree structure.