jQuery sortable and nested lists

Question

I have a large list that I am trying to get so its sortable.

I would like the parent items

.cat-title

to be sortable between each other and this will move the children along with them. but then I would like the

.cat-title

's children to be sortable between each

.cat-title

.

Its like categories and sub items but jQuery sortable just is not doing what I had expected it to do

jsFiddle

HTML

<ul id="user-stream-list" class="user-stream-list">

    <li class="feed ui-sortable"><span class="cat-title" data-title="5">Apple</span>

        <ul>

            <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="11" href="http://appleinsider.com/appleinsider.rss"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=appleinsider.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">AppleInsider</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="11" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

            <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="29" href="http://9to5mac.com/feed/"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=9to5mac.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">9to5Mac</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="29" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

        </ul>

    </li>

    <li class="feed ui-sortable"><span class="cat-title" data-title="15">Gadgets</span>

        <ul>

            <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="2" href="http://www.engadget.com/rss.xml"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=www.engadget.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">Engadget</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="2" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

            <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="59" href="http://feeds.gawker.com/gizmodo/vip"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.gawker.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">Gizmodo</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="59" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

        </ul>

    </li>

    <li class="feed ui-sortable"><span class="cat-title" data-title="9">Tech Crunch</span>

        <ul>

            <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="60" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TechCrunch/gaming"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.feedburner.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">TechCrunch » Gaming</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="60" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

            <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="61" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/crunchgear"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.feedburner.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">TechCrunch » Gadgets</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="61" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

            <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="62" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Mobilecrunch"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.feedburner.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">TechCrunch » Mobile</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="62" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

            <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="43" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Techcrunch"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.feedburner.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">TechCrunch</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="43" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

        </ul>

    </li>

    <li class="feed ui-sortable"><span class="cat-title" data-title="9">Uncategorized</span>

        <ul>

            <li class="feed"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="8" href="http://feeds.gawker.com/lifehacker/full"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=lifehacker.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">Lifehacker</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="8" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

            <li class="feed"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="13" href="http://www.theverge.com/rss/index.xml"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=www.theverge.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">The Verge</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="13" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>

        </ul>

    </li>

</ul>

jQuery

$(function() {

    $( "#user-stream-list > .feed" ).sortable();

});

Answer 1

Your selector is only trying to sort the all of the li's. Sortable needs to be called on each individual list (specifically the ul tag). This is what determines the boundaries of where things can be dragged. So give each list an id then just make them all sortable. (Look below)

<ul id="user-stream-list" class="user-stream-list">
<li class="feed ui-sortable "><span class="cat-title" data-title="5">Apple</span>
    <ul id="appleSub">
        <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="11" href="http://appleinsider.com/appleinsider.rss"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=appleinsider.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">AppleInsider</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="11" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
        <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="29" href="http://9to5mac.com/feed/"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=9to5mac.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">9to5Mac</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="29" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
    </ul>
</li>
<li class="feed ui-sortable"><span class="cat-title" data-title="15">Gadgets</span>
    <ul id="gadgetSub">
        <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="2" href="http://www.engadget.com/rss.xml"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=www.engadget.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">Engadget</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="2" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
        <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="59" href="http://feeds.gawker.com/gizmodo/vip"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.gawker.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">Gizmodo</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="59" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
    </ul>
</li>
<li class="feed ui-sortable"><span class="cat-title" data-title="9">Tech Crunch</span>
    <ul id="techSub">
        <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="60" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TechCrunch/gaming"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.feedburner.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">TechCrunch » Gaming</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="60" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
        <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="61" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/crunchgear"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.feedburner.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">TechCrunch » Gadgets</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="61" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
        <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="62" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Mobilecrunch"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.feedburner.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">TechCrunch » Mobile</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="62" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
        <li class="feed sub"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="43" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Techcrunch"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=feeds.feedburner.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">TechCrunch</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="43" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
    </ul>
</li>
<li class="feed ui-sortable"><span class="cat-title" data-title="9">Uncategorized</span>
    <ul id="uncatSub">
        <li class="feed"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="8" href="http://feeds.gawker.com/lifehacker/full"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=lifehacker.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">Lifehacker</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="8" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
        <li class="feed"><a data-uid="15" data-fid="13" href="http://www.theverge.com/rss/index.xml"><img src="https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=www.theverge.com" class="favicon"><span class="title">The Verge</span><span class="options"><span data-fid="13" class="addcat">+</span><span class="delete">×</span></span></a></li>
    </ul>
</li>

jQuery

$(function() {
    $( "#user-stream-list" ).sortable();
});
$(function() {
    $( "#appleSub" ).sortable();
});
$(function() {
    $( "#techSub" ).sortable();
});
$(function() {
    $( "#gadgetSub" ).sortable();
});
$(function() {
    $( "#uncatSub" ).sortable();
});

fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/u46NZ/2/

jQuery sortable and nested lists

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