🧭 Navigation & Relationships

How records connect to each other

The Hierarchy Pattern

Some records contain other records. This creates a natural parent → child → grandchild structure:

PARENT
  ├─ Child A
  │   ├─ Grandchild A1
  │   └─ Grandchild A2
  ├─ Child B
  │   └─ Grandchild B1
  └─ Child C

Real-world example: - Parent: A company - Children: Employees in that company - Grandchildren: Tasks assigned to each employee

How It Works on Screen

1. Select a Parent Record

First, you see a list of parent records:

┌────┬─────────────┬──────────┐
│ ID │ Parent Name │ Info     │
├────┼─────────────┼──────────┤
│ 1  │ Parent A    │ Details  │  ← Click the row
│ 2  │ Parent B    │ Details  │
│ 3  │ Parent C    │ Details  │
└────┴─────────────┴──────────┘

Click anywhere on a parent's row — it highlights to show it's selected.

2. Child Records Appear Below — in Tabs

When you click a parent row, its related records load below it automatically, organised into tabs — one tab for each related table:

PARENT TABLE
┌────┬──────────┬──────────┐
│ 1  │ Parent A │ Details  │  ← selected (highlighted)
└────┴──────────┴──────────┘

┌─[ Children ]─[ History ]─[ Notes ]──────┐  ← one tab per related table
│ [☰ ▼]  Children          Records: 3    │  ← child tab has its own
│ ┌────┬──────────┬──────────┐           │     Actions menu
│ │ ID │ Child    │ Info     │           │
│ ├────┼──────────┼──────────┤           │
│ │ 1  │ Child 1  │ Data     │           │  ← these belong to Parent A
│ │ 2  │ Child 2  │ Data     │           │
│ │ 3  │ Child 3  │ Data     │           │
│ └────┴──────────┴──────────┘           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Now you see: - The parent table at the top, with your selection highlighted - Its related records below, in tabs — click a tab to switch between related tables

3. Click a Child to See Grandchildren

Click a row inside a child tab — its own related records load below it, another level down:

PARENT A (selected)

┌─[ Children ]─[ History ]────────────────┐
│ │ Child 2 │  ← selected (highlighted)  │
│                                         │
│   ┌─[ Grandchildren ]───────────────┐   │
│   │ [☰ ▼]  Grandchildren           │   │
│   │ │ GrandC 1 │                    │   │  ← these belong to Child 2
│   │ │ GrandC 2 │                    │   │
│   └─────────────────────────────────┘   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 1: See All Parents
┌─────────────────┐
│ Parent A        │  ← Click
│ Parent B        │
│ Parent C        │
└─────────────────┘
        │
        ↓
Step 2: See Children of Selected Parent
┌─────────────────┐
│ PARENT A        │  (selected, shown at top)
├─────────────────┤
│ Child A1        │  ← Click
│ Child A2        │
│ Child A3        │
└─────────────────┘
        │
        ↓
Step 3: See Grandchildren of Selected Child
┌─────────────────┐
│ PARENT A        │  (still shown)
├─────────────────┤
│ CHILD A2        │  (selected)
├─────────────────┤
│ Grandchild A2-1 │
│ Grandchild A2-2 │
│ Grandchild A2-3 │
└─────────────────┘

Going Back Up the Hierarchy

Click a Different Parent

To see different children, just click a different parent:

Current:
PARENT A ← selected
  Child A1
  Child A2

Click PARENT B:
PARENT B ← now selected (children change)
  Child B1
  Child B2
  Child B3

The children list automatically updates.

Reset to Parents Only

To go back to seeing just the parent list with nothing expanded, click the table's entry in the left menu again — it reloads the list fresh.

Adding Records at Different Levels

Every table — parent, child tab, or grandchild tab — has its own ☰ Actions menu. Where you click Create New decides what you create and what it connects to.

Add a Child Record

Select the parent row, then use the ☰ Actions → Create New inside the child tab:

PARENT A (selected)
┌─[ Children ]────────────────┐
│ [☰ ▼] ← Actions menu of the │
│         child tab            │
└─────────────────────────────┘

The new child will be automatically connected to Parent A — the link field is pre-filled for you.

Add a Parent Record

Use the ☰ Actions → Create New on the main (top) table. This creates a new top-level parent.

Add a Grandchild Record

Select the parent, select the child inside its tab, then use ☰ Actions → Create New inside the grandchild tab. The new record is automatically connected to the selected child.

Understanding Relationships

What's a Relationship?

A relationship is a connection between two records.

Example relationships: - A company has employees (one parent, many children) - An employee works in a department (many employees, one department) - A task is assigned to an employee (one task, one employee)

How They Show in the App

Parent → Many Children

Parent 1
  ├─ Child 1
  ├─ Child 2
  └─ Child 3

Parent 2
  ├─ Child 4
  ├─ Child 5
  └─ Child 6

When you click Parent 1, you see Children 1, 2, and 3. When you click Parent 2, you see Children 4, 5, and 6.

Why This Matters

Understanding relationships helps you: - Find related records — If you need all items related to something, look at its children - Organize information — Child records automatically belong to their parent - Add new records correctly — When adding a child, it automatically connects to the parent - Delete safely — Know what else depends on a record before deleting

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: "Show me all X for Y"

Y = Parent (select it)
X = Children (automatically appear below)

Click the parent to see all its children.

Scenario 2: "I need to add a new Z to Y"

Y = Parent (click its row to select it first)
Z = Child (☰ Actions → Create New, inside the child tab)

The new Z will be connected to Y automatically.

Scenario 3: "Delete Y and everything under it"

Important: Be careful! Deleting a parent might delete or orphan its children.

When you delete a record, check if there are dependent records. Ask your administrator if unsure.

Tips for Working with Hierarchies

✅ Always select the parent first — Then children will show

✅ Don't assume relationships — Check the interface to see what's connected

✅ Re-open from the menu to reset — Clicking the table in the left menu reloads it fresh

✅ Add records at the right level — Use the Create New in the child tab's own Actions menu, not the parent's

✅ Think before deleting — Understand what depends on what before removing records

Next Steps

Now you understand: - How records are organized hierarchically - How to navigate between parent/child/grandchild levels - How to add records at different levels

Learn more about core concepts that power this application, starting with the DSL System.

Need help? Remember: the hierarchy is automatic. You just click on records, and related records appear below them.