Hierarchical Design Rules

  1. Define the hierarchical paths.
    1. Create a diagram of the hierarchy.
    2. Number the nodes top to bottom and left to right starting with the left most node.
      • Primary path is top to bottom.
      • Secondary path is left to right.
  2. Identify the base nodes.
    • Base node is a level without a parent.
    • Multiple hierarchical paths may indicate multiple base nodes.
    • Identify the hierarchical levels.
  3. Identify the levels.
    • Shipment = S
    • Order = O
    • Packs = P
    • Items = I
  4. Identify the relationships.
    • What are the parent/child relationships?
    • Is the parent/child relationship defined in the data?
    • Is the application dependent on the hierarchy?
      • May need to enforce hierarchy.
    • Is the mapping for the child dependent on the parent?
      • May need to enforce hierarchy.

If the hierarchy does not need to be enforced, then the HL loop could be mapped as a flat (not nested) loop. The ITX standard can be used as defined.

If the hierarchy needs to be enforced (application data definition contains nesting), then the HL loop may need to be customized to preserve the hierarchy and allow mapping to preserve the hierarchy.