The following things determine how you can nest Boxes:
- In Box type configuration, you decide the possible parents of each Box type. Parent Box types determine how you can build the Box hierarchy (nest Boxes) and prevent users from making mistakes and mixing methodologies.
- Each Box type has Scope type settings (None, Own scope, Sub-scope).
- Sequentiality (Box type settings)
- Box period mode
Possible parent Box types
Parent Box types determine how you can build the Box hierarchy.
Scope type
Take a look at the matrix below to see how scope types affect Box nesting:
Sequentiality
Sequentiality settings affect same-level Boxes (can potentially prevent Box periods from overlapping).
Auto bottom-up and auto scope-based Boxes are never sequential - they can always overlap.
Only "manual" and "auto top-down" Boxes can be sequential - if set to 'sequential', same level sequential Boxes can't overlap.
Period mode
Box type period mode can affect if a new child Box can be created with a specified start/date.
Period of a new Box vs child Box period mode
Newly created Boxes don't have any children, so they can't be affected by them.
Period of a new Box vs parent Box period mode
- An "auto top-down" parent →
- limits the period of an "auto top-down" child Box
- child Boxes in "manual"/ "auto scope-based" period mode are not affected
- "auto bottom-up" child overrides an "auto top-down" parent
Effects of the parent Box period mode on a child Box period are outlined in the table below.
| Parent Box → | New Box (child) |
|---|---|
| auto bottom-up | unaffected (regardless of child period mode) |
| auto scope-based | unaffected (regardless of child period mode) |
| auto top-down | An "auto top-down" parent limits the period of an "auto top-down" child |
| manual | unaffected (regardless of child period mode) |