Physical Layouts and Logical Hierarchies
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    Physical Layouts and Logical Hierarchies

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    Article summary

    Article Overview

    The following article describes the Navigator section.

    Overview

    (See Figure 1)

    Each time a component is added to the canvas, a corresponding data item is automatically created in the navigator. Data items are used for conditions and validations. There are six types of data items:

    NOTE
    To learn more about conditions and validations, click here.
    • Object:
      • Page
      • Container
      • Array
    • String:
      • Text Area
      • Text Field
      • Date Input
      • Radio Group
      • Dropdown
    • Boolean - Checkbox
    • File - File Upload
    • Signature - Signature
    • Other:
      • Primary/Secondary Button
      • Text
      • Mirror
      • Grid

    The navigator displays a structured list of data items, organized based on the Webflow's physical layout and a logical hierarchy.

    Figure 1: Navigator Example

    Physical Layout

    When building a Webflow, the Page, the Container, and the Array are Object-type components that hold other components.

    • A Page can hold:
      • A Container
      • An Array
      • A Grid
      • All other components
    • A Container can hold:
      • An Array
      • A Grid
      • All other components
    • An Array can hold:
      • A Container
      • A Grid
      • All other components

    The exception is the Grid which is not an Object-type component but can also hold other components:

    • A Container
    • An Array
    • All other components

    Logical Hierarchy

    The following sections provide examples of logical hierarchies displayed in the navigator based on different physical layouts.

    Example 1

    Figure 2 displays the following physical layout:

    • The Page holds the Container
    • The Container contains a Grid
    • The Grid holds four Text Field components

    Figure 2: Physical Structure

    Figure 3 displays the logical hierarchy that will be displayed in the navigator according to the described physical layout:

    • The Page nests the Container
    • The Container nests the Grid
    • The Grid nests four Text Field components

    Figure 3: Logical Structure and Hierarchy

    Example 2

    Figure 4 displays a Page that holds the following components:

    • Static Text
    • Checkbox component
    • Signature

    Figure 4: Physical Structure 


    Figure 5 displays the navigator's logical hierarchy in which the Page nests all other components.

    Figure 5: Logical Structure and Hierarchy

    Example 3

    The Navigator of a Webflow with multiple pages will display logical hierarchies according to the number of pages (see Figure 6).

    Figure 6: Multiple Pages 

    Naming Convention 

    (See Figure 7 to Figure 9)

    When first adding components to the canvas, their corresponding data items appear in the navigator with a unique icon and a default name comprised of the component's name and a sequence number, for example: 

    Figure 7: Default Naming Convention

    You can edit a data item's name by changing a component's Label property in the Design tab.

    Figure 8: Editing Names From the Desing Tab

    Important! 
    Editing a data item's name directly from the navigator disconnects it from the Label property.

    The following components do not have a Label property so the names of their data items can only be edited directly from the navigator: 

    • Text
    • Container
    • Grid
    • Array

    Figure 9: Editing Names From the Navigator

    NOTE
    • When you edit a data item's name, its path also updates.
    • When a data item name is comprised of two words or more, the first word will be written in all lowercase letters while the next words will also be written in lowercase letters excluding the first letter of each word, for example, firstName or customerFirstName.

    Physical Structure, Hierarchy, and Conditions

    Building accurate physical layouts and logical hierarchies is very important when setting and implementing behavioral conditions for two main reasons:

    • Inheritance - when you apply a behavioral condition to an Object-type component (Page, Container, and Array), all nested components will automatically inherit that condition.
    • The path of nested components must be accurate when used with behavioral conditions.
    NOTE
    • Because a Grid is not an Object-type component it is not part of the logical hierarchy.
    • To learn more about behavioral conditions, click here.

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