Parent and child forms
ApplySG organises the forms of a scheme as a parent form and its child forms. The parent form is the first form type that an applicant submits. Child forms are later submissions that relate to it. This model supports common government workflows, in which an application is approved and then followed by claims, progress reports or changes.
The parent-child model
A workflow starts when someone creates a parent submission, such as an application. The parent submission moves through the workflow until it reaches a state that allows related child submissions. Examples of child submissions are progress reports, change requests and claims. Each child submission then moves through its own workflow to an end state.
The diagram shows one parent submission with several child submissions. When a child submission reaches the Approved state, it can update the parent’s data.
The request
The first submission in a scheme is called the request. A request can change over its lifetime through updates from child submissions. Applicants and officers can always see the latest data in one view, in the application.
Where children get their data from
A child form can use data from the parent in two ways.
| Mechanism | What it does |
|---|---|
| Reference fields | A field on the parent form that child forms can show and update. Only parent fields can be referenced. A child field cannot be referenced by another child form. |
| Aggregate fields | A field on the parent form that sums a numeric field across child submissions. |
Why a project can close
A parent submission can be closed when a project ends. Closing stops new child submissions from being created. A child submission already in progress can finish. To stop existing drafts from being submitted, move child forms in Draft to Cancelled when the parent is closed.
Related content
- How-To guides: Manage form types, Transit a submission automatically.
- Reference: Aggregate field component, Business Grants Portal template.
