Split and Merge Nodes

When records are linked to leaf nodes, adding a child node to the leaf node or deleting a leaf node can result into losing record linkages. As a result, you cannot directly modify the leaf nodes from the hierarchy editor. Use the split and merge node operations to reorganize the record linkages.

Consider a scenario where your business is booming and requires changes to the hierarchy. You have already created a hierarchy and linked records to the hierarchy. Now, you want to create more granular hierarchy. You want to split existing leaf nodes into multiple granular nodes. In this case, the existing nodes do not remain leaf node and the earlier record linking is lost and you need to redo these operations after the hierarchy changes are complete. To avoid these cumbersome tasks, you can use the advanced split and merge node operations.

From the Link Records page (View mode), you can perform the split and merge operations. The Split Nodes and Merge Nodes wizards guide you to split and merge the existing nodes into more granular categorizations while retaining the record links.

Hierarchy Example: 
Products/Electronics/TV,
Products/Electronics/TV/LCD,
Products/Electronics/TV/LED,
Products/Electronics/TV/PLASMA
  • Split Nodes
    You can perform the following types of split operations:
    • In-place Split: Delete the existing node and create a couple of new nodes. In the hierarchy example mentioned before, you can split the TV node and create more nodes. The TV node itself is replaced by multiple nodes, that is, the TV node is deleted and multiple nodes are created.
    • Roll-down Split: Create child nodes to the node being split. The TV node can have child nodes as LCD, LED, and PLASMA.

    When you split nodes, you can move record linkages to the new nodes. For example, you have 190 records linked the TV node, after splitting the TV node, you can move 20 links to LCD, 80 links to LED, and 90 links to PLASMA.

  • Merge Nodes
    You can perform the following types of merge operations:
    • In-place Merge: Delete existing leaf nodes and keep only one node at the same level under the TV node .
    • Roll-up Merge: Delete existing nodes and keep only the parent TV node. In this case, the TV nodes become the leaf node.

    When you merge nodes, you can move record linkages to the TV node.

    Note: The split and merge node operations include changing the structure of the hierarchy, the split and merge operations use the Hierarchy Edit Approval rule rather than Hierarchy Link Approval.