Understanding Validation Rules
This article explains what Validation Rules are so that you can understand why certain relationships are unavailable or limited when building your structures in StructureGram.
What Are Validation Rules?
Validation Rules are built-in rules in StructureGram that ensure the relationships you create make sense — both logically and in terms of compliance.
When you create a relationship between two entities, StructureGram automatically limits the Relationship Types available based on what's valid for those entities. This means you can't accidentally create a relationship that doesn't make sense or that would breach a compliance requirement.
For example:
- An individual cannot be a shareholder of another individual — so that relationship type simply won't appear as an option.
- An SMSF cannot have more than six members — so once that limit is reached, StructureGram prevents you from adding more.
How You'll Experience Them
Validation Rules work quietly in the background most of the time — you'll notice them as a limited list of relationship types rather than an error message. However, there are situations where StructureGram is more explicit:
- When drawing relationships on a diagram, if a relationship type that would normally be available isn't an option, StructureGram explains why in the Inspector panel. For example: "Trustee Of — This SMSF already has its sole corporate trustee."
- On certain entity pages, if a limit has been reached (like the six-member SMSF rule), the entity's page displays a message letting you know.
In both cases, the goal is the same — to help you build structures that are accurate and valid.
What They Cover
Validation Rules apply to all entities in StructureGram. At a minimum, the rules govern which relationship types make sense between any two entities. StructureGram is also expanding the number of compliance rules over time — like member limits for SMSFs — to reflect the real-world constraints that apply to Australian entity types.
Keeping Up to Date
Validation Rules are updated automatically when legislation changes. You don't need to do anything — StructureGram keeps the rules current for you.