Validation Rules for Variants

When working with variants, the following validation rules apply:

Object Validation Rules

• Variants can only be one level deep. Variants cannot be created from other variants - they must be created from a parent object.
• Variants created from the same parent object must use a unique combination of criteria values. You cannot create two variants with the same criteria values assigned.
• Variants cannot be in any direct relationship with other objects. For example, a variant object cannot be dragged into another object, such as a book object, or reused by embedding it in another topic.
• Publishing profiles cannot have variants.
• Template objects cannot have variants.
• Primary objects cannot be deleted if they have any variants. Either the variants must be deleted (if they are no longer needed) or the link between the variant and the parent must be removed. Once all links are removed the parent object can be deleted.
• Duplicating a parent object only duplicates the parent object. It does not duplicate any of the object's variants.
• All Variant Criteria must be resolved before publishing - if variant objects matching the criteria cannot be found then the parent object is used. If the selected criteria causes a conflict (this occurs when two or more variants could be used to replace a parent based on the selected criteria) Author-it resolves the conflict using the criteria priority (set in the Administrator when the variable is created).