# How to reference a parent container

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-reference-a-parent-container/12466>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [December 14, 2016, 10:16am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-reference-a-parent-container/12466 "2016-12-14T10:16:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![conlonj25](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@conlonj25](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/conlonj25)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 10:16am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-reference-a-parent-container/12466/1 "2016-12-14T10:16:08Z")

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I think this Ignition tip sums up what I’m trying to do: Indirectly bind a component to a tag based on it’s container’s item number. But, rather than give an absolute reference like this

```auto
Root Container.pump_status.Pump1.PumpNumber
```

I want to give a relative reference like this

```auto
Parent Container.PumpNumber
```

Is this possible?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-reference-a-parent-container/12466/2 "2016-12-14T14:10:02Z")

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Not really. But the designer’s copy and paste functions will adjust parent-child bindings when pasting entire containers inside another. That has been all I’ve ever needed.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![conlonj25](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@conlonj25](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/conlonj25)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-reference-a-parent-container/12466/3 "2016-12-15T12:48:32Z")

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Ok then. I didn’t realise that copy/paste took care of that. If it’s good enough for you, then I don’t think I’ll have any problems with it.

Thanks for the help Phil!