# Relative expressions, beyond starting from "Root Container"

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/relative-expressions-beyond-starting-from-root-container/3755>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [December 15, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/relative-expressions-beyond-starting-from-root-container/3755 "2011-12-15T14:17:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cgz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8dc957/32.png) [@cgz](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cgz)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/relative-expressions-beyond-starting-from-root-container/3755/1 "2011-12-15T14:17:58Z")

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It seems a lot so, that I can’t refer components in expressions in  
relation to themselves, but always must come from the window root.

Is this correct?

Example use for a relative referring would be when I’ve got  
a group of similar objects whose logic repeats. I wouldn’t  
have to hard-wire each separately.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e95f7d/32.png) [@Robert](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Robert)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/relative-expressions-beyond-starting-from-root-container/3755/2 "2011-12-15T16:43:20Z")

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When you create the components you are correct, the property path must be complete. After that they automagicaly modify themselves as you move/rename the components in the path so you don’t have to maintain them. It works very well. (unless you’re like me and keep pushing the [boundries](http://www.inductiveautomation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=7234))