EPLAN P8 Page Structure Guide

A comprehensive reference guide to the standard page structure of an EPLAN Electric P8 project, including page structure types, purposes, examples, and applicable standards.

Posted Mar 10, 2024 Updated Apr 22, 2026

EPLAN Page Structure Guide

8 min read

I can see this is an EPLAN P8 Page Structure dialog. Let me break down what you’re looking at:

What This Is

This dialog defines the naming and identification scheme for electrical schematic pages in EPLAN. It’s essentially a template that dictates how pages are organized and labeled in your project documentation.

The Structure Components Explained

Component	Symbol	Purpose	Status
Functional assignment	`==`	Groups related circuits/functions together	Not available
Function designation	`=`	Names individual circuit functions	Identifying
Installation site	`++`	Specifies physical location of equipment	Not available
Location designation	`+`	Identifies the cabinet/panel location	Identifying
Document type	`&`	Categorizes page type (schematic, layout, etc.)	Identifying
User-defined structure	`#`	Custom fields for project-specific data	Not available
Higher-level function number	—	References parent function hierarchy	Not available

Key Distinctions

“Identifying” vs “Not available”:

Identifying = This field is ACTIVE and used to uniquely identify the page
Not available = This field is disabled in your current scheme

When to Use JSON Format

EPLAN doesn’t natively use JSON for page structure configuration, BUT JSON would be useful when:

Exporting/importing page structure data between projects
Automating page creation via API or scripts
Version control of electrical projects
Data analysis of your project hierarchy

Example JSON representation:

  
{
  "pageStructure": {
    "scheme": "Function designation, location designation and document type",
    "identifyingFields": [
      {"name": "Function designation", "symbol": "="},
      {"name": "Location designation", "symbol": "+"},
      {"name": "Document type", "symbol": "&"}
    ],
    "nonIdentifyingFields": [
      {"name": "Functional assignment", "symbol": "=="},
      {"name": "Installation site", "symbol": "++"}
    ]
  }
}

When to Modify This

You’d adjust this structure when you need to:

Change how pages are categorized (add installation sites)
Modify identification logic
Accommodate new functional groups
Standardize across multiple projects

Is there a specific aspect of the page structure scheme you need help configuring or analyzing?

Overview

The Page Structure dialog in EPLAN P8 defines the naming and identification scheme for electrical schematic pages. It creates a hierarchical template that dictates how pages are organized, labeled, and referenced throughout your electrical project documentation.

Page Structure Components

1. Functional Assignment (`==`)

Purpose: Groups related electrical circuits or functions together at a high level

Status: Not available (disabled)

Example:

POWER DISTRIBUTION
MOTOR CONTROL
SAFETY SYSTEMS

Use Case: When you want to organize pages by major system categories

2. Function Designation (`=`)

Purpose: Names individual circuit functions or subsystems

Status: Identifying (active)

Example:

PUMP_01 (pump circuit)
HEATER_CTRL (heater control)
EMERGENCY_STOP (E-stop circuit)

Use Case: Each unique function gets its own designation for clear identification

3. Installation Site (`++`)

Purpose: Specifies the physical location where equipment is installed

Status: Not available (disabled)

Example:

WAREHOUSE_A
PRODUCTION_LINE_2
EXTERNAL_SUBSTATION

Use Case: When the same circuit design is replicated across multiple physical locations

4. Location Designation (`+`)

Purpose: Identifies the specific cabinet, panel, or enclosure where electrical components reside

Status: Identifying (active)

Example:

MCC_01 (Motor Control Center 1)
PANEL_A (Control Panel A)
BREAKER_BOX_MAIN (Main breaker box)

Use Case: Essential for linking documentation to physical equipment locations

5. Document Type (`&`)

Purpose: Categorizes the type of electrical page/document

Status: Identifying (active)

Example:

SCH (Schematic)
WIRING (Wiring diagram)
LAYOUT (Component layout)
DETAIL (Detail sheet)

Use Case: Distinguishes between different documentation types for the same system

6. User-Defined Structure (`#`)

Purpose: Custom fields for project-specific organizational needs

Status: Not available (disabled)

Example:

REV_A (Revision)
VENDOR_SIEMENS (Vendor identification)
COST_CENTER_123 (Accounting reference)

Use Case: Flexible custom metadata when standard fields don’t fit

7. Higher-Level Function Number

Purpose: References parent functions in a hierarchical structure

Status: Not available (disabled)

Example:

Links PUMP_01_MOTOR_CTRL back to parent PUMP_01

Use Case: Creating multi-level functional hierarchies

Status Meanings

Status	Definition	Impact
Identifying	Field is active and used to uniquely identify pages	Page names must include this field
Not available	Field is disabled in the current scheme	Field won’t be used for page identification

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Industrial Control System

Current Scheme: Function designation, Location designation, Document type

Page Names Generated:

PUMP_01 + MCC_01 & SCH
PUMP_01 + MCC_01 & WIRING
MOTOR_CTRL + PANEL_A & SCH
MOTOR_CTRL + PANEL_A & DETAIL
HEATER_CTRL + PANEL_B & SCH

Breakdown:

PUMP_01 = function (identifying)
MCC_01 = location/cabinet (identifying)
SCH = schematic document type (identifying)
+ and & = connectors showing structure

Example 2: Manufacturing Plant with Multiple Sites

Enhanced Scheme (if enabled):

WAREHOUSE_A ++ PUMP_01 + MCC_01 & SCH
WAREHOUSE_B ++ PUMP_01 + MCC_01 & SCH
WAREHOUSE_A ++ HEATER + PANEL_A & WIRING

Breakdown:

WAREHOUSE_A = installation site (physical location)
PUMP_01 = function
MCC_01 = cabinet
SCH = document type

Example 3: Safety System Documentation

EMERGENCY_STOP + SAFETY_RELAY & SCH
EMERGENCY_STOP + SAFETY_RELAY & DETAIL
EMERGENCY_STOP + CONTROL_PANEL & WIRING

Benefit: All E-stop pages are grouped together and easily searchable by function

JSON Format Export

When exporting or automating EPLAN projects, the page structure can be represented as JSON:

Basic Structure

  
{
  "pageStructure": {
    "scheme": "Function designation, location designation and document type",
    "description": "Function designation, location designation and document type identifying",
    "identifyingFields": [
      {
        "name": "Function designation",
        "symbol": "=",
        "status": "Identifying"
      },
      {
        "name": "Location designation",
        "symbol": "+",
        "status": "Identifying"
      },
      {
        "name": "Document type",
        "symbol": "&",
        "status": "Identifying"
      }
    ],
    "nonIdentifyingFields": [
      {
        "name": "Functional assignment",
        "symbol": "==",
        "status": "Not available"
      },
      {
        "name": "Installation site",
        "symbol": "++",
        "status": "Not available"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Page Instance Example

  
{
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageId": "PUMP_01+MCC_01&SCH",
      "functionDesignation": "PUMP_01",
      "locationDesignation": "MCC_01",
      "documentType": "SCH",
      "description": "Pump 01 schematic in Motor Control Center 01"
    },
    {
      "pageId": "MOTOR_CTRL+PANEL_A&WIRING",
      "functionDesignation": "MOTOR_CTRL",
      "locationDesignation": "PANEL_A",
      "documentType": "WIRING",
      "description": "Motor control wiring diagram in Panel A"
    }
  ]
}

When to Modify Page Structure

Modify When:

✅ Adding new physical locations to your facility
✅ Implementing new equipment categories
✅ Need to track additional metadata (revisions, vendors, cost centers)
✅ Expanding from single-site to multi-site operations
✅ Standardizing naming across multiple EPLAN projects

Don’t Modify When:

❌ Project is already in production documentation phase
❌ Changing structure would break existing page references
❌ Team hasn’t agreed on new standards

Best Practices

1. Naming Conventions

FUNCTION:     Use descriptive, uppercase names
              ✓ PUMP_01, MOTOR_CTRL, HEATER_BLOCK_1
              ✗ P, M, HB (too vague)

LOCATION:     Use cabinet/panel identifiers
              ✓ MCC_01, PANEL_CTRL, BREAKER_MAIN
              ✗ ROOM_A, FLOOR_2 (too vague)

DOCUMENT:     Use standardized abbreviations
              ✓ SCH, WIRING, LAYOUT, DETAIL
              ✗ DIAG, DRAWING, DOC (inconsistent)

2. Consistency

Establish and document your naming standard before starting
Use the same delimiters throughout (+, =, &)
Avoid special characters that complicate searching

3. Scalability

Design structure to accommodate future expansion
Consider multi-site/multi-panel scenarios early
Leave room for additional functions

4. Documentation

Example Project Structure:
├── Function Designations (PUMP_xx, MOTOR_xx, CTRL_xx)
├── Locations (MCC_01-03, PANEL_A-C, BREAKER_MAIN)
└── Document Types (SCH, WIRING, LAYOUT, DETAIL)

Troubleshooting

Issue: Can’t find pages by location

Solution: Ensure Location designation is marked as “Identifying”

Issue: Pages with same function appear scattered

Solution: Add Installation site to identifying fields if managing multiple locations

Issue: Naming becomes inconsistent

Solution: Create and enforce a naming standard document in your team

Issue: Schema is too complex

Solution: Simplify to only truly identifying fields; use comments for metadata

Integration with Automation

Python Example: Parse EPLAN Page Structure

  
import json

# Load page structure from JSON export
with open('page_structure.json', 'r') as f:
    structure = json.load(f)

# Extract identifying fields
identifying = [field for field in structure['pageStructure']['identifyingFields']]

# Generate page ID from components
def generate_page_id(function, location, doctype):
    return f"{function}+{location}&{doctype}"

# Example
page_id = generate_page_id("PUMP_01", "MCC_01", "SCH")
print(page_id)  # Output: PUMP_01+MCC_01&SCH

Excel Template for Page Planning

Summary

The Page Structure in EPLAN P8 is a powerful organization tool that:

Identifies pages uniquely using consistent naming schemes
Organizes electrical documentation hierarchically
Scales across single and multi-site projects
Integrates with automation and data management workflows

Use identifying fields strategically to balance organization with simplicity, and document your choices for team consistency.

References

EPLAN P8 Documentation: Page Structure Configuration
IEEE 1346: Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems
IEC 61346-1: Industrial systems, machines and devices - Structuring principles and reference designations

EPLAN, Page Structure, Reference

This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.

EPLAN P8 Page Structure Guide

What This Is

The Structure Components Explained

Key Distinctions

When to Use JSON Format

When to Modify This

Overview

Page Structure Components

1. Functional Assignment (==)

2. Function Designation (=)

3. Installation Site (++)

4. Location Designation (+)

5. Document Type (&)

6. User-Defined Structure (#)

7. Higher-Level Function Number

Status Meanings

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Industrial Control System

Example 2: Manufacturing Plant with Multiple Sites

Example 3: Safety System Documentation

JSON Format Export

Basic Structure

Page Instance Example

When to Modify Page Structure

Modify When:

Don’t Modify When:

Best Practices

1. Naming Conventions

2. Consistency

3. Scalability

4. Documentation

Troubleshooting

Issue: Can’t find pages by location

Issue: Pages with same function appear scattered

Issue: Naming becomes inconsistent

Issue: Schema is too complex

Integration with Automation

Python Example: Parse EPLAN Page Structure

Excel Template for Page Planning

Summary

References

Trending Tags

1. Functional Assignment (`==`)

2. Function Designation (`=`)

3. Installation Site (`++`)

4. Location Designation (`+`)

5. Document Type (`&`)

6. User-Defined Structure (`#`)