Building Rules
Create Rule
When a language rule is created, the Business Language Editor is displayed with a placeholder that says, "Create Rule". Tab to or click on the Create Rule link to choose the rule construct or action to begin authoring.
Build Condition
After selecting a conditional template (If...Then..., Select case...), create the condition by selecting the [build condition] link. The menu with all available functions and schema items will appear. Type or select the schema item or function you wish to use first. When the expression is not a complete Boolean condition or a function template has empty placeholders, blue links will appear.
Select the blue links to build out a complete expression.
Add Action
Language rules allow for the nesting of multiple rules and actions. Enter resulting actions or rules using the [add action] link. When one action is created, a new add action link is shown so that multiple actions or rules can be entered.
Placeholders and Special Tokens
Placeholders and special characters are incorporated into the Business Language Editor to guide the rule author with context-aware prompts.
Open Placeholder
The ellipses (...) placeholder indicates that another template selection is required to fully complete the expression.
Named Placeholder
The [value] placeholder indicates that a literal value, field, or another template is required to complete the expression.
Chevron Extender
The >> token indicates that a condition template can be extended by and'ing or or'ing another condition.
Caret Extender
The caret extender (^)is used to append logic to the previous field or value or the entire template. The initial context of the caret extender is set to the previous field; pressing the right arrow key → on a keyboard will select the context of the entire template.The template menu will appear according to the selected context.
In the below GIF, when the cursor is on a caret ^, pressing the right arrow key → selects additional context. Pressing the right arrow again will move the cursor farther in the line of text until it reaches the last caret, at which time pressing → will select the entire context.
Selecting Context
Unlike a mathematical expression, a sentence can sometimes mean several things depending on how it is interpreted. Because of this, it may be necessary to select the context over which a function should be applied. To do this, use the Ctrl+Up arrow to select a larger context or Ctrl+Down arrow to select less of the expression. Then make selections from the function menu, using the topics and functions listed under the header within the selected context.
Type-Ahead Menu Selection
InRule®’s Business Language Editor includes the ability to type ahead to select from the menus. Typing in text will display the menu and narrow down the options to those that contain the text that was entered. The most likely choice is highlighted and hitting the tab or enter key will select the highlighted item and move the cursor to the next empty placeholder. This functionality allows an author to enter rules rapidly using the keyboard rather than relying solely on point-and-click entry.
Using Literal Values
When a literal value is needed in a rule expression or action, select the value placeholder and type in the constant. The editor identifies the data type and displays it as the data is being typed.
To enter a numeric value as text, use double quotes around the number.
To enter a numeric value as text, use double quotes around the number.
Function Templates
Functions are managed in business language authoring as templates with placeholders for the function parameters. Some functions are topic-first templates, which become available after a data field is initially selected or a value is entered. Functions are also filtered based on the data type of a topic and the available data in the schema. For example, math functions will not be available when a text topic has been entered and collection functions are available only if a collection is defined in the schema. Other functions must be selected first and the objects they operate over appear as a placeholder.
This help file contains a Business Language Template Reference for all language authoring functions and templates listed by category. Function Categories are used to group like functions for ease of navigation, such as Math, DateTime, and Text. When selecting items from the authoring menu, the categories are labeled in bold with the individual functions listed underneath.
Navigation and Shortcuts
See the article, Navigation and Shortcuts in the Language Rule Editor, for navigation and shortcuts you can use in the Language Rule editor.
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