<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><a href="http://blog.athico.com/2013/03/instant-drools-starter-pack-publishing.html">http://blog.athico.com/2013/03/instant-drools-starter-pack-publishing.html</a><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="http://www.packtpub.com/sites/default/files/5545OS_mockupcover_Instant-starter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 42, 119); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" height="320" width="259" style="border: none; position: relative; " id="c836e538-6ab0-47b6-8416-ca15f8ad56bd" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:F3EAF03A-ECE3-4740-8611-516A72AE5485@42sls"></a></div><pre style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); word-wrap: break-word; position: static; z-index: auto; "><span style="white-space: pre-wrap; ">We all start somewhere. My start with Drools came 5 years ago when I was tasked with maintaining some legacy rules and assisting with a new ground-up effort using the latest and greatest Drools release at the time. I dug through documentation, ordered every book I could find on the subject, and pestered Mark, Edson and others in the community willing to help way more than they probably cared for, but in the end, the community helped start me out with what I'd soon find to be my new obsession. Now, I feel like it's time for me to give something back.
If you're an architect, manager, or developer looking to evaluate or get started with Drools, you may find my new book, Drools Starter, to be a great way to get up and running quickly. I've done my best to compile all the basics needed to get a feel for working with the core engine into a brief, easy-to-digest guide. Here's some of what's covered inside:</span>
<ul style="padding: 0px 2.5em; margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; text-align: left; ">
<li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Evaluate rules engines as a fit for your needs </li><li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Installing Drools and development tools</li><li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Authoring rule sets using the Drools Rule Language</li><li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Feeding information to your rules engine and evaluating rules</li><li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Understanding DRL syntax, operators, and functionality</li><li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Testing rules as a whole, individually, and for stability</li><li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Debugging the rule evaluation process visually and via logging</li><li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">What modules make up the Drools system and the capabilities of each</li><li style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Where to turn for more information and help</li></ul>
<span style="text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The book is currently available for pre-order (at a 20% discount!) over at Pack Publishing:</span>
<span style="text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.packtpub.com/getting-started-with-drools/book" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 42, 119); ">http://www.packtpub.com/getting-started-with-drools/book</a></span>
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap; ">
</span><pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word; ">I owe a large thanks to the community in helping me on my way through the last several years, especially to those in IRC and the mailing list who've aided with numerous predicaments and design choices along the way. Particular thanks to Mark, Edson and the rest of the development team for continued work on a great product and a great community, but especially to the two of you for spending too many hours in conversation online and at conferences helping myself and others like me find their way.</pre></pre></div></body></html>