[rules-users] Map errors and quirks

I have a large pool of errors I would like help with but I am breaking them up by topic since they are so different in nature. I have made fairly simple examples to start. Environment : Using drools 5.2.0.Final on Linux using the openjdk 6 JDK. First are some bugs in Map access when using a local variable or a object variable as key. This is a very simple case which gets more complicated in my next example in this email. The rule file will not compile despite appearing logically valid to me. /* simple example class */ package com.sample; import java.util.Date; import java.util.HashMap; import java.util.Map; public class Mailbox { static public final String TEST_EMAIL = &quot;me(a)test.com&quot;; public Map&lt;String, Date&gt; recentContacts = new HashMap&lt;String, Date&gt;(); public Mailbox() { owneremail = TEST_EMAIL; // create contact for self recentContacts.put(owneremail, new Date()); } public Map&lt;String, Date&gt; getRecentContacts() { return recentContacts; } } /* simple rule file */ // this rule is nonsensical but attempts hashmap access via many means to find out why // behavior was inconsistant. Each commented line will cause file to not compile when uncommented. // the uncommented lines are present to show what does work. package com.sample import java.util.Date; import java.util.Map; import com.sample.Mailbox; rule "check recentContacts hash mvel" dialect "mvel" when $m : Mailbox( // Each commented line will result in the file no longer compiling if uncommented $me : owneremail, recentContacts[Mailbox.TEST_EMAIL] != null, recentContacts[&quot;me(a)test.com&quot;] != null, // recentContacts[owneremail] != null, // HAS ERROR because it checks HashMap for owneremail recentContacts[$me] != null, $d1 : recentContacts[Mailbox.TEST_EMAIL], $d2 : recentContacts[&quot;me(a)test.com&quot;], // $d3 : recentContacts[$me], // HAS ERROR only when doing variable assignment recentContacts.get(owneremail) != null, recentContacts.get($me) != null, // $d4: recentContacts.get($me), // HAS ERROR only if doing variable assignment $d5 : getRecentContacts(), $d6 : getRecentContacts().size, 0 < 1 ) then System.out.println( "recentContacts were accessible" ); end Any suggestions? Not being able to access objects in a hash is problematic. And it gets worse if objects are not base java classes as I find even static enums getting handled erratically when used as keys. Some time I need to use the full name but using a method I can use different expression and have it work. Moving to next problem now this is my real problem. Please note that I was not initially usign an inner static enum but moved it there to make example a single file. /* more complicated version of class */ package com.sample; import java.util.ArrayList; import java.util.Date; import java.util.HashMap; import java.util.List; import java.util.Map; public class Mailbox { // taken straight form example code static public class Message { public static final int HELLO = 0; public static final int GOODBYE = 1; private String message; private int status; public String getMessage() { return this.message; } public void setMessage(String message) { this.message = message; } public int getStatus() { return this.status; } public void setStatus(int status) { this.status = status; } } static public enum FolderType {INBOX, SENT, TRASH}; static public final String TEST_EMAIL = &quot;me(a)test.com&quot;; private Map&lt;FolderType, List&lt;Message&gt;> folders = new HashMap&lt;FolderType, List&lt;Message&gt;>(); public Map&lt;String, Date&gt; recentContacts = new HashMap&lt;String, Date&gt;(); private String owneremail; public Mailbox(String username) { owneremail = username; // create contact for self recentContacts.put(owneremail, new Date()); // create default folders folders.put(FolderType.SENT, new ArrayList<Message>()); folders.put(FolderType.TRASH, new ArrayList<Message>()); folders.put(FolderType.INBOX, new ArrayList<Message>()); } /** parameterized accessor */ public List<Message> getFolder(FolderType t) { return folders.get(t); } public Map&lt;FolderType, List&lt;Message&gt;> getFolders() { return folders; } public Map&lt;String, Date&gt; getRecentContacts() { return recentContacts; } public String getOwneremail() { return owneremail; } } /* more complicated rule */ package com.sample import java.util.Date; import java.util.HashMap; import java.util.List; import java.util.Map; import com.sample.Mailbox; import com.sample.Mailbox.FolderType; import com.sample.Mailbox.Message; rule "check folders hash mvel" dialect "mvel" when $m : Mailbox( // Each commented line will result in the file no longer compiling $type1 : FolderType.INBOX, $type2 : com.sample.Mailbox$FolderType.INBOX, $work1 : getFolder(null), $work2 : getFolder(com.sample.Mailbox$FolderType.INBOX), $work3 : getFolder(com.sample.Mailbox$FolderType.INBOX).size, // getFolder(FolderType.INBOX), // HAS ERROR - unable to resolve using strict mode getFolder($type1) != null, // $err1 : getFolder($type1), // again HAS ERROR only when doing variable assignment getFolder($type2) != null, // $err2 : getFolder($type2), // again HAS ERROR only when doing variable assignment getFolder($type1).size() > 0, getFolder($type1).isEmpty(), // $err3 : folders[FolderType.INBOX], // HAS ERROR // $err4 : folders[com.sample.Mailbox.FolderType.INBOX], // HAS ERROR - bad path syntax obviously // $err5 : folders[com.sample.Mailbox$FolderType.INBOX], // HAS ERROR // folders[$type1]!=null, // HAS ERROR // folders[$type2]!=null, // HAS ERROR $work6 : folders, $work7 : folders.size, folders.containsKey(com.sample.Mailbox$FolderType.INBOX), folders.containsKey($type2), !folders.isEmpty, // $err6: folders.size(), // HAS ERROR // $err7: folders.isEmpty(), // HAS ERROR // folders.get(FolderType.INBOX)!=null, // HAS ERROR // folders.get(com.sample.Mailbox.FolderType.INBOX)!=null, // HAS ERROR - bad path syntax obviously // folders.get(com.sample.Mailbox$FolderType.INBOX)!=null, // HAS ERROR // folders.get($type1)!=null, // HAS ERROR // folders.get($type2)!=null, // HAS ERROR $work8 : getFolders(), $work9 : getFolders().size, // getFolders().size(), // HAS ERROR 0 < 1 ) then System.out.println( "folders were accessible" ); end Now you can see my real problem. Dealing with a hash of enum to other object I get a lot of odd behavior on hash keying depending on how I make each call and while I really need to store the result to do many comparisons I can not unless I hardcode the parameter by which I am accessing the data which would profoundly weaken the rules I am writing. While I could register every object in the hash the problem then becomes the profusion of meta objects and the management of them especially given the memory leaks not fixed until 5.3.Final is released. Thank you for any assistance! -- View this message in context: http://drools.46999.n3.nabble.com/Map-errors-and-quirks-tp3404106p3404106... Sent from the Drools: User forum mailing list archive at Nabble.com.