Are the parameters for the calculations hierarchical in your model or are there just many components to each equation? For example:- Rule "Total Resource" when $s : Student( $e : employmentEarnings, $ss : scholarships, $a : assets) then insert(new TotalResource($s, $e + $ss + $a); end Rule "Child Care Expenses" when $s : Student( $nc : numberOfChildren, $pca : perChildAmount) then insert(new ChildCareExpenses($s, $nc * $pca); end Rule "Total Need" when $s : Student( $t : tuition, $la : LivingAllowance, $cce : childCareExpenses) ChildCareExpenses(student == $s, $cce : amount) then insert(new TotalNeed($s, $t + $la + $cce); end Rule "Total Eligible Loan Amount" when $s : Student($maa : maxAllowedAmount) TotalNeed( student == $s, $n : amount) TotalResource( student == $s, $r : amount) then insert(new TotalEligibleLoanAmount(Math.min($n - $r, $maa)); end Possible? Yes. Performant? Performance depends upon many factors (number of students, hardware, subjective definition of performant); but there have been many postings suggesting Drools is as quick, if not quicker than other commercial engines. There are plenty of ways to skin an apple. With kind regards, Mike _____ From: rules-users-bounces(a)lists.jboss.org [mailto:rules-users-bounces@lists.jboss.org] On Behalf Of Don Cameron Sent: 08 November 2007 23:28 To: rules-users(a)lists.jboss.org Subject: [rules-users] Rules for Hierarchical Type Calculation Formulas We have been using a custom rules engine successfully for our 1000+ rules for our student loans application, but these rules are decision based types rules (if then else). For assessing loan amounts for our student loan application, we have over 400+ calculation formulas plus decision logic. These formulas are mostly simple: TotalEligilbleLoanAmount = Min(TotalNeed - TotalResource, MaxAllowedAmount) TotalNeed = Tuition + LivingAllowance + ChildCareExpenses ChildCareExpenses = NumberOfChildren * PerChildAmount TotalResource = EmploymentEarnings + Scholarships + Assets (however there are 400+ formulas and the hierarchy gets up to 20 deep) Is it possible to implement something like this in Drools? Will it be maintainable and performant? Thanks Don This communication is intended for the use of the recipient to which it is addressed, and may contain confidential, personal, and or privileged information. Please contact us immediately if you are not the intended recipient of this communication, and do not copy, distribute, or take action relying on it. Any communication received in error, or subsequent reply, should be deleted or destroyed.

IMO, your (simplified) model should be no problem to use within Drools (you can use contains or memberof depending upon how the relationships are navigable); the others appear to be simple properties of the entities. Have you analysed rule-flow to meet your process-flow requirements (looping has been reported to be possible with rule-flow and the remainder appear an almost sequential flow)? Good luck. Mike -----Original Message----- From: rules-users-bounces(a)lists.jboss.org [mailto:rules-users-bounces@lists.jboss.org] On Behalf Of Don Cameron Sent: 09 November 2007 14:56 To: Rules Users List Subject: RE: [rules-users] Rules for Hierarchical Type Calculation Formulas Mike, thanks for the detailed reply. It looks like with your example, that we can do this calculation portion with drools. To answer your question, the business entities are hierarchical. Here is a simplified example: Student Name Student Number Home Address -> Address Entity Email ApplicationCol -> Collection of Application Entities Address Street City Province Application Program Period of Study Tuition Cost Scholarships IfMarried Number of Children Rent Cost Assessment Results Total Need Total Resource Total Eligible Loan Amount A second part to the process is a workflow like process that allocates the money for the student loan from many grants and loan types. Here is the high level logic: For each pre-loan grant fund If learner has eligibility for the fund then Determine amount from fund Allocate amount to application Endif End-for Federal portion is minimum of assessed need and number of program weeks * federal monthly amount Reduce federal portion if beyond lifetime maximums Calculate provincial portion as remaining portion of loan amount Reduce provincial portion if beyond lifetime maximums Do not distribute unless greater than minimum loan amount For each not pre-loan grant fund If application has eligibility for the fund then Determine amount from fund Allocate amount to application Endif End-for Calculate LRC Remission It would be nice to keep this flow of logic in one place as this mimics how the business does it today, and maintainability is one of the three major objectives we are trying to accomplish. The more I read about drools, the more I believe it is not suitable for workflow type process. What open-source workflow products are people using that work well with Drools? Thanks Don ________________________________________ From: rules-users-bounces(a)lists.jboss.org [mailto:rules-users-bounces@lists.jboss.org] On Behalf Of Anstis, Michael (M.) Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 2:14 AM To: Rules Users List Subject: RE: [rules-users] Rules for Hierarchical Type Calculation Formulas Are the parameters for the calculations hierarchical in your model or are there just many components to each equation? For example:-   Rule "Total Resource" when $s : Student( $e : employmentEarnings, $ss : scholarships, $a : assets) then insert(new TotalResource($s, $e + $ss + $a); end   Rule "Child Care Expenses" when $s : Student( $nc : numberOfChildren, $pca : perChildAmount) then insert(new ChildCareExpenses($s, $nc * $pca); end   Rule "Total Need" when $s : Student( $t : tuition, $la : LivingAllowance, $cce : childCareExpenses) ChildCareExpenses(student == $s, $cce : amount) then insert(new TotalNeed($s, $t + $la + $cce); end   Rule "Total Eligible Loan Amount" when $s : Student($maa : maxAllowedAmount) TotalNeed( student == $s, $n : amount) TotalResource( student == $s, $r : amount) then insert(new TotalEligibleLoanAmount(Math.min($n - $r, $maa)); end   Possible? Yes. Performant? Performance depends upon many factors (number of students, hardware, subjective definition of performant); but there have been many postings suggesting Drools is as quick, if not quicker than other commercial engines.   There are plenty of ways to skin an apple.   With kind regards,   Mike ________________________________________ From: rules-users-bounces(a)lists.jboss.org [mailto:rules-users-bounces@lists.jboss.org] On Behalf Of Don Cameron Sent: 08 November 2007 23:28 To: rules-users(a)lists.jboss.org Subject: [rules-users] Rules for Hierarchical Type Calculation Formulas We have been using a custom rules engine successfully for our 1000+ rules for our student loans application, but these rules are decision based types rules (if then else). For assessing loan amounts for our student loan application, we have over 400+ calculation formulas plus decision logic.  These formulas are mostly simple: TotalEligilbleLoanAmount = Min(TotalNeed - TotalResource, MaxAllowedAmount)       TotalNeed = Tuition + LivingAllowance + ChildCareExpenses             ChildCareExpenses = NumberOfChildren * PerChildAmount       TotalResource = EmploymentEarnings + Scholarships + Assets (however there are 400+ formulas and the hierarchy gets up to 20 deep) Is it possible to implement something like this in Drools? Will it be maintainable and performant? Thanks Don This communication is intended for the use of the recipient to which it is addressed, and may contain confidential, personal, and or privileged information. Please contact us immediately if you are not the intended recipient of this communication, and do not copy, distribute, or take action relying on it. Any communication received in error, or subsequent reply, should be deleted or destroyed. This communication is intended for the use of the recipient to which it is addressed, and may contain confidential, personal, and or privileged information. Please contact us immediately if you are not the intended recipient of this communication, and do not copy, distribute, or take action relying on it. Any communication received in error, or subsequent reply, should be deleted or destroyed. _______________________________________________ rules-users mailing list rules-users(a)lists.jboss.org https://lists.jboss.org/mailman/listinfo/rules-users