[rules-users] This (ordered) record validation approach is working

[Swindells, Thomas]

Is this presentation available anywhere?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: rules-users-bounces at lists.jboss.org [mailto:rules-users-
> bounces at lists.jboss.org] On Behalf Of Wolfgang Laun
> Sent: 08 December 2011 07:13
> To: Rules Users List
> Subject: Re: [rules-users] This (ordered) record validation approach is
> working
>
> In my Rules Fest 2011 boot camp "Rule-Based Programming Design Patterns"
> I presented a generic solution using linked rule engines for this and similar
> problems.
> -W
>
>
> On 08/12/2011, ronalbury <ronalbury at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I didn't get any feedback when I posted earlier today, so I went ahead
> > and implemented what I thought would work ... and I figured I should
> > share it here since it seems to be working pretty well.
> >
> > I created a Rule Flow as follows:
> >    A Rule-Flow-Group that validates the arrays.  Unfortunately I
> > sometimes get multiple related arrays of records instead of a single array of
> records.
> > I confirm that records with mandatory values have arrays with at least
> > one element, and confirm that the related arrays are of equal length.
> > Errors are logged.
> >
> >    A subsequent Rule-Flow-Group that manages inserts.  The data
> > actually comes to me as one data structure comprised of sub-records of
> > various types, and I have DRL files for each record type.  Some of the
> > sub-records are optional, and since subsequent rules would erroneously
> > flag empty sub-records as errors I have rules here which only allow
> > optional records containing values to be inserted into the system.  I
> > am currently using for-loops in the THEN section of some rules to deal
> > with the array problem and would like to know if there is a better
> > way.  No errors are generated here.
> >
> >    A subsequent Rule-Flow-Group that validates data.  The data is all
> > sent to me as Strings, even though many of the values are numbers, dates,
> etc.
> > This Rule-Flow group tests the various fields using regular
> > expressions, and if a regular expression fails then the record is flagged as
> having an error.
> > Optional fields are dealt with by the regular expression allowing a blank.
> > Errors are logged.
> >
> >    A Diverging Gateway that splits the data into two ... records
> > without validation errors are allowed to progress to the
> > value-checking Rule-Flow group ... those with errors have nothing more
> > done to them.  I realize that I could, for instance, let records with
> > bogus numbers thru as long as my string-to-integer routine is robust,
> > however I don't want to flag the same record multiple times (once by
> > reg-ex and then again by the next Rule-Flow-Group).
> >
> >    A subsequent Rule-Flow-Group that checks the values and ranges of
> > the numbers, dates, etc, and does other types of validation (e.g. if
> > fieldA has a value greater than 20 then fieldB must be set to "XYZ").
> > Errors are logged.
> >
> >
> > This Rule-Flow approach currently seems to be solving all of my
> > problems, and it allows me to keep the rules simple and well
> > structured such that most of them are reusable in other parts of our
> system.
> >
> > I'm interested in getting feedback on this approach ... it seems to be
> > working pretty well for me.  It allows me to deal with ordering issues
> > and many of the if/else issues, while keeping the rules simple enough
> > for our non-technical analysts to review without needing a developer
> > to sit next to them.
> >
> > I realize this is a pretty mundane application for a powerful rules
> > system, but it seems like a good fit nonetheless.
> >
> > Thanks
> >    Ron
> >
> > --
> > View this message in context:
> > http://drools.46999.n3.nabble.com/This-ordered-record-validation-appro
> > ach-is-working-tp3568933p3568933.html
> > Sent from the Drools: User forum mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> > _______________________________________________
> > rules-users mailing list
> > rules-users at lists.jboss.org
> > https://lists.jboss.org/mailman/listinfo/rules-users
> >
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