[rules-users] Unexpected variable binding behavior and conditional logic

[ChrisG]

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere: I couldn't find anything
quite like my issue.

My (greatly simplified and completely made-up) example:

Let's say I have this java class:

public class BaseballPitcher
{
     public String getName();
     public boolean isRightHanded();
     public boolean isKnuckleBaller();
}

Multiple instances of this class are created with a variety of combinations
for the name and two boolean parameters.
Now I have a rule:

rule "Match pitchers: righties or knuckle-ballers"
when
    $kbPitcher1 : BaseballPitcher($name: name, $righty: rightHanded == true
|| 
           $knuckleballer: knuckleBaller == true)
    $kbPitcher2:  BaseballPitcher(name != $name, rightHanded == $righty,
knuckleBaller == $knuckleballer)
then
    // Do something with these two pitchers $kbPitcher1 and $kbPitcher2
end

I am getting the curious result that this rule fires its conclusion when
$kbPitcher1 is in fact NEITHER right-handed nor a knuckle-baller (i.e.
rightHanded == false && knuckleBaller == false). 

I've worked around this by changing the first condition in either of the
following two ways:
     *// eval() the condition*
    $kbPitcher1 : BaseballPitcher($name: name, $righty: rightHanded,
$knuckleballer: knuckleBaller, 
          *eval(isRightHanded() == true || isKnuckleBaller() == true)*)
...or....
     *// bind the variables before checking values*
    $kbPitcher1 : BaseballPitcher($name: name, $righty: rightHanded,
$knuckleballer: knuckleBaller, 
          *rightHanded == true || knuckleBaller == true*)

Does this make sense?  Both are easy workarounds, and I believe the second
option (i.e. the one NOT using the eval) is the better solution from a
performance perspective, allowing the engine to index the these facts rather
than dynamically evaluate the condition every time.

But I'm a little surprised the first approach didn't work.  Any ideas why
not?

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