Rule editor

If the 'Rule failed', the test result 'false' is returned and the path is followed 'to the right'.

If the test result is 'true', the rule is considered 'passed' and the 'downwards' path is continued.

►NOTE◄ If no other rule is configured 'below' (or when 'passing') the Check type rule selected as an example, a type hint appears for the expected return value, depending on the context, which largely covers the arrowhead of the connecting line. A Check type can even 'set' this type hint, as it 'declares' a type for the downward path.

Click on the (+) icon at the top of the diamond to expand the 'rule' so that the specific configuration interface for the rule type appears, which provides access to the specific parameterization (if available).

Click on the (-) symbol at the top right of the configuration interface to close the rule.

• The Check type provides a Combobox for the Type parameter.

• Two further parameters are each represented as options by a Check box element.

• These parameters are statically determined and can therefore only be adjusted by configuration.

• A 'dynamic' value assignment (at runtime) may enable value configurations.

►NOTE◄ The configuration interface can contain elements for conditional parameters whose visibility or activation status depends on assignments for other parameters.

Functionally, the rule configuration shown on the right and therefore the association criterion as a whole should be considered 'passed' if the following conditions are met:

1. The reference object in the context is either a user account of the type 'User' (see Users) →OR 'Guest user' (see Guest users).

2. In addition (↓AND) at least one of the following →OR-linked criteria must be fulfilled:

   1. The Company of session defined by the login context is also the 'owner' (ownerId) of the user account specified as the reference object.

   2. If the reference object is a guest user account, no Guest users are found in the database (negated Check existence rule) that fulfill a complex Where condition (account does not match the reference object, but relates to the same company).

At runtime, the rule graph is processed step by step along the relevant connection arrows, beginning at Start.

For the specific example, this means:

• The Check type for Users is performed first. Only if this is 'failed' is the →OR-linked Check type for Guest users performed (right). If this also fails, the overall →Rule failed (far right) applies.

• If a Check type ↓ has been passed, the match (Equals) between the Object property 'User' (ownerId) and the 'ID' (id) field of the Company of session is first checked in an Entity property rule (bottom left).

  ---

  ►IMPORTANT◄ Only if →not passed is the →OR-linked ↓AND Junction (bottom right) executed at all.

  ---

• A new Check type within the ↓AND Junction ensures that a request is only made to the database via a Check existence if a guest user exists as a reference object. If a 'competing’ guest user account is identified using the Where condition, the negation ((!) symbol see Not rule) for the association criterion as a whole →Rule failed.

The context menu for rules can be opened using different mechanisms:

• Click on the menu icon of a collapsed rule module (at the bottom of the diamond) or at the top right within the configuration interface of an expanded rule module.

  Diamond: Configuration interface:

• Right-click in the area of an expanded or collapsed rule module (diamond/configuration interface).

►IMPORTANT◄ The mechanisms mentioned above focus on the existing rule module, which has an effect on the functions offered in the context menu.

The following mechanisms, on the other hand, relate to a rule module that is to be added to the configuration so that certain functions do not appear in the menu.

• Click on an insertion point for a rule module:

  • icon in the placeholder for a rule configuration without rule module.

  • <OR> icon on the left or right edge of an expanded or collapsed rule module to create/expand an OR Junction.

  • <AND> icon at the top or bottom rank of an expanded or collapsed rule module to create/expand an AND Junction.

Insertion positions:

icon: OR (left/right): AND (below/above):

Add

Replaces the selection with a new instance for the rule type chosen in the context menu.

Adds a new instance to the rule graph for the rule type selected in the context menu.

►NOTE◄ When adding a rule module to an existing configuration, a Junction is created implicitly if required.

Remove

Removes the selection from the rule graph (but unlike cutting, does not copy it to the Lobster Data Platform / Orchestration clipboard).

n/a

CAUTION When a Junction is removed, all directly and indirectly contained rule modules are also removed, i.e. the entire substructure downwards from the selection in the rule graph.

Test mode

Enables Tests for selection.

n/a

►NOTE◄ Tests for a rule only return a Boolean value ($true/$false). However, the 'Log' can contain information on errors that are intercepted in Association criteria by default with the return value $false.

Edit as XML

Starts XML editor with the structure for the selection(incl. all 'contained' components).

Starts an empty XML editor for a new rule(e.g. for pasting XML from the clipboard).

►NOTE◄ In addition to direct editing of the XML structure, the editor also allows sections of a rule graph to be copied and pasted via the clipboard of the client operating system. In contrast to the Lobster Data Platform / Orchestration clipboard (see below), configurations can also be 'transferred' across systems.

Functions of the Lobster Data Platform / Orchestration clipboard

Copy

Shortcut: Strg+C

Copies the selection to the Lobster Data Platform / Orchestration clipboard.

n/a

►NOTE◄ The Lobster Data Platform / Orchestration clipboard is based on a cookie stored locally by the browser, the value of which is overwritten when using the Cut or Copy functions. As long as the cookie exists, the content is available for subsequent sessions with the same browser under the same URL, even if different login data (user, company, role) is used.

The Paste function only appears in the context menu if the clipboard contains content and this is compatible with the context.

Cut

Shortcut: Strg+X

Copies the selection to the Lobster Data Platform / Orchestration clipboard and immediately removes it from the rule graph.

n/a

Paste

Shortcut: Strg+V

n/a

Inserts (suitable) content of the Lobster Data Platform / Orchestration clipboard at the insertion point in the rule graph.

not

Reverses the status of the 'negation' for the selection (removes or adds a Not rule above the selection).

n/a

Negated rules:

Description

Opens a modal text editor to edit the description for the selection.

►NOTE◄ As can be seen in the screenshot on the right, the presence of a description is signaled by a red marker in the top right-hand corner of the display for the rule or Junction. When the mouse cursor is moved closer, the highlighted text appears as a tooltip (see screenshot).

n/a

CAUTION A Description is generally well suited to providing a functional summary for a more complex logical aggregate at the level of the parent Junction. It should be noted that a (non-negated) Junction is automatically deleted from the rule graph when contained components are removed or cut out if it becomes superfluous because it would only contain one component after the interaction. Any assigned Description is lost without further inquiry.

Help

Opens the manual entry (if available) for the rule type of the selection or for the context applicable Online help.

Opens the parent manual entry for all Rule types or Online help applicable to the context.

►NOTE◄ Entries in the manual only appear if the 'Administration/Master data/Online help/Display default help' authorization is available. However, the Help function always appears in the Context menu, as it also affects any assigned custom Online help.