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[Jboss-svn-commits] JBL Code SVN: r4099 - in labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en: . Chapter-Decision_Tables
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From: <jbo...@li...> - 2006-05-05 05:15:22
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Author: mic...@jb... Date: 2006-05-05 00:38:51 -0400 (Fri, 05 May 2006) New Revision: 4099 Added: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/actions.png labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/lists.png Modified: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/Section-Spreadsheet.xml labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/Thumbs.db labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/master.xml Log: more doco Modified: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/Section-Spreadsheet.xml =================================================================== --- labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/Section-Spreadsheet.xml 2006-05-05 04:33:58 UTC (rev 4098) +++ labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/Section-Spreadsheet.xml 2006-05-05 04:38:51 UTC (rev 4099) @@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ <section> <title>Decision tables in spreadsheets</title> + <para>Decision tables are a "precise yet compact" (ref. Wikipedia) way of + representing conditional logic, and are well suited to "business" level + rules.</para> + <para>Drools supports managing rules in a Spreadsheet format. Formats supported are Excel, and CSV. Thus you can use a variety of spreadsheet programs (such as Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice.org Calc amongst others). It @@ -50,6 +54,16 @@ </screenshot> <screenshot> + <screeninfo>Can have multiple actions for a rule row</screeninfo> + + <mediaobject> + <imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="actions.png" /> + </imageobject> + </mediaobject> + </screenshot> + + <screenshot> <screeninfo>Using OpenOffice</screeninfo> <mediaobject> @@ -97,14 +111,9 @@ <section> <title>How decision tables work</title> - <para>The spreadsheet looks for the "RuleTable" keyword to indicate the - start of a rule table (both the starting row and column). Other keywords - are also used to define other package level attributes (covered later). It - is important to keep the keywords in the one column. By convention the - second column ("B") is used for this, but it can be any column (convention - is to leave a margin on the left for notes). In the following diagram, C - is actually the column where it starts. Everything to the left of this is - ignored.</para> + <para>The key point to keep in mind is that in a decision table, each row + is a rule, and each column in that row is either a condition or action for + that rule.</para> <screenshot> <screeninfo>Rows and columns</screeninfo> @@ -116,6 +125,15 @@ </mediaobject> </screenshot> + <para>The spreadsheet looks for the "RuleTable" keyword to indicate the + start of a rule table (both the starting row and column). Other keywords + are also used to define other package level attributes (covered later). It + is important to keep the keywords in the one column. By convention the + second column ("B") is used for this, but it can be any column (convention + is to leave a margin on the left for notes). In the following diagram, C + is actually the column where it starts. Everything to the left of this is + ignored.</para> + <para>If we expand the hidden sections, it starts to make more sense how it works. Note the keywords in column C.</para> @@ -277,7 +295,7 @@ <entry>DURATION</entry> <entry>Indicates that this columns values will set the duration - values for the rule row. </entry> + values for the rule row.</entry> <entry>optional</entry> </row> @@ -331,7 +349,6 @@ <entry>N/A</entry> </row> - </tbody> </tgroup> </table> @@ -348,4 +365,111 @@ </screenshot> </section> </section> + + <section> + <title>Creating and integrating Spreadsheet based Decision Tables</title> + + <para>The API to use spreadsheet based decision tables is in the + drools-decisiontables module. There is really only one class to look at: + SpreadsheetCompiler. This class will take spreadsheets in various formats, + and generate rules in DRL (which you can then use in the normal way). Also + note that if you like you can just use the SpreadsheetComiler to generate + partial rule files, and assemble it into a complete rule package after the + fact (this allows to you seperate technical and non technical aspects of + the rules if needed).</para> + + <para>To get started, you can find a sample spreadsheet and base it on + that. Alternatively, if you are using the plug in (Rule Workbench IDE) the + wizard can generate a spreadsheet for you from a template (to edit it you + will need to use an xls compatable spreadsheet editor). <screenshot> + <screeninfo>Wizard in the IDE</screeninfo> + + <mediaobject> + <imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="wizard.png" /> + </imageobject> + </mediaobject> + </screenshot></para> + </section> + + <section> + <title>Managing business rules in decision tables.</title> + + <section> + <title>Workflow and collaboration.</title> + + <para>Spreadsheets are well established business tools (in use for over + 25 years). Decision tables lend themselves to close collaboration + between IT and domain experts, while making the business rules clear to + business analysts, it is an ideal seperation of concerns.</para> + + <para>Typically, the whole process of authoring rules (coming up with a + new decision table) would be something like:</para> + + <orderedlist> + <listitem> + <para>Business analyst takes a template decision table (from a + repository, or from IT)</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Decision table business language descriptions are entered in + the table(s)</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Decision table rules (rows) are entered (roughly)</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Decision table is handed to a technical resource, who maps the + business language (descriptions) to scripts (this may involve + software development of course, if it is a new application or data + model !)</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Technical person hands back and reviews the modifications with + the business analyst.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>The business analyst can continue editing the rule rows as + needed (moving columns around is also fine etc).</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>In parallel, the technical person can develop test cases for + the rules (liasing with business analysts) as these test cases can + be used to verify rules and rule changes once the system is + running.</para> + </listitem> + </orderedlist> + </section> + + <section> + <title>Using spreadsheet features</title> + + <para>You can use the features of applications like Excel to provide + assistance in entering data into spreadsheets, such as validating + fields. You can use lists that are stored in other worksheets to provide + valid lists of values for cells, like in the following diagram. + <screenshot> + <screeninfo>Wizard in the IDE</screeninfo> + + <mediaobject> + <imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="lists.png" /> + </imageobject> + </mediaobject> + </screenshot></para> + + <para>Some applications provide a limited ability to keep a history of + changes, but it is recommended that an alternative means of revision + control is also used. So when you are making changes to rules over time, + older versions are archived (many solutions exist for this which are + also open source, such as Subversion). + http://www.drools.org/Business+rules+in+decision+tables+explained</para> + </section> + </section> </section> \ No newline at end of file Modified: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/Thumbs.db =================================================================== (Binary files differ) Added: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/actions.png =================================================================== (Binary files differ) Property changes on: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/actions.png ___________________________________________________________________ Name: svn:mime-type + application/octet-stream Added: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/lists.png =================================================================== (Binary files differ) Property changes on: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/Chapter-Decision_Tables/lists.png ___________________________________________________________________ Name: svn:mime-type + application/octet-stream Modified: labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/master.xml =================================================================== --- labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/master.xml 2006-05-05 04:33:58 UTC (rev 4098) +++ labs/jbossrules/trunk/documentation/manual/en/master.xml 2006-05-05 04:38:51 UTC (rev 4099) @@ -52,20 +52,6 @@ <title>Reference Manual</title> <chapter> - <title>Installation and Setup</title> - - <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Install.xml" /> - - <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Setup.xml" /> - - <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Checkout.xml" /> - - <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Maven_build.xml" /> - - <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Eclipse.xml" /> - </chapter> - - <chapter> <title>The Rule Engine</title> <xi:include href="Chapter-Rule_Engine/Section-What_is_a_Rule_Engine.xml" /> @@ -86,6 +72,20 @@ </chapter> <chapter> + <title>Installation and Setup</title> + + <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Install.xml" /> + + <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Setup.xml" /> + + <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Checkout.xml" /> + + <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Maven_build.xml" /> + + <xi:include href="Chapter-Install/Section-Eclipse.xml" /> + </chapter> + + <chapter> <title>The Rule Language</title> <xi:include href="Chapter-Rule_Language/Section-Overview.xml" /> |
