Set the Input for a Ruleset

Introduction

This guide explains how to create the input for a ruleset.

Inputs are the raw materials of rulesets because the ruleset acts upon them. If the ruleset is a calculation, then the inputs are the values that go into the calculation.

Basic and advanced settings for an input

Each input has basic settings like Name and Type, and advanced settings like Required. Furthermore, the settings for an input vary according to its type.

List of possible settings for an input with their characteristics

• Name The name for the input.

• Output Whether the input is also available as output for the ruleset.

• Type This setting specifies the input type to one of these types:

  • any As its name implies, an any input can contain any type of input.

  • number This type includes negative values and numbers with decimals.

  • boolean This type expects the values true or false.

  • string This type can contain any text, including numbers.

  • date This type expects a date in mm/dd/yyyy format.

  • enum For this type, you can set a list of possible values. For example, good, bad, ok.

  • array This type contains a one-dimensional array of values. For example, this JSON array:

    {
      "AgeScale": [
        6,
        12,
        18
      ]
    }

  • An entity that you created yourself.

• Sub type This setting only applies if the Type is array and sets the type for the array elements.

• Possible values This setting only applies if the Type is enum and sets the possible values for the input.

• Default value If you provide this setting, Rulecube prefills the input with the value for this setting.

• Different input name (Advanced settings) This setting goes along with the Original input name setting and sets whether the (original) input has a different name that needs to be mapped. For example, input names with a hyphen (-) are not allowed, but if a JSON input contains a key with a hyphen, this setting enables mapping the JSON name to the input name. Suppose a JSON key is named e-mail; then it can be assigned to an input called email.

• Original input name (Advanced settings) Elaborating on the previous setting, this setting contains the original input name. And elaborating on the previous example, it would contain e-mail referring to the original JSON key.

• Required (Advanced settings) Whether the input is required or not.

• Min. (Advanced settings) The minimum value or length of an input. For example, for a number, you could set the value to be at least 25. And for a string, you could set the length must be at least 4 characters.

• Max. (Advanced settings) The maximum value or length of an input. For example, for a number, you could set the value to be up to 1200. And for a string, you could set the length to be a maximum of 50 characters.

• Strict (Advanced settings) This setting collaborates with Min. and Max. and if checked, the input must be within the min-max range. Otherwise, Rulecube returns an error. If this setting isn't checked and you supply an out-of-range value for the input, Rulecube automatically truncates the value to be within the range.

• Label This label is shown in the Sandbox when you try out the ruleset and enables you to have an explaining label for the input while keeping your input name short or letting it conform to a naming convention.

• Description A description of the input for later reference or your colleagues.

Before you begin

• If you want to create an input based on an entity, you must create the corresponding entity first.

General procedure

1. Open the ruleset where you want to create the input or create a new ruleset.

2. Click the + sign behind Input from the left menu. ↳ The Input details page opens.

3. In the Name field, enter the name for the input.

4. In the Type list, select the input type. ↳ Rulecube shows the settings that apply to the chosen type.

5. If you need additional settings for the input, enter them in the corresponding fields.

6. If you need advanced settings, click Advanced settings, then enter the settings you need.

7. If you're done, click Save.

You can also clone an existing input with the following steps:

1. Open an existing input.

2. Click Clone. ↳ Rulecube creates a clone of the input and names it with the _copy extension.

3. Modify the input name as desired and change/enter other settings if necessary.

Specific procedures

Let's look at examples for creating enum and array inputs because of the settings variations of input types.

Create an enum input

Let's assume that you want an input that must be one of the values: north, east, south, west.

1. Open the ruleset where you want to create the input.

2. Click the + sign behind Input from the left menu. ↳ The Input details page opens.

3. In the Name field, enter CustomerArea.

4. In the Type list, select enum. ↳ Rulecube adds the Possible values setting to the details page.

5. In the Possible values field, enter north, east, south, west.

6. Click Advanced settings and select the Required checkbox.

7. In the Label field, enter The area where the customer is based.

8. Click Save.

9. Try out the ruleset. Note that the possible values are collected in a list box.

Optional: call the ruleset via its API to simulate an error

Call the ruleset API from Postman or JavaScript and supply an invalid value for CustomerArea to see how the API responds.

Create an array input

Let's say you need to process a sequence of 6 test scores for each participant in a course.

1. Open the ruleset where you want to create the input.

2. Click the + sign behind Input from the left menu. ↳ The Input details page opens.

3. In the Name field, enter TestScores.

4. In the Type list, select array. ↳ Rulecube adds the Sub type setting to the details page.

5. Leave the Sub type list to number.

6. Click Advanced settings and select the Required checkbox.

7. In the Min. length field, enter 6. And do the same for Max. length.

8. Select the Strict checkbox. ↳ Now the array requires exactly 6 test scores (elements).

9. Click Save.

How to address an array element

You can select a specific array element by its index, like in the following example:

TestScores[2]

Be aware that the array index starts at 0 for the first element. So, the example selects the third score from the array.

Additional resources

• How-to Guide: Create a Rule.