Set the Input for a Ruleset

This section provides step-by-step instructions for creating and configuring inputs 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.

Related How-to Guides

Use the following guides to complete tasks related to setting the input for a ruleset:

• Create an Input
• Create an enum Input
• Create an array Input
• Create a Rule.