Contents

Title and Copyright Information

Preface

• Audience
• Documentation Accessibility
• Related Documentation
• Conventions

1 Overview of Oracle Business Rules

• 1.1 What are Business Rules?
  • 1.1.1 What Are Rule Conditions?
  • 1.1.2 What Are Rule Actions?
  • 1.1.3 What Are Decision Tables?
  • 1.1.4 What Are Facts and Bucketsets?
  • 1.1.5 What Are Rulesets?
  • 1.1.6 What Are Decision Functions?
  • 1.1.7 What Are Decision Points?
  • 1.1.8 What Are Dictionaries?
• 1.2 Oracle Business Rules Runtime and Design Time Elements
  • 1.2.1 Decision Component (Business Rules) in an SOA Composite Application
  • 1.2.2 Using Rules Engine with Oracle Business Rules in a Java EE Application
  • 1.2.3 Oracle Business Rules RL Language
  • 1.2.4 Oracle Business Rules SDK
  • 1.2.5 Rules Designer
• 1.3 Oracle Business Rules Engine Architecture
  • 1.3.1 Declarative Rules
  • 1.3.2 The RETE Algorithm
  • 1.3.3 What Is Working Memory?
  • 1.3.4 Rule Firing and Rule Sessions

2 Working with Data Model Elements

• 2.1 Introduction to Working with Data Model Elements
• 2.2 Working with a Dictionary and Dictionary Links
  • 2.2.1 Introduction to Dictionaries and Dictionary Links
  • 2.2.2 How to Create a Dictionary in the SOA Tier Using Rules Designer
  • 2.2.3 How to Create a Dictionary in the Business Tier Using Rules Designer
  • 2.2.4 How to View and Edit Dictionary Settings
  • 2.2.5 How to Rename a Dictionary or Rename a Dictionary Package
  • 2.2.6 How to Link to a Dictionary
  • 2.2.7 How to Update a Linked Dictionary
  • 2.2.8 What You Need to Know About Dictionary Linking
  • 2.2.9 What You Need to Know About Dictionary Linking and Dictionary Copies
  • 2.2.10 What You Need to Know About Dictionary Linking to a Deployed Dictionary
  • 2.2.11 What You Need to Know About Business Rules Inputs and Outputs with BPEL
• 2.3 Working with Oracle Business Rules Globals
  • 2.3.1 How to Add Oracle Business Rules Globals
  • 2.3.2 How to Edit Oracle Business Rules Globals
  • 2.3.3 What You Need to Know About the Final and Constant Options
• 2.4 Working with Decision Functions
• 2.5 Working with Oracle Business Rules Functions
  • 2.5.1 Introduction to Oracle Business Rules Functions
  • 2.5.2 How to Add an Oracle Business Rules Function

3 Working with Facts and Bucketsets

• 3.1 Introduction to Working with Facts and Bucketsets
• 3.2 Working with XML Facts
  • 3.2.1 How to Import XML Schema and Add XML Facts
  • 3.2.2 How to Display and Edit XML Facts
  • 3.2.3 How to Reload XML Facts with Updated Schema
  • 3.2.4 What You Need to Know About XML Facts
• 3.3 Working with Java Facts
  • 3.3.1 How to Import Java Classes and Define Java Facts
  • 3.3.2 How to Display and Edit Java Facts
  • 3.3.3 What You Need to Know About Java Facts
• 3.4 Working with RL Facts
  • 3.4.1 How to Define RL Facts
  • 3.4.2 How to Display and Edit RL Facts and Add RL Fact Properties
  • 3.4.3 What You Need to Know About RL Facts
• 3.5 Working with ADF Business Components Facts
  • 3.5.1 How to Import and Define ADF Business Components Facts
  • 3.5.2 What You Need to Know About ADF Business Components Fact Classpaths
  • 3.5.3 What You Need to Know About ADF Business Components Circular References
  • 3.5.4 What You Need to Know About ADF Business Components Facts
• 3.6 Working with Bucketsets
  • 3.6.1 How to Define a List of Values Global Bucketset
  • 3.6.2 How to Define a List of Ranges Global Bucketset
  • 3.6.3 How to Define an Enumerated Type (Enum) Bucketset from XML Types
  • 3.6.4 How to Define an Enumerated Type (Enum) Bucketset from Java Types
  • 3.6.5 What You Need to Know About List of Values Bucketsets
  • 3.6.6 What You Need to Know About Range Bucketsets
  • 3.6.7 What You Need to Know About Bucketset Allowed in Actions Option
  • 3.6.8 What You Need to Know About Bucket Values
• 3.7 Associating a Bucketset with Facts and Functions
  • 3.7.1 How to Associate a Bucketset with a Fact Property
  • 3.7.2 How to Associate a Bucketset with Functions or Function Arguments

4 Working with Rulesets and Rules

• 4.1 Introduction to Working with Rulesets and Rules
• 4.2 Working with Rulesets
  • 4.2.1 How to Create a Ruleset
  • 4.2.2 How to Set the Effective Date for a Ruleset
  • 4.2.3 How to Use a Filter to Display Matching Rules in a Ruleset
• 4.3 Working with Rules
  • 4.3.1 How to Add Rules
  • 4.3.2 How to Define a Test in a Rule
  • 4.3.3 How to Define Range Tests in Rules
  • 4.3.4 How to Define Set Tests in Rules
  • 4.3.5 How to Define Actions in Rules
  • 4.3.6 What You Need to Know About Rule Actions
• 4.4 Validating Dictionaries
  • 4.4.1 Understanding Data Model Validation
  • 4.4.2 Understanding Rule Validation
  • 4.4.3 Understanding Decision Table Validation
  • 4.4.4 How to Validate a Dictionary
• 4.5 Using Advanced Settings with Rules and Decision Tables
  • 4.5.1 How to Show and Hide Advanced Settings in a Rule or Decision Table
  • 4.5.2 How to Select the Advanced Mode Option
  • 4.5.3 How to Select the Active Option
  • 4.5.4 How to Select the Logical Option
  • 4.5.5 How to Set a Priority for a Rule
  • 4.5.6 How to Specify Effective Dates
• 4.6 Working with Nested Tests
  • 4.6.1 How to Use Nested Tests
• 4.7 Working with Advanced Mode Rules
  • 4.7.1 How to Use Advanced Mode Pattern Matching Options
  • 4.7.2 How to Use Advanced Mode Matched Fact Naming
  • 4.7.3 How to Use Advanced Mode Action Forms
  • 4.7.4 How to Use Advanced Mode Aggregate Conditions
  • 4.7.5 What You Need to Know About Advanced Mode Rules
• 4.8 Working with Tree Mode Rules
  • 4.8.1 Introduction to Tree Mode Rules
    • 4.8.1.1 Understanding Tree Mode Rules (Non-Advanced Mode)
    • 4.8.1.2 Understanding Advanced Tree Mode Rules
  • 4.8.2 How to Create Simple Tree Mode Rules
  • 4.8.3 How to Create Advanced Tree Mode Rules
  • 4.8.4 What You Need to Know About Tree Mode Rules
• 4.9 Using Date Facts, Date Functions, and Specifying Effective Dates
  • 4.9.1 How to Use the Current Date Fact
  • 4.9.2 How to Set the Effective Date for a Rule
  • 4.9.3 What You Need to Know About Effective Dates
  • 4.9.4 How to Use Duration, JavaDate, OracleDate, and XMLDate Methods
• 4.10 Working with Expression Builder
  • 4.10.1 Introduction to the Expression Builder
  • 4.10.2 How to Use the Expression Builder
• 4.11 Using Bucketsets as Constraints for Options Values in Rules
  • 4.11.1 How to Use a List of Ranges Bucketset as a Constraint for a Fact Property
  • 4.11.2 How to Use a List of Values Bucketset as a Constraint for a Fact Property
  • 4.11.3 How to Use Bucketsets to Provide Options for Test Expressions

5 Working with Decision Tables

• 5.1 Introduction to Working with Decision Tables
  • 5.1.1 What is a Decision Table?
    • 5.1.1.1 What You Need to Know About Decision Table Conditions
    • 5.1.1.2 What You Need to Know About Decision Table Actions
    • 5.1.1.3 What You Need to Know About Decision Table Rules
  • 5.1.2 Understanding Decision Table Values
  • 5.1.3 What You Need to Know About Decision Table Loops
• 5.2 Creating Decision Tables
  • 5.2.1 How to Create a Decision Table
  • 5.2.2 How to Add Condition Rows to a Decision Table
  • 5.2.3 How to Add Actions to a Decision Table
  • 5.2.4 How to Add a Rule to a Decision Table
• 5.3 Performing Operations on Decision Tables
  • 5.3.1 Introduction to Decision Table Operations
    • 5.3.1.1 Understanding Decision Table Split and Compact Operations
    • 5.3.1.2 Understanding Decision Table Move Operations
    • 5.3.1.3 Understanding Decision Table Gap Analysis
    • 5.3.1.4 Understanding Decision Table Conflict Analysis
  • 5.3.2 How to Compact or Split a Decision Table
  • 5.3.3 How to Merge or Split Conditions in a Decision Table
  • 5.3.4 How to Merge, Split, and Specify Do Not Care for Condition Cells
  • 5.3.5 How to Perform Decision Table Gap Analysis
  • 5.3.6 How to Perform Decision Table Conflict Analysis
  • 5.3.7 How to Select the Auto Conflict Resolution Option
• 5.4 Creating and Running an Oracle Business Rules Decision Table Application
  • 5.4.1 How to Obtain the Source Files for the Order Approval Application
  • 5.4.2 How to Create an Application for Order Approval
  • 5.4.3 How to Create a Business Rule Service Component for Order Approval
  • 5.4.4 How to View Data Model Elements for Order Approval
  • 5.4.5 How to Add Bucketsets to the Data Model for Order Approval
  • 5.4.6 How to Associate Bucketsets with Order and CreditScore Properties
  • 5.4.7 How to Add a Decision Table for Order Approval
    • 5.4.7.1 Split the Cells in the Decision Table and Add Actions
    • 5.4.7.2 Compact the Decision Table
    • 5.4.7.3 Replace Several Specific Rules with One General Rule
    • 5.4.7.4 Add a General Rule
  • 5.4.8 How to Check the Business Rule Validation Log for Order Approval
  • 5.4.9 How to Deploy the Order Approval Application
  • 5.4.10 How to Test the Order Approval Application

6 Working with Decision Functions

• 6.1 Introduction to Decision Functions
• 6.2 Working with Decision Functions
  • 6.2.1 How to Add or Edit a Decision Function
• 6.3 What You Need to Know About Decision Functions
  • 6.3.1 What You Need to Know About Using Undo Operation with Decision Functions
  • 6.3.2 What You Need to Know About Rule Firing Limit Option for Debugging Rules
  • 6.3.3 What You Need to Know to About Decision Function Arguments
  • 6.3.4 What You Need to Know About the Will Be Invoked As Web Service Option
  • 6.3.5 What You Need to Know About the Decision Function Stateless Option

7 Working with Rules SDK Decision Point API

• 7.1 Introduction to Rules SDK and the Car Rental Sample Application
  • 7.1.1 Introduction to Decision Point API
  • 7.1.2 How to Obtain the Car Rental Sample Application
  • 7.1.3 How to Open the Car Rental Sample Application and Project
• 7.2 Creating a Dictionary for Use with a Decision Point
  • 7.2.1 How to Create Data Model Elements for Use with a Decision Point
  • 7.2.2 How to View a Decision Function to Call from the Decision Point
  • 7.2.3 How to Create Rules or Decision Tables for the Decision Function
  • 7.2.4 What You Need to Know About Using Car Rental Sample with a Decision Table
• 7.3 Creating a Java Application Using Rules SDK Decision Point
  • 7.3.1 How to Add a Decision Point Using Decision Point Builder
  • 7.3.2 How to Use a Decision Point with a Pre-loaded Dictionary
  • 7.3.3 How to Use Executor Service to Run Threads with Decision Point
  • 7.3.4 How to Create and Use Decision Point Instances
• 7.4 Running the Car Rental Sample
• 7.5 What You Need to Know About Using Decision Point in a Production Environment

8 Testing Business Rules

• 8.1 Testing Oracle Business Rules at Design Time
  • 8.1.1 How to Test Rules Using a Test Function in Rules Designer
  • 8.1.2 What You Need to Know About Testing Using an Oracle Business Rules Function
  • 8.1.3 How to Test a Decision Function Using an Oracle Business Rules Function
  • 8.1.4 What You Need to Know About Testing Decision Functions
• 8.2 Testing Oracle Business Rules at Runtime

9 Creating a Rule-enabled Non-SOA Java EE Application

• 9.1 Introduction to the Grades Sample Application
• 9.2 Creating an Application and a Project for Grades Sample Application
  • 9.2.1 How to Create a Fusion Web Application for the Grades Sample Application
  • 9.2.2 How to Create the Grades Project
  • 9.2.3 How to Add the XML Schema and Generate JAXB Classes in the Grades Project
  • 9.2.4 How to Create an Oracle Business Rules Dictionary in the Grades Project
• 9.3 Creating Data Model Elements and Rules for the Grades Sample Application
  • 9.3.1 How to Create Bucketsets for Grades Sample Application
  • 9.3.2 How to Add a Decision Table for Grades Sample Application
  • 9.3.3 How to Add Actions in the Decision Table for Grades Sample Application
  • 9.3.4 How to Rename the Decision Function for Grades Sample Application
• 9.4 Adding a Servlet with Rules SDK Calls for Grades Sample Application
  • 9.4.1 How to Add a Servlet to the Grades Project
• 9.5 Adding an HTML Test Page for Grades Sample Application
  • 9.5.1 How to Add an HTML Test Page to the Grades Project
• 9.6 Preparing the Grades Sample Application for Deployment
  • 9.6.1 How to Create the WAR File for the Grades Sample Application
  • 9.6.2 How to Add the Rules Library to the Grades Sample Application
  • 9.6.3 How to Add the MDS Deployment File to the Grades Sample Application
  • 9.6.4 How to Add the EAR File to the Grades Sample Application
• 9.7 Deploying and Running the Grades Sample Application
  • 9.7.1 How to Deploy to Grades Sample Application
  • 9.7.2 How to Run the Grades Sample Application

10 Working with Oracle Business Rules and ADF Business Components

• 10.1 Introduction to Using Business Rules with ADF Business Components
  • 10.1.1 Understanding Oracle Business Rules ADF Business Components Fact Types
  • 10.1.2 Understanding Oracle Business Rules Decision Point Action Type
• 10.2 Using Decision Points with ADF Business Components Facts
  • 10.2.1 How to Call a Decision Point with ADF Business Components Facts
    • 10.2.1.1 Setting the Decision Point Transaction
    • 10.2.1.2 Setting Runtime Properties
    • 10.2.1.3 Calling the Invoke Method for an ADF Business Components Rule
    • 10.2.1.4 What You Need to Know About Decision Point Invocation
  • 10.2.2 How to Call a Decision Function with Java Decision Point Interface
  • 10.2.3 What You Need to Know About Decision Function Configuration with ADF Business Components
• 10.3 Creating a Business Rules Application with ADF Business Components Facts
  • 10.3.1 How to Create an Application That Uses ADF Business Components Facts
  • 10.3.2 How to Add the Chapter10 Generic Project
  • 10.3.3 How to Create ADF Business Components Application for Business Rules
  • 10.3.4 How to Update View Object Tuning for Business Rules Sample Application
  • 10.3.5 How to Create a Dictionary for Oracle Business Rules
  • 10.3.6 How to Add Decision Point Dictionary Links
  • 10.3.7 How to Import the ADF Business Components Facts
  • 10.3.8 How to Add and Run the Outside Manager Ruleset
    • 10.3.8.1 How to Add the Outside Manager Ruleset and Add a Decision Function
    • 10.3.8.2 How to Create the ActionType Java Implementation Class
    • 10.3.8.3 How to Import the Message Action Java Fact
    • 10.3.8.4 How to Add the Find Managers Rule
    • 10.3.8.5 How to Add the Outside Manager Finder Class
    • 10.3.8.6 How to Update ADF META INF for Local Dictionary Access
    • 10.3.8.7 How to Build and Run the Project to Check the Outside Manager Finder
  • 10.3.9 How to Add and Run the Department Manager Ruleset
    • 10.3.9.1 How to Add the Department Manager Finder Ruleset
    • 10.3.9.2 How to Add the Find Rule in the Department Manager Finder Ruleset
    • 10.3.9.3 How to Add Retract Employees Ruleset
    • 10.3.9.4 How to Add the Find Department Managers Decision Function
    • 10.3.9.5 How to Add the Department Manager Finder Java Class
    • 10.3.9.6 How to Copy the Dictionary to an MDS Accessible Location
    • 10.3.9.7 How to Build and Run the Project to Check the Find Managers Rule
  • 10.3.10 How to Add and Run the Raises and Retract Employees Rulesets
    • 10.3.10.1 How to Add the Raises Ruleset
    • 10.3.10.2 How to Create the Raise ActionType Java Implementation Class
    • 10.3.10.3 How to Import the Raise Action Java Fact
    • 10.3.10.4 How to Add the 12 Year Raise Rule
    • 10.3.10.5 How to Add the Employee Raises Decision Function
    • 10.3.10.6 How to Add the Employee Raises Java Class
    • 10.3.10.7 How to Copy Dictionary
    • 10.3.10.8 How to Build and Run the Project to Check the Raises Rule

11 Working with Decision Components in SOA Applications

• 11.1 Introduction to Decision Components
• 11.2 Working with a Decision Component
  • 11.2.1 Working with Decision Component Metadata
    • 11.2.1.1 Decision Service Metadata (.decs) File
    • 11.2.1.2 SCA Component Type (.componentType) File
    • 11.2.1.3 Decision Component Entry in composite.xml
  • 11.2.2 Working with Decision Components that Expose a Decision Function
  • 11.2.3 Using Stateful Interactions with a Decision Component
  • 11.2.4 What You Need to Know About Stateful Interactions with Decision Components
• 11.3 Decision Service Architecture

A Oracle Business Rules Files and Limitations

• A.1 Rules Designer Naming Conventions
  • A.1.1 Ruleset Naming
  • A.1.2 Dictionary Naming
  • A.1.3 Alias Naming
  • A.1.4 XML Schema Target Package Naming

B Rules Extension Methods

• B.1 Duration Extension Methods (oracle.rules.rl.extensions.Duration)
• B.2 JavaDate Extension Methods (oracle.rules.rl.extensions.JavaDate)
• B.3 XMLDate Extension Methods (oracle.rules.rl.extensions.XMLDate)
• B.4 OracleDate Methods (oracle.rules.sdk2.extensions.OracleDate)
• B.5 OracleDuration Methods (oracle.rules.sdk2.extensions.OracleDuration)

C Oracle Business Rules Frequently Asked Questions

• C.1 Why Do Rules Not Fire When A Java Object is Asserted as a Fact and Then Changed Without Using the Modify Action?
• C.2 What are the Differences Between Oracle Business Rules RL Language and Java?
• C.3 How Does a RuleSession Handle Concurrency and Synchronization?
• C.4 How Do I Correctly Express a Self-Join?
• C.5 How Do I Use a Property Change Listener in Oracle Business Rules?
• C.6 What Are the Limitations on a Decision Service with Oracle Business Rules?
• C.7 How Do I Change the Name of a Dictionary or Dictionary Package?
• C.8 How Do I Put Java Code in a Rule?
• C.9 Can I Use Java Based Facts in a Decision Service with BPEL?
• C.10 How Do I Enable Debugging in a BPEL Decision Service?
• C.11 How Do I Support Versioning with Oracle Business Rules?
• C.12 What is the Priority Order Using Priorities with Rules and Rulesets?
• C.13 Why do XML Schema with xsd:string Typed Elements Import as Type JAXBElement?
• C.14 Why Are Changes to My Java Classes Not Reflected in the Data Model?
• C.15 How Do I Use Rules SDK to Include a null in an Expression?
• C.16 Is WebDAV Supported as a Repository to Store a Dictionary?

D Oracle Business Rules Troubleshooting

• D.1 Getter and Setter Methods are not Visible
• D.2 Java Class with Only a Property Setter
• D.3 Renaming a Dictionary or Dictionary Package
• D.4 Runtime NoClassDefFound Error
• D.5 RL Specific Keyword Naming Conflict Errors
• D.6 java.lang.IllegalAccessError from Business Rules Service Runtime
• D.7 JAXB 1.0 Dictionaries and RL MultipleInheritanceException
• D.8 Why Does XML Schema with Underscores Fail JAXB Compilation?
• D.9 How Are Decision Service Inputs and Outputs Restricted?

E Working with Oracle Business Rules and JSR-94 Execution Sets

• E.1 Introduction to Oracle Business Rules and JSR-94 Execution Sets
• E.2 Creating JSR-94 Rule Execution Sets from Oracle Business Rules Rulesets
  • E.2.1 Creating Rule Execution Set with Oracle Business Rules RL Language Text
  • E.2.2 Creating a Rule Execution Set from Oracle RL Text Specified in a URL
  • E.2.3 Creating Rule Execution Sets with Rulesets from Multiple Sources
• E.3 Using the JSR-94 Interface with Oracle Business Rules
  • E.3.1 Creating a Rule Execution Set with createRuleExecutionSet
  • E.3.2 Creating a Rule Session with createRuleSession
  • E.3.3 Working with JSR-94 Metadata
  • E.3.4 Using Oracle Business Rules JSR-94 Extensions
    • E.3.4.1 Using the Extended createRuleExecutionSet to Create a Rule Execution Set
    • E.3.4.2 Invoking an RL Language Function in JSR-94

F Working with Rule Reporter

• F.1 Introduction to Working with Rule Reporter
  • F.1.1 What You Need to Know About Rule Reporter HTML Style Sheets
  • F.1.2 What You Need to Know About RuleReporter API
  • F.1.3 What You Need to Know About Rule Reporter Dependent Jar Files
• F.2 Using Rule Reporter Command Line Interface
  • F.2.1 How to List the Contents of a Dictionary with Rule Reporter Command Line
• F.3 Using Rule Reporter with Java
  • F.3.1 How to List the Contents of a Dictionary Using Rule Reporter with Java

Index