Terminology
Throughout the document the term script is used to describe one or more lines of Groovy code that your application using Oracle business objects executes at runtime. Often a very-short script is all that is required.
For example, to validate that a CommissionPercentage
field's value does not
exceed 40%, you might use a one-line script like:
return CommissionPercentage < 0.40
In fact, this one-liner can be conveniently shortened by dropping the return
keyword since the return
keyword is always implied on the last line of a
script:
CommissionPercentage < 0.40
For slightly more complicated logic, your script might require some conditional handling. For example, suppose the maximum commission percentage is 40% if the salesperson's job grade is less than or equal to 3, but 60% if the job grade is higher. Your script would grow a little to look like this:
if (JobGrade <= 3) {
return CommissionPercentage < 0.40
}
else {
return CommissionPercentage < 0.60
}
Scripts that you'll write for other purposes like complex validation rules or reusable functions may span multiple pages, depending on your needs.
When a context requiring a Groovy script will typically use a short (often, one-line) script, we emphasize that fact by calling it an expression, however technically the terms script and expression are interchangeable. Anywhere you can provide a one-line expression is also a valid context for providing a multi-line script if the need arises. Whether you provide a short expression or a multi-line script, the syntax and features at your disposal are the same. You need only pay attention that your code returns a value of the appropriate type for the context in which you use it. Each section below highlights the expected return type for the script in question.