Conclusiones

To start developing rule, click on edit of the Imported BOM in Repository Screen. This will take you to Workbench for given Model Click on Rules Link.

Logic Rules

Logic Rules enable you to express constraints among elements of your Model in terms of logical relationships. For example, selecting one Option A may require that Options B and C be included in the configuration.

Logic rules define item to item relationships. Logic Rules can push both ways. For example, Side A can impact the logic state of Side B, and Side B can impact the logic state of Side A Either side of the rule can contain one or more Features, Options, and so on. Configuration validity at run time is ensured by Oracle Configurator.

Click Create icon on Imported BOM line to create various rules/folders. It is better to create folders for each type of rules.

Types of Logic Rules

Requires

The Requires Rule definition sets up a relationship that “pushes” both ways. That is, if you set either side to true or false, the other side is set to the same state. Additionally, the selection of one item requires selection of another item. This is two-way kind of relationship.

Selection of an item selects another item, and vice versa. The two items are forced to have t he same logic state.

If A is true, then B must be true

If B is true, then A must be true

If A is false, then B must be false

If B is false, then A must be false

Implies Rule Implies Rule

The Implies Rule definition sets up a one-way

The Implies Rule definition sets up a one-way relationship. That is, the selection of one item relationship. That is, the selection of one item selects another item, but not the reverse. Selection of selects another item, but not the reverse. Selection of one itemone item selects another item, but not the reverse.

selects another item, but not the reverse.

Implies Rule Definition

If B is false, then A can be either false or unknown, but not trueunknown, but not true

For example, if you select a large monitor, you need a video card. Therefore, when you select a large monitor, it implies a video card, but it does not require For example, if you select a large monitor, you need a video card. Therefore, when you select a large monitor, it implies a video card, but it does not require the reverse to be tr

the reverse to be true. In other words, you should be able ue. In other words, you should be able to buy the video card to buy the video card without also buying the large monitor.without also buying the large monitor.

Negates Rule Negates Rule

Selection of one item prohibits selection of another item, and vi

Selection of one item prohibits selection of another item, and vice versa. The two items ce versa. The two items are forced to have the opposite are forced to have the opposite logic state.logic state.

Negates Rule Definition:

Negates Rule Definition:

If A is true, B is false If A is true, B is false

If A is false, B is

The Excludes Rule definition sets up a one-way r

The Excludes Rule definition sets up a one-way relationship. That is, the selection of one item elationship. That is, the selection of one item prohibits another item, but not the reverse.prohibits another item, but not the reverse.

Excludes Rule Definition:

Excludes Rule Definition:

If A is true, then B must be false If A is true, then B must be false If A is false, then B can have any value If A is false, then B can have any value If B is true, then A must be false If B is true, then A must be false If B is false, then A can have any value If B is false, then A can have any value For example, if the end

For example, if the end user selects software applications that exceed the amount of memory previously selected, the system displays a contradictionuser selects software applications that exceed the amount of memory previously selected, the system displays a contradiction message. The user can then either remove one

message. The user can then either remove one or more applications or increase the or more applications or increase the amount of memory to continue.amount of memory to continue.

Defaults Rule Defaults Rule

The Defaults rule definition sets a specified Featu

The Defaults rule definition sets a specified Feature or Option to true as a result of re or Option to true as a result of another selection. A specified Featuanother selection. A specified Feature or Option is re or Option is set to true only if it isset to true only if it is available. The Defaults rule is similar to the Implies rule, only it is gentler. "A Defaults B" means that whenever A is selected and B is available, B is

available. The Defaults rule is similar to the Implies rule, only it is gentler. "A Defaults B" means that whenever A is selected and B is available, B is selected.selected.

The Defaults rule sets a specified

The Defaults rule sets a specified Feature or Option to some value as tFeature or Option to some value as the result of another selection. Defaults rules are useful he result of another selection. Defaults rules are useful if you want to driif you want to drive initialve initial values at the beginning of a configuration session from customer requirements selections.

values at the beginning of a configuration session from customer requirements selections.

Defaults rules do not display a

Defaults rules do not display a violation message at run time since they just select violation message at run time since they just select default options and can always be overridden by tdefault options and can always be overridden by the end user.he end user.

All True/Any True

Numeric Rules

Numeric Rules express constraints between elements of your Model in terms of numeric relationships. With Numeric Rules, end-user selections can contribute to or consume from a Resource, Total, Numeric Feature, Option count, or the mi nimum or maximum number of component instances allowed in a runtime Oracle Configurator.

Totals and Resources are used for:

Accumulating values

Example: Track the total amount of disk space available to ensure that you cannot consume more than you have of a resource

Example: Prevent the end user from ordering m ore than the maximum number of memory slots available in a personal computer

Adjusting the count of an option:

Example: Ensure that a battery pack is provided with each laptop computer ordered

Numeric Rule performs numeric operation on one or more Nodes viz. Totals or Numeric Features, Boolean expressions, Option Counts, Option properties and Constants. Values can be multiplied or divided before they are accumulated. The r esult is placed in: Total, Resource, Option Count, and Numeric Feature

Numeric rule types:

Contributes - Example, Each time a software application is selected, add a value to a Total called "Applications Disk Space"

Consumes -Example, Each time the user selects a Hard Drive or CD-ROM, subtract 1 from a Resource called “Bay Slots”

Numeric rules follow the Quantity Cascade rules. For example, an Option cannot contribute to or consume from its parent node (a Feature). A rule defined this way produces an error at run time.

Boolean expressions are expressions that can have a true/false value. A value of true is interpreted as a one (1) and a value of false is interpreted as zero (0).

Use Numeric Features to make Advanced Expressions more readable. If you put a constant into an Advanced Expression, the meaning of the number is lost, so define a Numeric Feature and use that instead. You can exclude a Numeric Feature from the run- time user interface by setting the option “Display in User  Interface” to No. Values of Totals and Resources are stored as decimal numbers. Multiply option counts by option properties to easily.

Rule Name: Floppy CONSUMES from Bay Slots

A Side:

Floppy Drive - 1.44 MB (CM67433, from Disk Drive Option Class)

* Constant = 1

CONSUMES FROM B Side: Bay Slots (Resource)

When this rule comes into effect after selection of Floppy drive number of Bay Slots available are reduced by 1

Rule Name: Set 1GB RAM for Ultra

A Side:

Ultra * Constant (Quantity Multiplier) = 2

CONSUMES FROM B Side: Memory 512 (CM08512) to make 1 GB

When this rule is activated after selection of Ultra Option automatically 2 quantities of CM08512 (512 MB RAM) gets selected to make it 1 GB.

Comparison Rules

This type of rules compares and validate numeric values. e.g. following rule compares Application disk space to 120 GB and accordingly excludes certain hard disk components

Compatibility Rules

There are three types of Compatibility r ules:

Explicit Compatibility rules: Express compatibility constraints among Options of your Model that cannot be described in terms of a shared Property. Specify explicit matches between the Options of one or more Features Set a logic state of False on Options that are incompatible with a selected Option

Property-Based Compatibility rules: Perform a comparison between property values shared by Features or Option Classes. It can include multiple comparisons among the participating Features. It Specify the Properties to be checked for compatible values .It specify the type of comparison to be made between the Property values, using standard numeric and string comparison operators

To create a Property-Based Compatibility rule, participants must be Features with Options that have Properties and All Options used in the rule must have a common property. These are easier to i mplement because individual options are actual inventory items which are maintained in Oracle Inventory and populated to CZ schema t hrough concurrent program.

For example based on Memory Property o f Model Node "Which Application You want to run" the rule compares RAM property of Memory Option Class and selects the component accordingly. As you can see the relationship between to Options is not explicit. It is based on Property values (Catalog Values) of individual i tems/options.

Design Charts:

Express complex explicit compatibility relationships. It contains various features.

Primary Feature: Options define variations of the Model

Secondary Features: Defining Features: Unique combinations of options that define options of the primary Feature

Optional Features: Options can be compatible or incompatible with Options of the primary Feature. It can have multiple secondary Features.

The example used is about prepackaged system

If you closely watch above screen shots, there are three options for "Select a Prepackaged System" viz. Basic, W ork and Ultra. Now after adding Optional Option features, the define rule screen allows selection of individual components Based on Basic, Work or Ultra i.e. if User Selects Basic the one component of a given class gets selected while for Work there can be a different component.

Statement Rules

You define a Statement Rule by entering text rather than building the rule interactively by selecting Model structure nodes and operators. A Statement Rule must be written using the Constraint Definition Language (CDL). Statement Rules can define a Logic or Comparison relationship, a Numeric contribution or consumption, or a Property-based Compatibility relationship. Explicit Compatibilities and Design Charts cannot be expressed using a Statement Rule

Statement Rules enable you to:

Write a rule using multiple operands in a single CDL statement Include multiple abstract relations in a single rule

Define both sides of a rule in a single expression

Examples:

Following statement rule uses FOR ALL key word and adds "Hard Disk Capacity" Property values of all hard disks selected to a Total type of node "Total Disk Space". Here &x represent all selected hard disk options.

Constraint Definition Language (CDL) and some examples

The Constraint Definition Language (CDL) is a modeling language. CDL allows you to define configuration rules, the constraining relationships among items in configuration models, by entering them as text. Valid data types when defining a rule in CDL are INTEGER, DECIMAL,BOOLEAN,TEXT,Node types.

Following examples can give you an idea about the power and usage of CDL in configurator

Following configuration rule calculates the size of glass to be put into a window frame for each Window instance. The glass is to be inserted into the Frame 1/2 inch at each side. To capture such a rule, you would provide a name, such as WindowGlassSize, a description, and then associate the rule with the Window Model.

CONTRIBUTE Frame.Width - 2 * Frame.Border + 2 * 0.5 TO Glass.Width;

CONTRIBUTE Frame.Height - 2 * Frame.Border + 2 * 0.5 TO Glass.Height;

An example configuration rule constrains the window frame color so that for some colors, the fi nish is glossy. An iterator le ts you define a r ule that selects the glossy finish based on a Property. The variable &color refers to all the Options of the Feature Color, in the Frame Component of the Window Model. The r ule selects a glossy finish when one of those colors is selected AND the Property RequiresGlossyFinish is true.

CONSTRAIN &color IMPLIES Frame.Finish.Glossy FOR ALL &color IN OptionsOf(Frame.Color)

WHERE &color.Property ("RequiresGlossyFinish") = "Tr ue";

To select a glossy fi nish for every Option of the Feature Color, make the Boolean Property RequiresGlossyFinish imply a glossy finish.

CONSTRAIN &color.Property("RequiresGlossyFinish") IMPLIES Frame.Finish.Glossy FOR ALL &color IN OptionsOf(Frame.Color)

Please refer to Constraint Definition Language (CDL) Guide Release 11i for all the syntaxes of CDL.

Summary:

In this article we covered almost all types of rules and a brief about CDL. Configurator extension rules which will be covered in next article which will be more technical topic.

Technical folks stay tuned and brushup your JAVA skills for writing Java/SQL code in configurator using configurator extension rules and wait for next article.