Chapter 7 Working with Decision Tables : Understanding Column Types

Understanding Column Types
There are four different types of columns in decision tables. In a decision table, all the cells in a column must be of the same type. The types of columns are:
All cells that are not Custom apply to a single decision table argument (that is, a property that is dragged from the Argument Explorer) that is associated with their column.
Custom Conditions and Actions
You can add conditions that are not specific to any of the properties you have dragged to the condition area, and you can take actions not specific to the properties you have dragged to the action area. To do this use custom conditions or actions. Click Custom and choose Add Custom Condition or Add Custom Action. In the newly added column, enter any valid TIBCO BusinessEvents statement. The header area for each custom column is blank.
non-Custom Condition Columns
There are two sub-types for non-Custom Condition cell types:
Domain Model Condition
Check one or more boxes in the domain model drop-down. If you edit the text of the cell, the cell is no longer considered a Domain Model Condition and the domain model checkboxes are unchecked the next time you click on the cell.
The access security system enforces whether you are allowed to create non-Custom functions that do not use the domain model made available to you via the drop-down menus you see when you click on a table cell.
non-Domain Model Condition
To fill a a decision table cell of this type, enter an optional operator (= is assumed if not given) followed by any valid BusinessEvents rules language expression that can be compared with this column's argument using the operator provided.
The one difference from BusinessEvents rules language for non-Custom Conditions is that if you type an identifier (that is, a variable name, function name, and so on) that cannot be resolved as a local variable or argument name, it is treated as a String.
The operator itself is not considered part of the BusinessEvents rules language expression. The operator can be a decision table-only operator (= for equality and <> for inequality) or a BusinessEvents operator.
Custom Condition Columns
A BusinessEvents rules language expression that evaluates to a boolean value.
This is one line in the Designer Rule Editor condition area without the final ';'. Thus, you can just type "Math.round(x)". See Custom Conditions and Actions for more information about custom conditions.
non-Custom Action Columns
A BusinessEvents rules language expression that can be assigned to this column's decision table argument. The result of the expression in this cell is always assigned to this column's decision table argument. Assignment to other properties is not allowed in this type of cell.
Custom Action Columns
This is an action area in a cell for the entire Rule Editor. In this cell you cannot make any assignments. However, you can call a function that does the assignment. If you want to make an assignment, you can do it explicitly. See Custom Conditions and Actions for more information about custom actions.