Rules Maintenance - Calculations

A.   Housekeeping

1.   See the Common Processing Routines - Housekeeping section of this manual for a general discussion of the Housekeeping subroutine.  Processing specific to this program is described below.

2.   A parameter list is set up for the command window, valid values, and help screen parameters.

3.   Key lists are defined for each file retrieved by the program.

4.   Work fields are defined and program constants are initialized.

5.   The following records are retrieved from the Reference file (REFERP):

a.   The date format record (category 049) is retrieved.  If this record is not found, the date format defaults to MMDDYY, a message is sent to the system operator, and processing continues.

b.   The operator codes (category Y02) are retrieved and moved into an array for use during rule syntax validation.

c.   The variable codes (category Y01) are retrieved and moved into an array for use during rule syntax validation.

d.   The user-defined print codes (category Y33) are retrieved and moved into an array for use during print code validation.

B.   Mainline

1.   The Rule Maintenance Function Select Screen (EC100S01) is displayed.  The user may choose one of four functions:  add a rule, change an existing rule, deactivate an existing rule, or reactivate a previously deactivated rule.

a.   To facilitate quick and easy creation of rules, a "Copy Rule" option is incorporated on the function select screen.  This feature can be particularly useful when creating rules which are released by the same rule.  By copying a rule at the same level in the releasing structure, fields are automatically duplicated thus eliminating redundant data entry.

2.   After the user presses the ENTER key, the user input is validated based on the following criteria.

Note that the following international action codes are defined in category Y03 in the Reference file.  User-defined action codes are maintainable in category Y03 as well.

User-defined action codes are only required for add transactions.  For modification, deactivation, and reactivation, the Action Code field must be left blank.  It should also be noted that the user-defined action codes must be entered in the Action Code field.  These codes are defined, along with the International Action codes (listed above), in category Y03 on the Reference file.

3.   Once a valid function select screen has been entered, the appropriate header or detail screen is displayed based on the action code/maintenance code combination.  See the Expert Configurator User Manual for validation rules.

a.   An add transaction will result in the display of one of the following header screens:

4.   After a valid header screen is entered (for an add transaction), or change, deactivate, or reactivate are selected from the function select screen, the display of one of the following detail screens will result (i.e. in change, deactivate, or reactivate mode the user will be taken directly to the detail screen):

a.   The information on both the header and the detail screen is user-maintainable.  It should be noted that once a Rule Action is associated with a rule number, this relationship is permanent.  (e.g.  If rule number X0001 10 is defined as a condition rule when it is added, it will always be a condition rule.  Although any of the header or detail information can be changed, rule X0001 10 could never be changed to be another rule type unless it was physically deleted and re-added.)

b.   At any time during rule maintenance, the user can toggle back and forth between function select, header, and detail screens through the use of command keys.

ADDING A SCREEN GENERATION RULE

1.   When adding a Screen Generation Rule (International Action Code = 07) the following processing is performed:

a.   Screen Generation Header information is entered.  Key fields which are defined are Item (a rule may be defined for all parts, a group, a group/subgroup, or a single part number) Rule Version, Screen Title, and Releasing Rule.  At this time the user may also specify the name of a user-defined help screen to accompany the user-defined option screen which will be generated by the rule.

b.   Once the header information is entered, the Screen Generation Detail Screen is displayed.  This screen allows the user to enter up to 50 options to be displayed on the user defined option screen.  The fields, which are defined according to user specifications, are used by the Expert Configurator in the following manner:

·      Sequence Number (used in determining the order in which the options are to be displayed on the option screen)

·      Option (user-defined variable name which may be used as a variable in condition statements in other rules)

·      Description (used to describe the option)

·      Print code (used to determine on which reports options are to appear)

·      Option definition (used to define the characteristics of the option - length, number of decimal places, and alphanumeric or numeric)

·      Default value (used to specify a default value to be displayed upon initial entry into the option screen)

·      Category (used to cause the option to be automatically validated against a reference file category)

·      Type (used to define the option as mandatory or as a logical - yes/no - entry)

ADDING A STANDARD RULE

1.   When adding a Standard Rule (Screen Validation, Modify Option, Start Debug, End Debug, Finalize Price, Component Requirement, Labor Requirement, Generate Comment, Condition, and Secondary Variable), the following processing is performed:

a.   Standard Rule Header information is entered.  Key fields which are defined are Item (a rule can be defined for all parts, a group, a group/subgroup, or a single part number) Rule Version, Screen Title, and Releasing Rule.  At this time the user may also specify the name of a user-defined help screen to accompany the user-defined option screen which will be generated by the rule.

b.   Once the header information is entered, the Standard Rule Detail Screen, which corresponds to the selected Action Code, is displayed.  This detail screen will vary based on the Action Code (e.g. a Component Requirement Rule allows the user to enter a Quantity Per and a Generate Comment Rule allows the user to enter Comment Text).  For specific explanation of the required fields for each Action Code, refer to the Expert Configurator User Manual.

c.   The Condition field is displayed on the detail screen for all Standard Rules.

CHANGE AN EXISTING RULE

1.   When changing a screen generation rule the following processing is performed.

a.   After the user enters the screen generation rule number on the select screen and a maintenance code of 2 - change header, or 3 change detail, the appropriate header or detail screen is displayed.

b.   If the Part Number, Releasing Rule, or Return Rule fields are changed on the header screen, they are validated.  If these fields are valid, the information is changed on the Screen Rule Master file.

c.   If the Option Length, Decimal Length, Option Type, or Validation Type fields are changed, they are validated.  If these fields are valid, the information is changed on the Screen Rule Master file.

2.   When changing a standard rule, the following processing is performed.

a.   After the user enters the standard rule number on the Rule Maintenance Function Select Screen and a maintenance code of 2 - change header, or 3 - change detail, the appropriate header or detail screen is displayed.

b.   If the Part Number, Releasing Rule, Releasing Rule result, or Return Rule, or Current Rule Result fields are changed, they are validated.  If these fields are valid, the header information is changed on the Standard Rule Master file.

c.   If the rule condition or expressions are changed on the detail screen, the rule syntax is validated as being correct configurator syntax.  If the syntax is valid, the detail information is changed on the Standard Rule Master file.

DEACTIVATE/REACTIVATE A STANDARD RULE OR SCREEN RULE

1.   After the user enters the rule number on the Rule Maintenance Function Select Screen and a maintenance code of 4 - deactivate or 5 - reactivate, the rule is deactivated or reactivated on the Rule Master file.

2.   A deactivated rule is deleted from the Rule Master file when a Rules File Reorganization report (EC020A) is run.

EC100E Program Menu

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