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6 topics

  1. Overview
  2. Triggers
  3. Conditions
  4. Contexts
  5. Actions
  6. Formula Builder

Overview

Every Business Rule 2.0 is built from the same parts: a trigger, optional conditions, and one or more actions. This article therefore describes each part and every option the rule editor offers.

A rule reads like a sentence. When the trigger fires, if the conditions are met, then the actions run. Also, the rule editor draws this as a visual flow, with a WHEN node, an IF or ELSE IF branch for each set of conditions, and a THEN node for the actions.

Visual flow of a rule with an IF branch and an ELSE IF branch, each with its own THEN action

You can create rules only for forms configured through Forms 2.0. The card type you choose decides which fields and actions the rule offers. For the steps to build a rule, see How to Create a Business Rule 2.0.

Triggers

Triggers are the events that kick off a rule. In other words, a trigger listens for events in the application, such as a form loading, a field value changing, or a card being blocked. To pick one, select the Select event trigger to call the rule box and choose from the Event Triggers panel. Then choose the card type the rule works on. For example, On create reacts to new cards, while On schedule runs at set times.

Event Triggers panel listing On load, On field change, On schedule, On create, On update, On block, On unblock, On flag and On unflag
Trigger When the rule runs Extra setup
On load When the form is loaded or reloaded. None.
On field change When the value of the selected field changes. Select one field.
On schedule At the recurring times you define, for example every day or every month. Set the recurrence, the range, and the time.
On create When a new instance of the form is created. None.
On update When an instance of the form is updated. Optionally select the fields to watch.
On block When a card is blocked. Use it to create, update, or further block or unblock cards. None.
On unblock When a card is unblocked. Use it to create, update, or further block or unblock cards. None.
On flag When a card is flagged. Use it to create, update, block, unblock, or further flag or unflag cards. None.
On unflag When a card is unflagged. Use it to create, update, block, unblock, or further flag or unflag cards. None.

Choose Fields for On Update

When you select On update, a Select field(s) box appears. Pick the fields that should start the rule. However, if you select no fields, the rule runs on any field change.

Trigger step for On update with the card type Defect and the optional Select field(s) box

Likewise, On field change works the same way. However, you must select exactly one field. For the On schedule options, see Schedule a Rule.

Note

On load and On field change act on the form while a user works on it, so they offer form actions such as showing or hiding fields. However, the other triggers act on cards, so they offer card actions.

Conditions

Conditions let you refine the scope of the trigger. They must be met for the rule to continue. For example, if Priority is High, then set Mark Robinson as the card owner. Also, you can select a single condition or several.

To add one, first select Add and then Condition. Next, note that each condition row has three parts: the field name, the condition, and the value. The field list has three sections: the fields of the form, System Fields such as Created By, Date Created, and Status, and Context Fields (Current Project Name and Current User).

Field name list for a Defect condition, grouped under the form name with fields such as DEF ID, Due Date and Assigned to

Operators by Field Type

The operators you see depend on the type of the field you select.

Field type Operators
Text, for example Name or Status Is Null, Is Not Null, is, is not, contains, does not contain
Long text, for example Description Is Null, Is Not Null, contains, does not contain
Number, for example Estimate Hours or Percent Complete Is Null, Is Not Null, is equal to, is not equal to, is greater than, is less than
Date and time, for example Due Date Is Null, Is Not Null, is, is not, is after, is before
Drop-down and lookup fields, for example Priority, Release, or Class of Service is, is not, is any of, is not any of
Created By and Current User is, is not, is any of, is not any of
Assigned to is, is not, contains, does not contain

With is any of and is not any of, you can also pick several values for one field.

Combine Conditions with AND, OR, and Groups

Select the add icon at the end of a row to add another condition or a condition group. The editor joins new rows with AND. However, you can switch a row to OR: select AND in front of the row and choose OR. In addition, a group holds its own rows, so you can express logic such as “Priority is High AND (Due Date is before a date OR Status is In progress)”.

Condition rows joined with AND, with the AND and OR choice open and a condition group below

To run different actions when the first condition is not met, you can also add an Else if branch. See Add an Else If Branch.

Contexts

Select the context for an action to say which card or record it acts on. For example, if the context is Child card of Defect, a Block card action blocks every child card of the Defect that met the condition. On load and On field change do not use contexts.

Context The action acts on
Current card The card that triggers the rule.
Parent card of the card type The immediate parent of the current card.
Child card of the card type The immediate child cards of the current card.
Predecessor card of the card type The predecessors of the current card.
Successor card of the card type The successors of the current card.
Traced card of the card type The cards that trace back to the current card.
Sub-block(s) The records in a data table sub-block of the form.
Current project The project that holds the card. Use it to create new cards in the project.
Select context list showing Parent, Child, Predecessor, Successor and Traced card, Current card, Sub-block(s) and Current project

Note

Parent and child contexts apply to the immediate parent or child cards only. They do not reach the whole hierarchy.

Actions

Actions are the doers of the rule. They let you automate your activities, such as editing a card, sending an email, or creating a new card. The actions available depend on the trigger and on the context.

Form Actions for On Load and On Field Change

These two triggers offer no context. Instead, you pick the action directly, and the available actions are the same for both.

Action What it does
Show Tab(s) / Hide Tab(s) Shows or hides tabs on the form.
Show Block(s) / Hide Block(s) Shows or hides blocks on the form.
Show Field(s) / Hide Field(s) Shows or hides fields on the form.
Set field as mandatory / Set field as optional Makes fields required or not required.
Enable Fields / Disable Fields Makes fields editable or read-only.
Set field value Sets a field to a value you choose.
Increment field(s) / Decrement field(s) Increases or decreases a numeric field.

Card Actions on the Current Card

The actions on the current card vary by trigger. A card action never repeats the event that started the rule. For example, a rule that starts on block does not offer Block card on the current card.

Trigger Actions on the current card
On create Update card, Move card, Block card, Flag card, Close card, Increment field(s), Decrement field(s), Send email
On update Move card, Block card, Unblock card, Flag card, Unflag card, Close card, Send email
On block Update card, Unblock card, Flag card, Unflag card, Close card, Increment field(s), Decrement field(s)
On unblock Update card, Block card, Flag card, Unflag card, Close card, Increment field(s), Decrement field(s)
On flag Update card, Block card, Unblock card, Unflag card, Close card, Increment field(s), Decrement field(s)
On unflag Update card, Block card, Unblock card, Flag card, Close card, Increment field(s), Decrement field(s)
On schedule Update card, Block card, Unblock card, Flag card, Unflag card, Close card, Increment field(s), Decrement field(s)
Select action list for the Current card context under On create

Actions on Other Contexts

Context Actions
Parent, Child, Predecessor, Successor, and Traced card Create card, Update card, Block card, Unblock card, Flag card, Unflag card, Close card, Increment field(s), Decrement field(s). Under On create, these contexts offer only Create card.
Sub-block(s) Insert records in sub-block, Update records in sub-block, Increment field(s), Decrement field(s). Under On create, only Insert records in sub-block.
Current project Create card

Settings for Each Action

Action What you provide
Update card The field, and the value to set. The card type always matches the card type of the rule.
Move card The Lane and the Column to move the card to.
Block card A Blocking reason and a Blocking comment. Both are required.
Flag card A Flagging comment, which is required.
Close card Nothing. The rule closes the card.
Increment field(s) / Decrement field(s) The field, and the amount to change it by.
Send email The recipients, subject, and body. See Send Email Notifications.
Insert records in sub-block The sub-block, and whether to use Direct Input or Fetch and Populate. See Fetch and Populate.

Choose a Value for Update Card

When you select a field in Update card, the Select value list then offers two groups. Under VALUES, first choose Null to clear the field, User Input to type a fixed value, or Formula to calculate the value. Under ATTRIBUTES, instead choose another field of the card, such as Date Created, to copy its value.

Select value list for the Due Date field showing Null, User Input, Formula and system field attributes

Formula Builder

Use a formula when the value depends on a calculation, such as setting the Due Date to three days from today. To start, select Formula as the value, and then select Configure formula to open the Formula Builder.

Formula Builder dialog with the Functions and Block Fields tabs, the formula area, and the operator buttons

Next, build the formula in the large area. Then pick functions on the Functions tab and fields on the Block Fields tab. Also, you can type to add items quickly: @ for functions, # for block fields, and & for operators. The operator bar under the area adds +, -, /, *, >, <, >=, <=, =, !=, AND, OR, NOT, and brackets. Finally, use the Help panel on the right for guidance.

Date-Time functions expanded in the Formula Builder function list
Category Functions
Condition IF THEN ELSE
Constants TRUE, FALSE
Date-Time DATE, DATEADD, DATEDIFF, DATETIMEVALUE, DATEVALUE, DAY, HOUR, MINUTE, MONTH, NOW, SECOND, TIMENOW, TIMEVALUE, TODAY, WEEKDAY, YEAR
Numeric ABS, AVERAGE, CEILING, COUNT, EXP, FLOOR, LOG, MAX, MIN, MOD, POWER, ROUND, SQRT, SUM
String CONCAT, CONTAINS, ENDSWITH, FIND, LEFT, LEN, LOWER, MID, NOTCONTAINS, RIGHT, STARTSWITH, SUBSTITUTE, TEXT, TRIM, UPPER

Note

You cannot drag fields that can hold several values into a formula. Examples are a Checkbox group, a multi-select static drop-down or lookup, and Masterlist fields.

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