Component ruleset

A component ruleset contains rules that are designed to define reusable applications or functionality that executes embedded within an object. When a component ruleset is installed in multiple systems, the class of the object may vary from system to system.

Because the rules in a component ruleset are constructed without knowledge of the class of the object that will execute them, these must follow strict restrictions:

• Contains one or more class rules for embedded pages, typically an abstract class derived from the Work- class.
• All rules other than class rules have an Applies To key part that is one of the classes in the ruleset .
• Rules cannot explicitly reference top-level pages such as pyWorkPage, for read or update, and cannot use the Primary keyword or Top keyword in property references. All communication with the calling application is through flow parameters, activity parameters, a shared clipboard page or pages, and a shared property.
• A component ruleset cannot create work items or include harnesses.

Example

For example, work items your application may include multiple United States mailing addresses, some with incorrect or missing postal Zip codes. A component ruleset can include rules that connect using SOAP to a Web service provided to validate or correct Zip codes in these addresses. Your calling application can pass a page (of class Data-Address) containing a street address to the component ruleset to evaluate. Such pages may appear within a large variety of objects belonging to many distinct, unrelated top-level classes.

After it looks up the correct Zip code, the component can return status information and the answer to your application through callback property values, or through properties on a clipboard page that both the calling application and the component application share.

Working with component rulesets

You define a ruleset as a component type on the Category tab in the ruleset form. Identify the ruleset in the Component and Shared Rulesets array on the General tab of an application rule referenced by your access group.

In Java terms, a component ruleset provides encapsulation.

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