1 About Business Rules

21

1.1 Definition

21

1.2 Ubiquity of Business Rules

22

1.3 Business Rule Management Systems

23

1.3.1 Rule Authoring Environment

24

1.3.2 Rule Repository

25

1.3.3 Rule Engine

26

1.4 Rule Representation

26

1.4.1 Rules and Rulesets

26

1.4.2 Rule Flows

27

1.4.3 Decision Tables

27

1.4.4 Decision Trees

28

1.4.5 Formulas

28

1.4.6 Scorecards

29

1.5 Application Architecture

29

1.5.1 Traditional Application Design

29

1.5.2 Application Design with Business Rules Management

30

1.5.3 Usage Patterns

31

1.6 Business Rules at SAP

32

1.6.1 The Origin of BRFplus

33

1.6.2 BRFplus Rules Authoring—Features

33

1.6.3 BRFplus Rules Engine—Features

34

1.6.4 BRFplus Rules Repository—Features

34

1.6.5 SAP’s Business Rules Strategy and Recommendations

35

1.6.6 Outlook

37

2 BRFplus—a Brief Walk-Through

39

2.1 BRFplus Workbench

39

2.1.1 Prerequisites

39

2.1.2 Starting the BRFplus Workbench

40

2.1.3 UI Execution API

42

2.1.4 Layout

43

2.1.5 Help

46

2.1.6 Personalization

49

2.2 Workflow

53

2.3 The Example

53

2.4 Application—Container for BRFplus Objects

55

2.5 Function—Interface Between Code and Rules

57

2.6 Data Object—Data Carriers

59

2.7 Ruleset—Collection of Rules

61

2.8 Rule—Central Entity

63

2.9 Expressions—Computational Units

64

2.10 Actions—Performing Tasks Outside of BRFplus

67

2.11 Catalog—Visualization and Navigation Help

68

2.12 Simulating and Testing Rules

69

2.13 Function Processing and Rules Evaluation

72

2.14 BRFplus Releases

73

3 Tutorials

77

3.1 Creation of a Pricing Application with the BRFplus Workbench

77

3.1.1 Application

77

3.1.2 Function

79

3.1.3 Ruleset

86

3.1.4 Rule

91

3.1.5 Formula Expressions

94

3.1.6 Decision Tables

97

3.1.7 Activation

102

3.1.8 Simulation

104

3.2 Creation of a Pricing Application with the API

106

3.2.1 Application

107

3.2.2 Function

108

3.2.3 Ruleset

111

3.2.4 Ruleset Variables

112

3.2.5 Decision Tables as Initialization Expressions

113

3.2.6 Rule

116

3.2.7 Formula Expressions

118

3.2.8 Embedding the Function into ABAP Code

119

4 Object Management

121

4.1 Basic Object Handling

122

4.1.1 Object Creation

122

4.1.2 Object Selection

123

4.1.3 Object Maintenance

126

4.2 Basic Object API

130

4.2.1 Naming Conventions

130

4.2.2 Interface Hierarchy

132

4.2.3 Types, Constants, and Messages

133

4.2.4 The Factory Class: Central Point of Access

134

4.2.5 Transactional Behavior

135

4.3 Common Object Settings

142

4.3.1 Attributes

142

4.3.2 Names

145

4.3.3 Versioning

147

4.3.4 Texts and Documentation

151

4.3.5 Access Level

155

4.4 Applications

157

4.4.1 Application Creation

157

4.4.2 Application Properties

159

4.4.3 Application API

161

4.5 Catalogs

164

5 Objects

169

5.1 Functions

169

5.1.1 Mode of Operation

170

5.1.2 Signature

171

5.1.3 Simulation, Web Services, Code Generation, and Tracing

172

5.1.4 Function API

173

5.2 Data Objects

180

5.2.1 Data Objects API

182

5.2.2 Elements

185

5.2.3 Structures

198

5.2.4 Table

201

5.3 Rulesets

202

5.3.1 Ruleset Header

202

5.3.2 Rules in the Ruleset

205

5.3.3 Deferred Ruleset Processing

208

5.3.4 Ruleset API

209

5.4 Rules

211

5.5 Expressions

215

5.5.1 Expression API

217

5.5.2 Constant Expressions

219

5.5.3 Value Range Expressions

220

5.5.4 Direct Values and Value Ranges

223

5.5.5 Boolean Expressions

225

5.5.6 BRMS Connector Expression

229

5.5.7 Case Expressions

234

5.5.8 DB Lookup Expressions

236

5.5.9 Decision Table Expressions

241

5.5.10 Decision Tree Expressions

249

5.5.11 Dynamic Expressions

251

5.5.12 Formula Expressions

253

5.5.13 Function Call Expressions

258

5.5.14 Loop Expressions

260

5.5.15 Procedure Call Expressions

263

5.5.16 Random Number Expressions

269

5.5.17 Search Tree Expressions

270

5.5.18 Table Operation Expressions

275

5.5.19 XSL Transformation Expressions

279

5.6 Actions

281

5.6.1 Actions API

283

5.6.2 Log Message Action

283

5.6.3 Procedure Call Actions

285

5.6.4 Send Email Action

286

5.6.5 Start Workflow Actions

287

5.6.6 Workflow Event Actions

293

6 Tools and Administration

297

6.1 Simulation Tool

299

6.2 XML Export and Import

304

6.2.1 XML Export Tool

305

6.2.2 XML Import Tool

306

6.2.3 Tracking of Imported Object Versions

307

6.2.4 XML Format

308

6.2.5 XML Export and Import API

311

6.3 Web Service Generation Tool

314

6.4 Application Usage Tool

318

6.5 Application Administration Tool

321

6.5.1 Deletion of Unused Objects

323

6.5.2 Deletion of Marked Objects

324

6.5.3 Discarding of Object Versions

325

6.5.4 Cleanup Database

327

6.5.5 Reorganization of Objects

329

6.6 Transport Analysis Tool

330

6.6.1 Transport in Detail

330

6.6.2 Usage of the Tool

333

7 Advanced

337

7.1 Performance

337

7.1.1 Performance Relevant Factors

338

7.1.2 Performance Measurements

343

7.2 Tracing

347

7.2.1 Technical Trace

349

7.2.2 Lean Trace

353

7.3 Extending BRFplus

369

7.3.1 Application Exits

370

7.3.2 Custom Formula Functions

378

7.4 User Interface Integration

385

7.4.1 Object Manager

386

7.4.2 Embedding the UI

389

7.4.3 Object Manager Configuration

392

7.4.4 Object Changes and Events

394

8 Deployment

399

8.1 Change and Transport System

399

8.2 Local Scenarios

401

8.2.1 Application Exit for Object Changeability

402

8.2.2 Combination of Objects with Different Storage Types

404

8.2.3 Creation of Objects with the API

405

8.3 Remote Scenarios

405

9 Methodology

409

9.1 Classic Approach to Software Development

409

9.2 Classification of System Building Blocks

411

9.3 Model for Business Rules

412

9.4 Action Plan

413

9.4.1 Team Setup

414

9.4.2 Creation of Sketch

414

9.4.3 Definition of Business Rule Service

415

9.4.4 Education in BRFplus

417

9.4.5 Creation of Draft

417

9.4.6 Refinement of Business Rule Service

420

9.4.7 Analysis for Extensions

420

9.4.8 Creation of First Version

422

9.4.9 Implementation of Business Rule Service in Business Process

422

9.4.10 Testing

423

9.5 Effort Estimation

423

Appendices

425

A Formula Functions

425

B The Authors

431