Rule Specifications
This section describes new features in rule specifications in version 10.0.
Linked Assets
Effective in version 10.0, the Design workspace in the Analyst tool displays a hyperlink to an asset that you link to the rule specification. For example, if you use another rule asset in the rule specification, the workspace displays a link to the rule asset. The Design workspace also displays a hyperlink to any rule that you generate from the rule specification.
Find the hyperlinks under Assets in the rule specification properties.
For more information, see the "Rule Specification Configuration" chapter of the Informatica 10.0 Rule Specification Guide.
Mapplet Rules
Effective in version 10.0, you can use mapplet rules in the following ways:
- •You can configure a rule specification that is valid during a time period that you define. You specify the dates and times that indicate the start and the end of the time period. The time period also applies to any mapplet rule that you compile from the rule specification. If you run a mapping that reads the mapplet rule outside the time period, the mapping fails.
For more information, see the "Rule Specification Configuration" chapter of the Informatica 10.0 Rule Specification Guide.
- •You can add a mapplet rule to a condition and an action in a rule statement. Connect an input from the rule specification to an input port on the mapplet rule. Or, use a constant value as an input to the mapplet rule. Select an output port from the mapplet rule as output from the condition or the action.
For more information, see the "Rule Specification Configuration" chapter of the Informatica 10.0 Rule Specification Guide.
Rule Statements
Effective in version 10.0, you can perform the following operations in a rule statement:
- •You can move or copy a rule statement within a rule set, and you can move or copy a rule statement to another rule set. You can move or copy a rule statement to a rule set in another rule specification. If you move or copy a rule statement to another rule specification, the operation moves or copies the inputs that the rule statement uses. The operation also moves or copies any test data that you entered and saved to test the rule statement.
- •You can move or copy a rule set to another location in the rule specification and to another rule specification. If you move or copy a rule set to another rule specification, the operation moves or copies the inputs and the test data that the rule set uses.
- •You can move or copy test data from a rule specification to another rule specification.
- •You can select the CONTAINS operator when you configure a condition in a rule statement. Use the operator to determine the following information about the data values in an input column:
- - Determine if an input column contains a data value that you enter.
- - Determine if an input column contains a data value that appears on the same row in another input column.
- •You can configure a rule statement to search for an input value in a list of values that you enter.
- •A rule set includes a predefined rule statement that specifies an action to perform when the preceding rule statements generate no data. By default, the rule statement specifies that the rule set performs no action. You can update the action in the rule statement.
For more information, see the "Rule Statement Configuration" in the Informatica 10.0 Rule Specification Guide.
User Interface Enhancements
Effective in version 10.0, the Design workspace includes the following user interface enhancements for rule specifications:
- •When you select the Inputs view for a rule set, the workspace hides any input that the rule set does not contain.
- •You can drag the rule specification in the workspace canvas.
- •You can use the mouse wheel to zoom in and zoom out of the rule specification.
- •You can expand and collapse the rule specification tree structure to show or hide different parts of the rule specification.
- •You can add a text description to an input.
- •A rule set that reads the output of a child rule set displays the child rule set name in the list of inputs.
- •A rule set that is not valid appears in a different color to a valid rule set.
- •Some configurable options have new names.
For more information, see the Informatica 10.0 Rule Specification Guide.
Version Control
Effective in version 10.0, you can work with rule specifications in a versioned Model repository. If you open a rule specification from a Model repository that uses version control, the Analyst tool applies the version control properties to the rule specification. Use the Edit option in the Design workspace to check out a rule specification from the repository. Use the Save and Finish option in the workspace to check in the rule specification. You can also undo a checkout operation.
You can view an earlier version of the rule specification and revert to an earlier version in edit mode and in read-only mode. When you view an older version of a rule specification in read-only mode, you can perform all of the read-only operations that apply to the current version of the rule specification. You can view and validate a rule specification in read-only mode. You can test a rule specification in read-only mode if the rule specification contains test data.
For more information, see the "Model Repository" chapter in the Informatica 10.0 Analyst Guide.