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Chapter 19. XML

19.1. The XML Format

Warning

The XML rule language has not been updated to support functionality introduced in Drools 5.x and is consider a deprecated feature.
As an option, JBoss Rules supports a "native" rule language as an alternative to DRL. This allows you to capture and manage your rules as XML data. Just like the non-XML DRL format, the XML format is parsed into the internal "AST" representation as fast as possible (using a SAX parser). There is no external transformation step required.

19.2. XML Rule Example

This is what a rule looks like in XML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<package name="com.sample"
         xmlns="http://drools.org/drools-5.0"
         xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xs:schemaLocation="http://drools.org/drools-5.0 drools-5.0.xsd">

<import name="java.util.HashMap" />
<import name="org.drools.*" />

<global identifier="x" type="com.sample.X" />
<global identifier="yada" type="com.sample.Yada" />

<function return-type="void" name="myFunc">
    <parameter identifier="foo" type="Bar" />
    <parameter identifier="bada" type="Bing" />

    <body>
     System.out.println("hello world");
    </body>
</function>

<rule name="simple_rule">
<rule-attribute name="salience" value="10" />
<rule-attribute name="no-loop" value="true" />
<rule-attribute name="agenda-group" value="agenda-group" />
<rule-attribute name="activation-group" value="activation-group" />

<lhs>
    <pattern identifier="foo2" object-type="Bar" >
            <or-constraint-connective>
                <and-constraint-connective>
                    <field-constraint field-name="a">
                        <or-restriction-connective>
                            <and-restriction-connective>
                                <literal-restriction evaluator=">" value="60" />
                                <literal-restriction evaluator="<" value="70" />
                            </and-restriction-connective>
                            <and-restriction-connective>
                                <literal-restriction evaluator="<" value="50" />
                                <literal-restriction evaluator=">" value="55" />
                            </and-restriction-connective>
                        </or-restriction-connective>
                    </field-constraint>

                    <field-constraint field-name="a3">
                        <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="black" />
                    </field-constraint>
                </and-constraint-connective>

                <and-constraint-connective>
                    <field-constraint field-name="a">
                        <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="40" />
                    </field-constraint>

                    <field-constraint field-name="a3">
                        <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="pink" />
                    </field-constraint>
                </and-constraint-connective>

                <and-constraint-connective>
                    <field-constraint field-name="a">
                        <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="12"/>
                    </field-constraint>

                    <field-constraint field-name="a3">
                        <or-restriction-connective>
                            <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="yellow"/>
                            <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="blue" />
                        </or-restriction-connective>
                    </field-constraint>
                </and-constraint-connective>
            </or-constraint-connective>
        </pattern>

        <not>
            <pattern object-type="Person">
                <field-constraint field-name="likes">
                    <variable-restriction evaluator="==" identifier="type"/>
                </field-constraint>
            </pattern>

            <exists>
                <pattern object-type="Person">
                    <field-constraint field-name="likes">
                        <variable-restriction evaluator="==" identifier="type"/>
                    </field-constraint>
                </pattern>                
            </exists>
        </not>

        <or-conditional-element>
            <pattern identifier="foo3" object-type="Bar" >
                <field-constraint field-name="a">
                    <or-restriction-connective>
                        <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="3" />
                        <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="4" />
                    </or-restriction-connective>
                </field-constraint>
                <field-constraint field-name="a3">
                    <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="hello" />
                </field-constraint>
                <field-constraint field-name="a4">
                    <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="null" />
                </field-constraint>
            </pattern>

            <pattern identifier="foo4" object-type="Bar" >
                <field-binding field-name="a" identifier="a4" />
                <field-constraint field-name="a">
                    <literal-restriction evaluator="!=" value="4" />
                    <literal-restriction evaluator="!=" value="5" />
                </field-constraint>
            </pattern>
        </or-conditional-element>

        <pattern identifier="foo5" object-type="Bar" >
            <field-constraint field-name="b">
                <or-restriction-connective>
                    <return-value-restriction evaluator="==" >a4 + 1</return-value-restriction>
                    <variable-restriction evaluator=">" identifier="a4" />
                    <qualified-identifier-restriction evaluator="==">
                        org.drools.Bar.BAR_ENUM_VALUE
                    </qualified-identifier-restriction>
                </or-restriction-connective>
            </field-constraint>            
        </pattern>

        <pattern identifier="foo6" object-type="Bar" >
            <field-binding field-name="a" identifier="a4" />
            <field-constraint field-name="b">
                <literal-restriction evaluator="==" value="6" />
            </field-constraint>
        </pattern>
  </lhs>
 <rhs>
    if ( a == b ) {
      assert( foo3 );
    } else {
      retract( foo4 );
    }
    System.out.println( a4 );
   </rhs>
</rule>

</package>

19.3. XML Elements

Table 19.1. XML Elements

Name Description
global
Defines global objects that can be referred to in the rules.
function
Contains a function declaration for a function to be used in the rules. You have to specify a return type, a unique name and parameters, in the body goes a snippet of code.
import
Imports the types you wish to use in the rule.

19.4. Detail of a Rule Element

This example rule has LHS and RHS (conditions and consequence) sections. The RHS is a block of semantic code that will be executed when the rule is activated. The LHS is slightly more complicated as it contains nested elements for conditional elements, constraints and restrictions:
<rule name="simple_rule">
<rule-attribute name="salience" value="10" />
<rule-attribute name="no-loop" value="true" />
<rule-attribute name="agenda-group" value="agenda-group" />
<rule-attribute name="activation-group" value="activation-group" />

<lhs>
    <pattern identifier="cheese" object-type="Cheese">
        <from>
            <accumulate>
                <pattern object-type="Person"></pattern>
                <init>
                    int total = 0;
                </init>
                <action>
                    total += $cheese.getPrice();
                </action>
                <result>
                    new Integer( total ) );
                </result>
            </accumulate>
        </from>
    </pattern>

    <pattern identifier="max" object-type="Number">
        <from>
            <accumulate>
                <pattern identifier="cheese" object-type="Cheese"></pattern>
                <external-function evaluator="max" expression="$price"/>
            </accumulate>
        </from>
    </pattern>
</lhs>
<rhs>
    list1.add( $cheese );
</rhs>
</rule>

19.5. XML Rule Elements

Table 19.2. XML Rule Elements

Element Description
Pattern
This allows you to specify a type (class) and perhaps bind a variable to an instance of that class. Nested under the pattern object are constraints and restrictions that have to be met. The Predicate and Return Value constraints allow Java expressions to be embedded.
Conditional elements (not, exists, and, or)
These work like their DRL counterparts. Elements that are nested under and an "and" element are logically "anded" together. Likewise with "or" (and you can nest things further). "Exists" and "Not" work around patterns, to check for the existence or nonexistence of a fact meeting the pattern's constraints.
Eval
Allows the execution of a valid snippet of Java code as long as it evaluates to a boolean (do not end it with a semi-colon, as it is just a fragment). This can include calling a function. The Eval is less efficient than the columns, as the rule engine has to evaluate it each time, but it is a "catch all" feature for when you can express what you need to do with Column constraints.

19.6. Automatic Transforming Between XML and DRL

JBoss Rules comes with some utility classes to transform between formats. This works by parsing the rules from the source format into the AST and then "dumping" out to the appropriate target format. This allows you to, for example, write rules in DRL and export them to XML.

19.7. Classes for Automatic Transforming Between XML and DRL

These are the classes to use when transforming between XML and DRL files. Using combinations of these, you can convert between any format (including round trip):
  • DrlDumper - for exporting DRL
  • DrlParser - for reading DRL
  • XmlPackageReader - for reading XML

Note

DSLs will not be preserved (from DRLs that are using a DSL) - but they will be able to be converted.