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  • Documentation
  • PRODUCT REFERENCE
    • Introduction
    • Concepts and Terminology
      • Console
      • Servers (X Agents)
      • Projects
      • Configurations
      • Rules Editor
      • Rules, rule catalogue, protocol rules and rule sets
      • Test Data
      • Trace Data
      • Flight Recorders
      • Case Managers
      • Data Files
      • Content Files
      • Performance Data
      • Extensions
      • Protocols
      • Credential Vault
      • Custom Functions
      • Databases
      • Input Adaptors
      • Users
      • User Roles
      • Access Rules
      • Repositories
      • Audit Log
      • Proxies
    • Architectural Scenarios
      • Command and Control
      • Simplest Form
      • Servlet Filter
      • API Transformation
      • Active Web Proxy
      • Web Application Server
      • Active Proxy With Content
      • Mobile Application Server
      • Asynchronous Multi-Protocol
      • Data Loss Prevention Architecture
    • Getting Started
      • Login
      • Essential Things to do First
      • Keeping the Product Current
      • Common Console Management Tasks
      • Viewing Active Servers
    • Quick Product Introduction
      • Preparing the Browser Proxy
      • Setting up the Proxy in the Browser
      • Verifying the Browser Configuration
      • Understanding the Configuration
      • Understanding input and variables
      • Preparing a new repository
      • Locating the Page to Modify
      • Determining the Actions Required
      • Building the First Rule Set
      • Setting Rule Properties
      • Connecting up the First Rule
      • Getting a Server Result
      • Manipulating the Server Result
      • Returning the Result to the User
      • Creating a Configuration for the Rule Set
      • Selecting the Input Source
      • Deploying the New Configuration
      • Testing the Rules
    • X Agent details
      • Configuration Settings
      • Rule Sets
      • Tips and Techniques for Working with the Rules Editor
      • Web Application Rule Set Patterns
      • Building Rule Sets for Inclusion
      • Notes on Working with SOAP
      • Zero Installation Rules Testing
    • Data Files
    • Content Files
      • Previewing Content Files
      • Editing Content Files
      • Deploying Content Files
    • Test Data
      • Uploading and Downloading Test Data
    • Performance Data
      • Setting the Performance Collection Level
      • Retrieving the Performance Data
      • Viewing Transaction Counts
      • Viewing Transaction Counts and Inline Time
      • Viewing the Complete Performance Report
      • Understanding the URI Performance Information
      • Performance Benchmarks
    • Trace Data
      • Understanding the Trace
    • Tracing the Result of a System Failure
    • Conjoined Performance and Trace data
    • Live Performance Data and Probes
      • Setting Probes
      • Live Performance Impact Considerations
    • Accessing Server Logs
      • Viewing a log
    • Working with Flight Recorders
      • Searching Flight Recorder Information
      • Retrieving Flight Recorder Data
      • Graphing Flight Recorder Data
    • Working with Case Managers
      • Case Manager Definitions
      • Navigating the Case Managers
      • Creating a Case From Rules
      • Creating a Case From the Console
      • Viewing the Queues
      • Picking a Task
      • Case View
      • Completing a Task
      • Task History
      • Searching Tasks
      • Searching Cases
    • Managing Repositories
      • Moving Files Between Repositories
      • Copying Configurations and Rule Sets Together
      • Copying Dependent Rule Sets
      • Backing up
      • Moving Entire Repositories Between Consoles
      • Setting Repository Imports
      • Specifying Repository Rule Group Restrictions
    • Version Control and Restoring Files
    • Using the Portal UI
      • Using the Start Menu
      • Positioning Windows
      • Resizing Windows
      • Maximize, Restore and Minimize
      • Storing and Switching Desktops
    • Enterprise Level Projects
      • Creating a Project
      • Working with Tasks
      • Closing a Task
      • Closing a Project
      • Project Assistants and Work Output
    • Administration Functions
      • Extensions
      • Custom Function Setup
      • Setting up a Database
      • Input Adaptors
      • Credential Vault
      • Log Adaptors
      • Server Definitions
      • Managing Large Clusters
      • Setting up the Flight Recorder in the Console
      • Creating a Case Manager Definition
      • Work Output
      • Project Definition
      • Managing Users
      • Managing User Roles
      • Managing Access Rules
      • Authenticating via LDAP
      • Authenticating via SAML
      • Audit Log
    • Installation and Configuration
      • Installing on macOS
      • Installing on Red Hat Enterprise Linux
      • Installing on Windows - Quick Start
      • System Requirements
      • Server Installation
      • Understanding the Console Deployment Structure
      • Console Server Type Configuration
      • Console Server Configuration
      • Removing Other Unnecessary Components
      • Installing Inline with an Existing Application
      • Installing a Stand-alone Multi-Protocol Feed Server
      • Installing a Stand-alone Built in Forwarding Proxy
      • Creating a Cluster Slave Console Instance
      • Understanding the magic.properties Configuration Settings
      • Port Numbers and how to Change Them
      • Dealing with Internal Failures
      • Linking Multiple Applications Together into a Single Server
      • Monitoring by External Systems
      • Installation Considerations for Portals
      • Docker Configuration Guide
      • AWS User Deployment Guide
      • Google Cloud User Deployment Guide
    • Creating a Stand-alone Built in Forwarding Proxy
      • Installing with Ubuntu and mySQL
    • Setting up a DNS override for Data Loss Prevention
      • Deciding what to Override
      • Installing a DNS Server for the Overrides
      • Setting the Override
      • SSL Considerations
    • Backup and Restore
      • The Server Component
      • The Console Component
    • Third Party Software
      • Open Source Components
      • Closed Source Licensed Components
      • Licenses
  • PROGRAMMER'S GUIDE
    • Composable Agentic Platform Concepts
    • Setting up a Development Environment
    • Creating a Rule
    • The Kapow Extension - Example
    • Java Documentation
  • CONSOLE WIZARDS
    • Create REST with JSON service
    • Create JDBC database definitions
    • Create data set maintenance custom function
  • BEST PRACTICES
    • Naming Conventions
    • Comments & Descriptions
    • Application Configuration
    • Rules & Rule Sets
    • Repositories
    • Data Manipulation
    • Internationalization
    • Debugging
    • Performance Testing
    • Tag Replacement Techniques
    • Best Practices Repository
  • GUIDES
    • Hello, World!
    • TCL Script Writer Reference
    • Windows Automation Reference
    • Browser Certificate Installation Guide
    • Web Development Guide
    • Using the Push Notification Framework
    • Raspberry Pi with PiFace Reference
    • TomorrowX Portal User Guide
    • Examples
      • CSRF attack prevention
      • Two Factor Authentication
      • Frame Busting
      • Google Analytics
      • DNS Multi Protocol
      • Customer Satisfaction Survey
  • CHANGE HISTORY
    • New in Version 8
    • New in Version 7
    • New in Version 6
    • New in Version 5
    • New In Version 3.1
    • New In Version 3.0
  • 🌏TIME ZONES
  • ❓TROUBLESHOOTING
    • DB2 SQL error: SQLCODE: -443
    • Error 404 when trying to access the console
    • java.io.IOException: Too many open files
    • Accidental deploy to console server
  • ⚙️BROWSE COMPONENTS
  • EULSA
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On this page
  • Consistent rule layout.
  • Avoid overly complex & large rule sets.
  • Modularize rule sets
  • Reusability
  • Rule set exit rules
  • Platform Independent
  • Error handling
  • Optimize Loops
  • Native rules
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  1. BEST PRACTICES

Rules & Rule Sets

Consistent rule layout.

The way rules are layout in a rule set is a matter of preference. There is no "best" style that everyone should be following.

The best style is a consistent style.

If you are part of a team or if you are contributing to a project, you should follow the existing style that is being used in that project.

Avoid overly complex & large rule sets.

As a rule of thumb, rule sets should not have more than a dozen rules in them, for the sake of clarity and readability.

Modularize rule sets

Keep your rule sets modularized and specialized. It is tempting and easy to write one rule set that does everything. However, as you extend the functionality you will find that you do the same things in several sequences of rules.

To prevent that, make sure to write smaller, generic helper rule sets that fulfil one specific task rather than do all tasks.

At a later stage, you can also expose these rule sets to other repositories.

Rule sets can also be extended by new rule sets that include them and add more functionality. Well-designed rule sets should be easy to extend without redesigning the core.

Reusability

A sequence of rules that achieve the same outcome should not exist multiple times. These repeatable rules should be grouped into rule sets, where the same logic can easily be reapplied.

Parameterized included rule sets (rule sets as extensions) are advised, as they are similar to the X Agent’s rules in that they have clearly defined input/output parameters and can be included in other repositories for reuse.

Below is an example of a parameterized include rule set (rule sets as extensions).

You can access the input/output parameters under the “Rule Info” tab, on the left pane of a rule set page.

Rule set exit rules

Exit rules in any given rule set determine what chain points will be available for that rule set when it is embedded into another page.

Exit rules for success and failure should be included in rule sets for error handling and easier debugging.

The below example shows checks the user’s status and appropriately exits either with success or failure.

Below you can see the resulting chain points “OK” and “Fail”, of the “CheckUser.xml” rule set that is included in the “ProcessLogon” rule set.

Platform Independent

The goal is interoperability. Operating system, database or environment specific logic like the usage of AutoID in MySQL, for example, should be avoided.

The “Next Number” rule creates cross platform next numbers

The environment to which we have deployed your solution should be irrelevant to the rules.

Error handling

Error handling logic should be incorporated in the rule set flow, and ideally a single rule set should handle and output all errors, with appropriate error identifiers/messages.

Optimize Loops

Loops can get unnecessarily slow if you’re doing things in them that could be done one time before entering the loop. Like setting a variable in a loop whose value doesn’t change.

If possible, computation-heavy code should be kept outside of loops.

Native rules

Only use rules (extensions) that are available and supported within Tomorrow Software.

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Last updated 4 months ago

Parameterized included rule set example
CheckUser rule set
ProcessLogon rule set