Rules Guide

CHAPTER 6

Pipeline and Binding Editors

This chapter describes how to use the Pipeline and Binding Editors in exteNd Director to set up a rules pipeline. It has these sections:

• Basic steps of setting up a pipeline

• Creating and editing a pipeline

• Binding rules to a user, group, or pipeline

Basic steps of setting up a pipeline

A pipeline is a mechanism for running a set of rules that are associated with specific users or groups, or for running any set of rules in a prescribed sequence.

Here is the basic procedure for setting up a pipeline:

1. Use the Pipeline Editor to create a pipeline and associate it with one or more of the three binding steps (types): User, Group, and Pipeline.

2. Use the Binding Editor to bind rules to a user, group, or pipeline.

After you set up a pipeline, you fire the rules defined in the pipeline by calling the validate() method in your application:

• If the pipeline includes the User or Group step, the Rule subsystem fires the rules defined in the user or group binding definition when the user or group member is in the current application context.

• If the pipeline includes the Pipeline step, the Rule subsystem fires the rules defined in the pipeline step defined for the pipeline being validated.

The rest of this chapter describes how to create a pipeline in the Pipeline Editor and define a rule binding in the Binding Editor.

    For background information about using pipelines in exteNd Director applications, see How You Use Rules.

Creating and editing a pipeline

You use exteNd Director's Pipeline Editor to create a pipeline and associate it with a step or steps.

Creating a pipeline

To create a pipeline:

1. From the exteNd Director menu, select File>New.

2. In the New File dialog, select the Rules Engine tab.

3. Select the Pipeline icon:

   

   The General tab of the Pipeline Editor displays:

   

4. Enter information on the General tab:

   Option	What to do
   ID	Enter a pipeline ID. This is the string you supply for exteNd Director API method calls, including the validate() method.
   Description	(Optional) Add a description.
   Active?	Select to make the pipeline active. Only active pipelines can be validated.
   Generate log info?	(Optional) Select to generate pipeline processing and debugging messages to your server console.

5. Select the Steps tab.

6. In the Available steps section, select a step and click Add to Selected:

   

   The step is added to the Selected steps section:

   

7. Add other steps as needed.

   If you add more than one step, the rules defined in the corresponding binding will fire in the order of the steps in the Selected steps section.

   • To reorder a selected step, select it and click Up or Down.

   • To remove a selected step, select it and click Remove from selected.

8. Select File>Save or press Ctrl-S.

   The contents of the pipeline definitions folder display in your project resource set.

9. Specify a name and click Save.

10. Exit the editor by choosing the exit icon in the upper-right corner.

Editing a pipeline

To edit a pipeline:

1. In your project source or archive layout in exteNd Director, navigate to the pipeline XML descriptor.

2. Double-click the file to open it in the Pipeline Editor.

Binding rules to a user, group, or pipeline

You use the Binding Editor to bind a rule or set of rules to a selected user, group, or pipeline.

Creating a rule binding

To define a rule binding:

1. From the exteNd Director main menu select File>New.

2. In the New File dialog, select the Rules Engine tab.

3. Select the Group Bindings, Pipeline Bindings, or User Bindings icon.

   The appropriate binding editor displays. The name of the text box at the top of the editor depends on which icon you selected.

4. Make the appropriate entry in the text box:

   Binding text box	What you do
   User	Enter a valid user ID in the User text box. NOTE:   If you are accessing an LDAP realm specify the distinguished name—for example: cn=sample,ou=users
   Group	Enter a valid group ID in the Group text box. NOTE:   If you are accessing an LDAP realm specify the distinguished name—for example: cn=managers,ou=management
   Pipeline	Select a pipeline ID from the dropdown list.

5. In the Available rules section, select a rule and click Add to Selected.

   The rule is added to the Selected rules section.

6. Add other rules as needed. Rules will fire in the order in which they appear in the list.

   • To reorder a rule, select it and click the Up or Down button.

   • To remove a selected rule, select it and click Remove from selected.

7. Choose File>Save or press Ctrl-S.

   A dialog displays with the contents of the appropriate binding definitions in your project resource set.

8. Specify a name and click Save.

9. Exit the editor by choosing the exit icon in the upper-right corner.

Editing a rule binding

To edit a binding:

1. In your project source or archive layout in exteNd Director, navigate to the location of the binding XML definition in your project resource set:

   • User binding descriptor

   • Group binding descriptor

   • Pipeline binding descriptor

2. Double-click the file to open it in the Binding Editor.

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