Decision Table
Component definition
This component applies two or more rules on process data. It uses the results from the rules to select the value of a variable it then outputs into the process. Think of the Decision Table component as a dynamic spreadsheet in which two or more rules select column and row coordinates. Those coordinates belong to only one (user-defined) value on the table; the component outputs this value as its output variable.
Component icon
Description of component output paths
This rule evaluates a boolean value that is entered to see if it is set to true or false.
The component output paths are described in the following table:
Property |
Description |
|
ValueExists
|
Unknown
|
|
ValueDoesNotExist
|
Unknown
|
Description of component tabs and their properties
Connection information
Not applicable
Component settings
Unknown
Use cases
An example for the Decision Table component is as follows:
Budget calculation
Scenario: A manager wants to hire more employees. The manager wants to know how the budget is to be affected.
Process: This process is created as a Forms (Web) Project type.
The following screen shot shows the process:
A Form Builder component begins the workflow.
The following screen shot shows the form: at design-time:
The Department drop-down list lets the manager pick one of four departments: Accounting, R&D, Documentation, or HR.
In the text box, the manager enters the number of employees to add to the team.
The drop-down list and the text box output two variables: DepartmentName and NumberOfEmployeesToAdd.
The following screen shot shows the editor for the Decision Table component:
The output data editor screen. This output data is the variable (or variables) that the Decision Table component outputs to the process. In this example, the output variable is called DepartmentBudget.
When you click Next, the following table appears:
This screen shot shows the actual decision table. This table has already been configured to show all the possible values for the variable DepartmentBudget. Each box in the table is a possible value. The department names across the top represent the different departments (each having its own budget) that a manager can inquire about. The numbers on the left represent the number of employees to be added to a department.
Before the table is configured, only two green plus-signs appear. You can add a rule component anywhere a green plus-sign appears. You can add only rule components to the decision table because the table cannot perform any non-decision functions (such as sending an email).
In this screen shot, the table is configured with two rules components: Matches Rule and Number Range Rule. Although these components look different here than they do when used in the main workspace, their functions remain unchanged. Also, you can edit them in the typical way by double-clicking on the component.
The following screen shot shows the editor for the Matches Rule component:
The Matches Rule compares the first variable from the form, DepartmentName, with a list of values.
Look again at the Decision Table screen shot; each of these values represents a column in the table.
The following screen shot shows the editor for the Number Range Rule component (on the left side of the table):
Here are the numeric entries that define the ranges of this component. The Number Range Rule component compares the numeric value of the variable NumberOfEmployeesToAdd with these numbers to determine a range into which the value falls. For example, the manager indicates the need to hire seven new employees. This value falls into the 5-10 range.
Look back at the decision table screen shot; each of these ranges represents a row on the table.
When the Decision Table component runs in the process, it uses the Matches Rule and Number Range Rule components to determine which field in the table to use for the value of the output variable DepartmentBudget. For example, a manager registers the need to add seven employees to the documentation group. The Decision Table component calculates the budget at $1,500,000.
To end the process, the resulting value from the Decision Table component is displayed to the manager in a Terminating Form Builder.
Other components in this example are as follows:
Form Builder
Terminating Form Builder
The function of the Decision Table component can be duplicated with a series of rules components on the main model. However, using the Decision Table component is a much simpler option.
Other similar decision-making components are as follows:
Decision Path
LogicBase Tree
LogicBase Tree Path
These four components have similar functions in that they all use rule components internally to perform decision making.
These components differ from one another in one main way: output data. The Decision Table and LogicBase Tree have output data. The Decision Path and LogicBase Tree Path have no output data, and function only to make an outcome path decision.