Creating an Expression Rule

You can use the interactive expression editor to create a complex rule. These rules define valid, invalid, and required selections for specific combinations of variant/variant values or option group/options for the model version. You must create expression rules before a model version reaches the Review state.

Note: When creating an expression rule, you can only use the variants and option groups and their child variant values and options that are allocated to the model version.

Required access role: Leader

Before you begin: View the Expression Rules page. See Expression Rules Page.
  1. To create an expression rule, from the page toolbar, select Create Expression Rule .
  2. In the new rule row, click .
    The expression rule editor opens.
  3. Click in the editor or click Open Dictionary to open the variant/option group dictionary.
    The available variants, variant values, option groups, options, operators, and statements that you can use to define the expression rule are listed.
  4. Specify the variants and options to be included in the expression rule in one of the following ways:
    • Click in the editor, then select a variant, variant value, option, option group, operator, or statement from the list. You can begin entering characters to filter the list to include only those items that contain those characters.
    • Click to the right of the variant, variant value, option, or option group name in the dictionary to add it to the editor at the insertion point or at the end of the expression if there is no insertion point. You can click then begin entering characters in the Search field to filter the list to only those items that contain those characters.
    • Select an item in the dictionary, then drag it into the editor and drop it in the expression. The cursor changes from to to indicate where the item can be added to the expression.
  5. From the editor list, select the standard operators and statements to be included in the expression.

    The following standard operators are available:

    • AND
    • NOT
    • OR
    • (
    • )

    The following statements are available:

    • IMPLY
    • EQUIVALENT

    Tip: Expand the sections under Language Information to view examples of how the standard operators and the conditional (IMPLY), codependency (EQUIVALENT), and incompatible (IMPLY NOT) statements can be used to build the rule's expression.
    Note: Any element in the expression that is not valid in that context is displayed in red. Roll over the element for a message that explains why it is not valid.

  6. To remove a feature, option, operator, or statement from the expression, select it, then click .
  7. Verify the validity of the expression as you build it.

    Note: Any element in the expression that is not valid in that context is displayed in red. Roll over the element for a message that explains why it is not valid.

  8. Click OK to save it when you have specified all of the variants, variant values, option groups, options, and operators in the expression rule.

The expression rule is saved. You can edit its title and description on its Properties page. For more information, see Editing Expression Rule Properties