Rule development

Perform rule development using the branch ruleset. For example, copy rules from the original (base) rulesets into the branch rulesets to update them, or create new rules directly in the branch ruleset, that are targeted for inclusion in the base rulesets when development is complete.

Note: When you have a record in a locked ruleset displayed in the Designer Studio, you can click Check out to branch on the record form to save a copy to the branch ruleset and check out the record in one step.

Working with rules in the branch ruleset is the same as in a standard ruleset, except for the following differences:

• Final rules — Typically, final rules can only be modified in the ruleset and class in which they are declared final. This limitation means you cannot normally copy final rules to another ruleset, either at the same Applies To class or a subclass of the final rule's ruleset. For branch ruleset that are branched from the final rule's originating ruleset, this limitation is removed. You can copy a final rule from its original owning ruleset into a branch ruleset that is branched from the owning ruleset.
• Utility functions— Some function references in the system use the ruleset name as part of the reference. To allow for rules to appropriately reference functions that exist in rules in a branch ruleset, the system's function lookup considers the branches in your ruleset list when resolving the references.

Tip: While work is going on in the branch, use the link in the All Rules column in the branch ruleset form to see what rules are contained in that ruleset. You can open the ruleset by clicking on its name displayed in its branch in the Branch list. Next, click the number displayed in the All Rules column to see the list of rules it contains and drill down to see the rules.

As this team works with rules from shared rulesets (the base rulesets) in its branches, other teams are working on rules from the base ruleset in their branches. The system displays a warning in a rule form when it detects whether a merge conflict might occur when the rule is merged from the branch into the base ruleset, so that the team can proactively assess what conflict resolution might be needed before the merge operation.

For example, if a rule has been copied into two different branches, the rule form warns that there might be a merge conflict with the rule.

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