An overview of the VisiRule decision logic charting tool Here are some slides in which we give a overview of VisiRule

What is VisiRule? Graphical tool for visualising decision logic Draw/Lay-out logic flow Execute logic in-situ Check results Generate and export code VisiRule is an intelligent design tool for problem solving and modeling decision making

Who is VisiRule for? People involved with specifying and modeling decision processes People involved with automating decision making All sectors – legal, banking, finance, diagnostics Different kinds of people use VisiRule for different purposes

What does VisiRule do? Lets you draw charts Lets you explore logic Lets you generate code

What does VisiRule produce? Charts as shareable diagrams Code for exporting and embedding Possible test suite Possible audit trail

A Typical Chart & IDE Charts are housed within the LPA IDE

VisiRule Point ‘n Click to add new objects Delete link and associated objects Edit expressions in-line Automatic aggregation for menus Analysis of logic flow With VisiRule, you can draw you decision logic and execute the generated code

Intelligent Design Tool Automatic linking/de-linking of objects Horizontal/vertical alignment Horizontal/vertical spacing Syntax checker for expressions & code Show/don’t show information fields The tool helps you manage the actual drawing and lay-out aspect of the charts

A Simple Worked Example New empty chart Create the Nodes Link the Nodes Generate and Test the Code Here we go thru a simple worked example

An empty chart Here is a blank VisiRule worksheet, together with a floating toolbar in the top right-hand corner. You can use your mouse to explore this slide: point at anything of interest, and a popup window will tell you more about it.

Add a start node Add an initial start node We're going to create a very simple program with one question and two outcomes. To begin, first create a "Start" box. Select the Start tool from the VisiRule toolbar and then click near the top of the worksheet. Click on the text of the newly created box and edit it as required.

Add a question Add a question which will be asked of the user First, create a "Single Choice" Question box. To change the current box type from "Start" to "Single Choice", click on the Single Choice icon in the toolbar. Alternatively, you can right click on the background and select the Single Choice option from the "Box Type" submenu. Next, click on the worksheet underneath the Start box to create a Single Choice box. Each question has three fields, its name, the text of the question itself and an explanation. Click on any one of the three fields to edit the text; the <tab> and <shift-tab> keys can be used to move between them.

Add some expressions The expression boxes which will be used to analyse the answer given Next, create two "Expression" boxes for the question. Select the Expression tool from the toolbar. Click on the worksheet below and to the left of the question and then again to the right of that. Each of the Expression boxes contains initially "? = " which means "the question directly above is equal to ...".

Add some end nodes To edit the expressions, click and enter, after the "? =", the word "hello" in the first Expression box and "bye" in the second. To add an "End" box for each of the two branches, select the End tool from the toolbar, and click below the first Expression box and then again below the second.

Add links & Generate the Code Edit the text in the first End box to "Hello There" and "Goodbye" in the second. Next, link all the boxes together. Click on the Start box and drag the rubber band and release over the Single Choice box; a directed link will be drawn between the two boxes. Draw two links coming out of the Single Choice box, one going to each of the Expression boxes. Draw a link from each Expression box to the End box directly below it. Your VisiRule flowchart can now be run. Right-click over a blank area of the VisiRule worksheet and select the "Show Code..." option from the pop-up menu.

Run the Code The "Generated flex code" dialog which appears shows your flowchart as flex (KSL) code. Clicking on the "Run" button will execute your flowchart.

Answer the question … The Single Choice question, "Please choose a greeting", is now asked; the two possible answers being "hello" or "bye". Select the hello option from the list, and click the "OK" button.

… and get the answer This takes you down the "hello" branch of the flowchart; the conclusion, "Hello There", is reported.

Another Worked Example 2 binary questions 4 outcome nodes Compound logic in expressions We're going to create a simple program with two questions and four outcomes. To

An empty chart begin, create a Start box by clicking near the top of the worksheet. Click on the newly created box and edit its name as required.

Add a question Select the Single Choice icon from the toolbar and click to the right of the Start box to create a Single Choice Question box.

Another question The Start box needs to be linked to the Single Choice box. Click down on the Start box, and drag the mouse to the Single Choice box: this will draw a link between them. Now click underneath the Single Choice box to create another one.

Add some expressions Next, select the Expression icon from the toolbar, and click four times across the lower middle of the worksheet to create a set of Expression boxes.

Edit the expressions Edit each expression to define which combination of colour and size it will accept.

Add the end nodes Next, add four End boxes to terminate each of the branches. Change to the End box type, and then click below each Expression box.

Link and finish Link each Expression to its corresponding End box, and enter some appropriate text in each of the latter: for example, if the chosen colour is "green", and the size is "small", write, "You are fond of gooseberries".

Another Worked Example 2 binary questions 4 outcome nodes Compound logic in expressions We're going to create a simple program with two questions and four outcomes. To

Another Worked Example 2 binary questions 4 outcome nodes Compound logic in expressions We're going to create a simple program with two questions and four outcomes. To

Holiday Entitlement This example covers the amount of holiday leave an employee is entitled to for the current year. To set the scene, the legislation has been put into a "Comment" box within the VisiRule worksheet.

Holiday Entitlement First a start box and then a question is required to ask the employee's age. Create an "Integer Input" Question box; such a Question box can only take an integer as input and is a different colour to Question boxes used in previous demos.

Holiday Entitlement The first branch out of the question will only be followed if the employee is less than 18 years old. This leads to an End box stating that such an employee is entitled to 27 (22 + 5) days leave a year.

Holiday Entitlement The next branch is followed if the employee is 60 years old or over. Such an employee gets 30 (22 + 5 + 3) days leave a year.

Holiday Entitlement Where the employee is 18 or over but less than 60 years old, their length of service needs to be taken into account. Create another Integer Input box to ask this piece of information.

Holiday Entitlement If age is between 18 and 59 inclusive and length of service is 30 or more years, then the entitlement is 30 (22 + 5 + 3) days; this path can be joined to the same End box terminating an earlier path.

Holiday Entitlement If the length of service is less than 15 years or the employee's age is less than 45, then their entitlement is the basic 22 days.

Holiday Entitlement Everyone else is entitled to 24 (22 + 2) days; this can be represented via a more complex expression. If less than 30 years' service, the "< 30" part of the expression succeeds; if service length is 15 or more years or the employee is 45 or older, the part of the expression in brackets is true.

Various Nodes Types Question nodes Expression nodes Statement Boxes Code Boxes Start and End nodes There are various different kinds of nodes supported in VisiRule

Different kinds of Nodes

Structured Expressions Expressions can be simple, complex and structured, too

A Simple Statement Box Statement boxes perform calculations and instantiate variables

Another Statement Box

Continuation Box Continutaion boxes mean we can break charts down into smaller units

The VisiRule Palette

Future plans for VisiRule Will extend to Bayesian Networks Can extend to Fuzzy Rules Can add modular logic (re-useable components) Will add exporting to CSV Re-write front-end for Visio Currently the tool supports various question types and backward chaining rules, which in Flex are denoted by the keyword, relation.

The End Got to the LPA web-site and download a 28-day Free Trial Contact LPA if you want a full evaluation CD