Create a New Decision Table

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Create a new Decision Table that can be referenced from any Rules Task connector in any Process model.  

Permissions

Your user account or group membership must have the following permissions to create a new Decision Table unless your user account has the Make this user a Super Admin setting selected:

  • Decision Tables: Create Decision Tables

  • Decision Tables: View Decision Tables

See the Decision Tables permissions or ask your Administrator for assistance.

Create a New Decision Table

Follow these steps to create a new Decision Table:

  1. View your Decision Tables. The Decision Tables page displays.

  2. Click the +Table button. The Create Table screen displays.

  3. In the Name setting, enter the name of the Decision Table. Decision Table names must be unique in your organization and can only use apostrophe characters (') and spaces. This is a required setting.

  4. In the Description setting, enter the description of the Decision Table.

  5. From the Category drop-down menu, select one or more Decision Table Categories to associate with this Decision Table. In doing so, Decision Table Categories may be sorted from the Decision Tables page. To remove a Decision Table Category that is currently selected, click theicon for that selection or press Enter when the drop-down is visible. This is a required setting.

  6. From the Project drop-down menu, optionally select the Project(s) that this Decision Table becomes an asset. This setting only displays Projects of which you are a member. To remove a Project that is currently selected, click theicon for that selection or press Enter when the drop-down is visible.

  7. Click Save. The following message displays: The Decision Table was created.

See an example of how to create a Decision Table that uses a Collection and variables and inputs.

Add or Remove Input and Output Columns

Decision input columns display immediately below the Inputs section. Decision output columns display immediately below the Outputs section. Dots above each column separator indicate where to add a new column to the right of the existing column.

Input columns display in the "Inputs" section. Output columns display in the "Outputs" section

Input columns display in the "Inputs" section. Output columns display in the "Outputs" section

Follow these steps to add or remove an input or output column:

  1. To add a column, do one of the following:

    • Add a new column to the right of a selected column: Hover over the dot to the right of the existing column to add a new column, and then click theicon.

    • Add a new column to the left or right of a selected column: Right-click the column, and select one of the following options:

      • Add a new column to the left of the selected column: Select the Add Column Left option.

      • Add a new column to the right of the selected column: Select the Add Column Right option.

    The new column displays. By default, decision variables use the string data type.

  2. Replace the placeholder values for the input/output label.

  3. Replace the decision variable names with those for your decision.

  4. To remove a column, do one of the following:

    • Click the label of the decision column to be removed, and then click theicon. Note that the Inputs and Outputs sections must have at least one decision input and output in each section. Attempts to remove a decision column when it is the only column in that section are ignored.

    • Right-click on the label of the decision column to be removed, and then select the Remove option.  

    The Caution screen displays to confirm the removal of the decision column.

  5. Click Confirm. The decision column will be removed.

See the example in Use of Quotation Marks in Decision Output for String Data Type when using quotation marks as punctuation in the output string.

Change the Data Type for a Decision Variable

Follow these steps to change the data type for a decision variable:

  1. Edit the Decision Table.

  2. Identify the decision input or output variable you want to change. The current data type is displayed in the lower-right corner of the decision variable.

  3. Right-click on the current data type.

  4. Select one of the following data types:

    • boolean: The decision variable represents one of two possible values (usually denoted TRUE and FALSE).

    • date: The decision variable represents a date. The date is in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD. Example: "2020-07-01".

    • datetime: The decision variable represents a datetime. The datetime is in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS. Example: "2020-07-01 14:25:15".

    • number: The decision variable represents a number.

    • string: The decision variable represents a string.

    • time: The decision variable represents a time. Example: 14:25:15.

    • formula: The decision variable is calculated using a formula (only available for input columns). Example: income-(income*tax)

Add a Formula to a Column

The formula data type can only be used for input columns.

Formulas in a Decision Table are built using Request variables, constants, and arithmetic operators to generate values for input columns.  Follow these steps to add a formula to a Decision Table column:

  1. Edit the Decision Table.

  2. Identify the decision input or output variable you want to change. The current data type displays in the lower-right corner of the decision variable.

  3. Right-click on the current data type.

  4. Select the data type formula.

  5. Click the formula iconto open the editor and enter your formula. The column's value will be calculated based on the specified formula. In the example shown here, income and expense are Request variables that will be assigned values during a request.  

    Click OK to save your changes, otherwise, click Cancel.

See a detailed example of using formulas in a Decision Table

Add or remove a Decision to a Decision Table

Follow these steps to add a decision to a Decision Table:

  1. Edit the Decision Table.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Add a new decision below a selected decision: Hover over the dot to the right of the existing row to add a new row, and then click theicon.

    • Add a new row above or below a selected decision: Right-click on the decision, and select one of the following options:

      • Add a new decision above the selected decision: Select the Add Row Above option.

      • Add a new decision below the selected decision: Select the Add Row Below option.
         The new decision row displays.

  3. Enter the business rule (input and output values) for the new decision.

  4. To remove a decision, do one of the following:

    • Click the index number for that decision row, and then click the icon. Note that the Decision Table must have one row. Attempts to remove a decision row when it is the only decision displays the following message: It cannot be delete because there should always be a rule..

    • Right-click on the index number for that decision row to be removed, and then select the Remove option.

      The Caution screen displays to confirm the removal of the decision.

  5. Click Confirm. The decision is removed if it was not the only decision in that Decision Table.

Move an Input or Output Column in a Decision Table

Follow these steps to move an input or output column in a Decision Table:

  1. Edit the Decision Table. Decision input columns display immediately below the Inputs section. Decision output columns displays immediately below the Outputs section.

    Input columns display in the "Inputs" section. Output columns display in the "Outputs" section

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Move a decision input column to the left or right of other input columns: Right-click on the decision input's label, and then select the Move Column Left option or the Move Column Right option to move that column to the left or right of its current position in its section, respectively. Note that decision input columns cannot be moved outside of the Inputs section. Attempts to move a decision input column to the right of the Output section are ignored.

    • Move a decision output column to the left or right of other output columns: Right-click on the decision output's label, and then select the Move Column Left option or the Move Column Right option to move that column to the left or right of its current position in its section, respectively. Note that decision output columns cannot be moved outside of the Outputs section. Attempts to move a decision output column to the left of the Input section are ignored.

Resize an input or Output Column in a Decision Table

Input and output columns of a Decision Table can be resized to improve data visibility. Follow these steps to remove an input or output column from a Decision Table:

  1. Open a Decision Table for editing.

  2. Hover your mouse between two column headers until the shape of the cursor changes.

  3. Drag the column to the desired width.

Save and Close a Decision Table

Follow these steps to save a Decision Table:

  1. Edit a Decision Table.

  2. Click Save. The following message displays: The Decision Table was saved.

    Changes made to a Decision Table are also automatically saved. The date and time of the last save are displayed in the top right corner of the Decision Table Editor.  

  3. To save a Decision Table, click Close.

  4. If the Decision Table has unsaved changes, then the Caution screen displays to confirm saving the changes prior to closing the Decision Table.

  5. Click Confirm to save changes prior to closing the Decision Table.

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