Are you just performing validation or are you modifying the data as well? If it is purely validation then I believe you can get away purely with inserting the root element - it's not at all efficient if you update any of the data (pretty much every rule would have to refire) but if you aren't updating the data then that doesn't matter - against that it may result in neater rules if you do put all the objects in the memory.
Thomas > -----Original Message----- > From: rules-users-boun...@lists.jboss.org [mailto:rules-users- > boun...@lists.jboss.org] On Behalf Of Chris Selwyn > Sent: 28 November 2010 11:39 > To: Drools users > Subject: [rules-users] What should I insert into the working memory? > > I am working on a project that is using Drools to perform validation of > hierarchical XML messages. > > So I have passed the XSDs through JAXB and have a set of interrelated > Java objects. > One of these objects (naturally) represents the root of the messages and > the others represent the intermediate and leaf nodes of the message. > > My question is: Should I traverse the tree and insert each object into > the working memory or should I just insert the root object into the > working memory? > > If I insert each object into the memory then I have a lot of flexibility > about how I write my rules... I can start by focussing on the particular > part of the message that I want to detect an error in. > However, I then have to perform a whole bunch of "joining" clauses to > correctly "connect up" to the other objects in the working memory. > (This is how I am doing it at the moment... I have a mechanism that uses > the Java Introspector. It identifies by package name which parts of the > data model get inserted into the WM) > > On the other hand, I could just insert the root object into the WM. This > means that I would have to write really complicated where clauses on the > root object but very much simplifies the WM loading process. > > All of the examples that I have seen have a very simple flat > (non-hierarchical) structure that don't really give a hint as to what a > "best practice" might be. > > Any suggestions/insights welcome :-) > > Chris Selwyn > _______________________________________________ > rules-users mailing list > rules-users@lists.jboss.org > https://lists.jboss.org/mailman/listinfo/rules-users ************************************************************************************** This message is confidential and intended only for the addressee. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the postmas...@nds.com and delete it from your system as well as any copies. The content of e-mails as well as traffic data may be monitored by NDS for employment and security purposes. To protect the environment please do not print this e-mail unless necessary. NDS Limited. Registered Office: One London Road, Staines, Middlesex, TW18 4EX, United Kingdom. A company registered in England and Wales. Registered no. 3080780. VAT no. GB 603 8808 40-00 ************************************************************************************** _______________________________________________ rules-users mailing list rules-users@lists.jboss.org https://lists.jboss.org/mailman/listinfo/rules-users
