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Conditions enable you to define what content gets included
at correspondence creation time, based on the supplied data. The
condition is described in terms of control variables. The variables
can be either a data dictionary element or a placeholder.
Conditions have a single output based on an expression. The first
expression is found to be true, based on current condition variable.
Its value becomes the condition's output. When filling the letter
(in Document Composer), conditions behave as "white boxes". If a
condition results in a list, all of the list's mandatory and pre-selected
items are output. If any of those items are conditions or lists themselves,
their resulting content is output as well, in top-down, depth-first order
as a flat list of text and image content. Condition results can
be of any type (text, image, list, condition).
Lists have multiple output. When filling the letter, individual
list items are fully editable (they can be selected, deselected,
edited, and so on, based on properties set when the list was created
in the List Editor). Lists can also be open, to permit any extra
content from the Library not explicitly assigned to the list when
the list was authored in the List Editor. Lists basically behave
as nestable targets within targets. You can nest lists within lists
as well. List items can be of any type (text, image, list, condition).
Implementation overviewImplementing conditionsConditions can be created with control variables. These
control variables can be either a custom variable or from the data
dictionary.
When you add a condition, you can choose to include an asset
based on the value that the control variable has. If the control
variable can have multiple values, then add as many condition rows
as there are possible values.
The Condition Editor comes with an Expression Builder user interface
that supports creating expressions using both multiple placeholders
and Data Dictionary elements. You can use common operands and local
/ global functions in such expressions. Each expression can be associated
with some content and optionally there could be a default section
if none of the expressions evaluates to true. All expressions are
evaluated in the sequence in which they are defined and the first
expressions returning true is selected and its associated content
is returned by that conditional module.
For example, if the terms and conditions text in a letter differs
depending which state the customer is in, and the data dictionary
contains an element called “state”, then you could add the condition
as follows:
state = NY, select T&C_NY text paragraph
state = NC, select T&C_NC text paragraph
The Condition editor enables you to specify a default condition.
If the value of the control variables does not match any of the
conditions, then the content associated with the default condition
is used. Following the previous example, you could add this condition
row:
Implementing listsImplementing lists consists of two steps:
Defining core properties such as name, description, category,
data dictionary, and so on.
Section of content that is part of the list, and then setting
properties such as lock order and library access for the list.
Protecting and Unprotecting DDEsWithin the Condition Editor, click Add expression to
launch the Expression Builder where you can select a Control Variable
from a data dictionary or create a placeholder. A control variable
can be bound to a data dictionary element which is protected by
default. A control variable bound to data dictionary element or
a data dictionary variable, can be marked protected or unprotected.
To unprotect the variable deselecting the protected selection next
to the control variable name. When this condition is used inside
a letter and rendered during correspondence creation you can only
modify the default value of unprotected control variables which
are bound to data dictionary elements. Protected control variables
cannot be modified.
Team membersThe Application Specialist creates lists and conditions.
Best practices/tips and tricksAdd the condition prefix to the assets of this
type along with the letter name.
Conditions behave like case statements, so order of condition
is important. The first match is returned.
Use a consistent naming convention to avoid duplication.
Use appropriate data dictionary binding
The following rules apply when using the Condition Editor
when changing to a condition: Addition of variable: Allowed
Removal of variable: Allowed
Update of properties: Allowed
Change of data dictionary: Allowed until data dictionary
element is not used. You cannot change the data dictionary on update.
The following rules apply when using the List Editor to when
changing to a list:
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