OpenL Tablets BRMS Reference Guide

Complete reference documentation for OpenL Tablets Business Rules Management System, covering language syntax, table types, data types, functions, and project structure.

Guide Contents

This reference guide is organized into the following sections:

Getting Started

Preface - Audience, related information, and typographic conventions
What Is OpenL Tablets? - Overview of OpenL Tablets technology
Basic Concepts - Core concepts and terminology
System Overview - Architecture and components
Installing OpenL Tablets - Installation instructions
Tutorials and Examples - Getting started tutorials

Working with OpenL Tables

Table Basics

Table Recognition Algorithm - How OpenL recognizes and processes tables
Naming Conventions - Best practices for naming tables

Table Types

Core Table Types

OpenL Tablets supports various table types for different purposes:

Datatype Tables - Define custom data types and structures
Decision Tables - Core decision logic tables with conditions and actions
Spreadsheet Tables - Complex calculations with spreadsheet logic
Data Tables - Store and manage data collections
Test Tables - Unit testing for rules and methods
Configuration Tables - Configure module behavior

Common Table Features

Cross-cutting concepts that apply to multiple table types:

Using Calculations in Table Cells - Perform calculations within table cells
Referencing Attributes - Reference table attributes and properties
Calling a Table from Another Table - Inter-table calls and dependencies
Representing Values of Different Types - How to represent arrays, dates, booleans, and ranges

Less Common Table Types

Specialized table types for specific use cases:

Column Match Tables - Pattern matching across columns
Method Tables - Define callable methods
Properties Tables - Set table and method properties
Run Tables - Execute test scenarios
TBasic Tables - BASIC-style procedural code
Constants Tables - Define constant values
Table Part - Reusable table components

Table Configuration

Table Properties Overview - Comprehensive guide to table properties and metadata
Default Values - Setting default property values
System Properties - Built-in system properties
Properties for Specific Table Types - Table type-specific properties
Rule Versioning - Version management for rules
Info Properties - Informational metadata
Dev Properties - Development-time properties
Properties in File Names - File name-based properties
Properties in Folder Names - Folder-based properties
Keywords Usage in File Names - File name keywords

OpenL Tablets Functions and Supported Data Types

Chapter Overview - Introduction to functions and data types
Working with Data Types - Built-in and custom data types
Working with Functions - OpenL Tablets functions and expressions
Working with Arrays - Array operations, manipulation, and best practices

Working with Projects

Project Structure - Project organization and file structure
Project, Module, and Rule Dependencies - Managing dependencies
Rules Runtime Context Management - Runtime context handling
Project Localization - Internationalization support

Appendices

Appendix A: BEX Language Overview - Business Expression Language syntax and operators
Appendix B: Array Functions - Complete array function reference
Appendix C: Date Functions - Date and time functions
Appendix D: Math Functions - Mathematical functions
Appendix E: String Functions - String manipulation functions
Appendix F: Special Functions - Special-purpose functions
Appendix G: Statistical Functions - Variance, standard deviation, covariance, correlation, and linear regression functions

Quick Links

By Task

Defining data structures → Datatype Tables
Creating decision logic → Decision Tables
Complex calculations → Spreadsheet Tables
Storing data → Data Tables
Testing rules → Test Tables, Run Tables
Representing values → Arrays, Dates, Booleans, Ranges
Working with collections → Arrays
Using functions → Functions Overview, Function References
Statistical analysis → Statistical Functions

By Experience Level

New users → Start with What Is OpenL Tablets?, then Basic Concepts
Intermediate users → Explore specific Table Types
Advanced users → Table Properties, BEX Language

This reference guide is comprehensive and detailed. For best results:

Start with basics: Read What Is OpenL Tablets? and Table Recognition Algorithm
Learn by doing: Use Datatype Tables and Decision Tables to create your first rules
Reference as needed: Bookmark specific table types and features you use frequently
Search effectively: Use your browser’s find function (Ctrl+F/Cmd+F) within pages
Test your understanding: Create Test Tables to verify your rules

Document Organization

Files and folders in this guide are numbered to maintain reading order:

01-introduction/ - Getting started materials
02-working-with-openl-tables/ - Table types and properties
03-functions-and-data-types/ - Functions and data types
04-working-with-projects/ - Project management
05-appendices/ - Reference appendices

Within each folder, files are numbered sequentially (01-, 02-, etc.) to reflect the original document structure.

Feedback

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Last Updated: 2025-11-20 Version: Reference Guide - Reorganized Structure