You can type your expression in the Expression editor manually, or you can use the Expression element panel to select and add elements.
See Guidelines for Building
Expressions for general rules.
To create or edit an expression
- Put the cursor in the Expression editor.
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Type your expression, or add elements as follows:
- Double-clicking items in the Expression element panel on the left. There are four elements used to build expression statements (Functions, Attributes, Literals, and Operators).For example, to insert the DT_CEILING function, expand Functions, select Date/Time (Format) from the drop-down list, and then double-click DT_CEILING. You can also double-click DT_CEILING from All Functions or from the Search bar results list.
- Entering the name of the element you want to insert. A list opens showing potential matches. Choose a suggestion to add it to the current location of the cursor.
Note: See Using the Expression Builder for more information. -
Validate the expression. There are three ways to validate.
- Click Validate after your expression is complete.
- Check the Auto-validate box. The expression is continuously validated as you construct the expression.
- Click Done. If you do not use the Validate button or the Auto-validate option, validation will be automatically performed before the expression is submitted to the Discovery Center.
Note: The Auto-validate box is checked by default. When the Auto-validate box is checked, the Validate button is not available. If you want to manually validate you need to clear the Auto-validate box first.The result of rule validation is displayed in the validation message area at the bottom of the Expression Builder. If a syntax error is reported, edit the expression and validate again until the error is resolved.
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Click Done to submit the expression to the Discovery Center. If you click Cancel, no changes will be saved.