Excel domain provider
You can create enumerated domains based on data stored in an Excel file. The Excel domain provider handles the link between the data stored in Excel and your BOM.
The Excel domain provider supports Excel 2003, as well as Excel 2007 and 2010.
You can use the Excel domain provider only on a BOM class.
Some properties must be defined on the BOM class to retrieve the information from the Excel file. To ensure that the properties are mapped correctly, you must create an Excel file with the required structure. The Excel file must contain a column for the values of the domain provider, a column for the label, and a column for the BOM to XOM mapping.
You must create one row for each value of the domain provider. You cannot merge cells.
The Excel file must have the following structure:
- Value column
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You must create a value column to enter the values of the domain provider.
- Label column
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You must create a label column to enter the verbalization for the domain value. This label is the name displayed for the value when editing a rule.
- BOM to XOM column
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You must create a column to add the BOM to XOM mapping for each domain value.
- Optional columns
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The documentation column is optional. You can create a column to enter documentation on a value.
You can add additional label and documentation columns for other locales. The default locale is the locale of your Eclipse application. The values for the other locales are used when changing the locale of your Eclipse application.
You can also add columns if you want to use custom properties for the values in your dynamic domain. The custom properties that you define through the Domains wizard apply to all the values in your dynamic domain.
Note:To use the Excel domain in COBOL, you must add a specific column for COBOL values.
- Sheets
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You can have several domain providers in the same Excel file. Each worksheet corresponds to one domain provider.
For example, you could have a sheet for a domain called Currency, and another sheet for a domain called Status.
The following table is an example of the columns and values in a configured Excel file. In this example, the domain defines the status of the loan:
| Values | BOM to XOM | English label | Documentation (En) | Nom français | Documentation (Fr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLOCKED | return "Blocked"; | Blocked | The loan is blocked | Bloqué | Le prêt est bloqué |
| ACCEPTED | return "Accepted"; | Accepted | The loan is accepted | Accepté | Le prêt est accepté |
| REJECTED | return "Rejected"; | Rejected | The loan is rejected | Rejeté | Le prêt est rejeté |
| PENDING | return "Pending"; | Pending | The loan is pending | En attente | Le prêt est en attente |
After creating your Excel file with the required columns and data, you must add the file to the resources folder of your rule project.
You can then map the domain properties to the columns in your Excel file, see Creating dynamic domains from Excel.