Edit Rules Files

Rules files define how an app gets created by the template.

There are two type of rules files: template-to-app-rules.json and app-to-template-rules.json. They use the same syntax, but serve different purposes.

template-to-app-rules.json defines the rules that the template follows when creating an app. For example, you can define a rule that specifies that if an org doesn’t use certain objects, the app doesn’t use them in dashboards or the dataflow. Another rule can replace a label name in a chart with the name of a field from a Salesforce object selected in a wizard question. Rules also define how variables are handled. For example, if the wizard asks which fields to include in filters for accounts, template-to-app-rules.jsondetermines how that choice is reflected in dashboards.
app-to-template-rules.json provides rules for converting an updated source app back to template form. After changing the source app, you update the template object with a PUT call to the CRM Analytics REST API. For example, you can tokenize all asset files every time they are pulled out of the source app. You use app-to-template rules infrequently, because you’re unlikely to update the source app often.

The rules file is referenced from template-info.json:

1"rules" : [
2    { "type" : "appToTemplate", "file" : "appToTemplateRules.json" },
3    { "type" : "templateToApp", "file" : "templateToAppRules.json" }
4],

The bulk of what follows details the use of template-to-app-rules.json.

Rules Files Structure

Rules files can contain three sections: rules, constants, and macros.
Structuring and Organizing Rules

The rules section of template-to-app-rules.json defines the rules followed by the template.
Rules Syntax

The rules object may contain any number of rule objects. A rule object is made up of:
Actions in Rules

Actions define what a rule does. Use constants to make it easier to perform any action.
Actions Syntax for Rules
Use Functions in Rules

Functions make rules more powerful. For example, use functions to apply rules iteratively to arrays or to make rules conditional on the content of a string or an array. CRM Analytics Templates supports string, array, and json functions as well as static math and sfdc_fma functions.
Macros in Rules

Use a macro when a single rule executes repeatedly on different JSON node paths.

See Also

rules.json Attributes