Business Rules Engine[C#]

[azcodemonkey]

I'm working on a project where the client may have a need for business rules to change periodically. I've done some Googling, but haven't really found any good info around building a rules engine that is end-user(another programmer) configurable. I have some thoughts about how to do it, but I'd like to validate my ideas against what is being done in the domain. The client can't and won't want to purchase a prepackaged rules engine, so that's right out.

To be more clear, this is a data import issue. I need to validate files coming in from various agents associated with this company, and scrub the data for an import into an Informix database. This is a rewrite of a Java service. I'm only contracting with the company so I don't know all the "why"s of this rewrite with exception to one, and that's that the dev team here isn't Java literate except for one, so it's a maintenance problem.

As much as I'd like to keep it simple for my own sanity, I want my client to have a simple way of extending what I've written with minimal forays into code.

[figgy]

My colleague wrote a custom rules engine for a similar data import, validation, cleanup and data combining job.

He is now replacing it with Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation. (I know zilch about it.)

It might be worth a look. The framework is free of course.

[azcodemonkey]

  figgy said:

My colleague wrote a custom rules engine for a similar data import, validation, cleanup and data combining job.

He is now replacing it with Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation. (I know zilch about it.)

It might be worth a look. The framework is free of course.

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, I'm limited in what I can use, and beta software isn't going to be acceptable for them. I'll check it out regardless as it may indicate some "best practices". Cheers! :)

[_Pablo]

  weenur said:

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, I'm limited in what I can use, and beta software isn't going to be acceptable for them. I'll check it out regardless as it may indicate some "best practices". Cheers! :)

Windows Workflow Foundation is part of the .NET 3.0 Framework which is not longer a beta since it was released last week - http://www.netfx3.com/ and also has Visual Studio 2005 extensions. Sounds like a pretty good fit for what you are trying to do.

[azcodemonkey]

  _Pablo said:

Windows Workflow Foundation is part of the .NET 3.0 Framework which is not longer a beta since it was released last week - http://www.netfx3.com/ and also has Visual Studio 2005 extensions. Sounds like a pretty good fit for what you are trying to do.

I guess it's just the VS extensions that are beta(or not, there's conflicting info on MSDN). Still, moving to a new framework isn't within my power to approve. They *just* moved to 2.0.