Defining Options with Advanced Expressions
You can manage options choices for the components in a structure, by creating options statements based on AND and OR expressions for a component.
You can filter a structure based on the option choices assigned to its components in this way.
Refer to
Filtering on Options for further information.
Use the Manage Applicability menu option to create, edit, and delete options settings for an object in a structure:
1. Right click the object in its structure browser of its information page and select the Manage Applicability menu option.
2. The Manage Applicability window opens, displaying two panes:
◦ Expressions — displays Assigned Item Expressions (options for global use of object) and Assigned Usage Expressions (options for object in this context)
◦ Service Effectivity — displays a list of service effectivity objects associated with the item or its usage
3. Click the Edit
icon next to the
Assigned Item Expressions or the
Assigned Usage Expressions table in the
Expressions field. This launches an options selection window, in which you can assign choices to the required object.
4. Click the
Assign Advanced Expression button
. The
Assign Advanced Expression window opens.
| The value of the Supported Expressions preference (Options and Variants category) for the current product defines whether the Assign Advanced Expression option is visible. The preference is set to Both basic and advanced expressions as a default, to enable you to toggle between setting option choices by selection (basic expression) or by boolean expression (advanced expression). If the value of the preference is set to Advanced expressions only, the Assign Advanced Expression window opens when you click the Edit button in the Options field. You do not see a selectable list of options configured for the product before opening the window. If the value of the preference is set to Basic expressions only, you are not able to describe option choices via expression. You can only select individually from a list. You must have the Platform Structures Module installed to expose this preference. Check with your system administrator if you cannot see the Advanced Expression option. |
The option set defined for the product is listed at the top of the window.
You cannot use a combination of basic and advanced expressions to define options for a single object. If expressions of one type already exist for the object, the relevant Assign Expression window opens automatically.
5. Add the expression that defines the option choices for the object in the Expression field.
Include an optional description of the expression in the Description field.
6. Define multiple expressions by clicking the
Add button
to add an additional row to the table. Multiple rows of expression are separated by an OR conjunction.
7. To delete a row from the table, select the row then click the
Remove
button.
8. Click OK to save the changes and exit the window.
A summary of the expressions you entered appears in the Assigned Item Expressions or the Assigned Usage Expressions field.
A single expression is demarcated by square brackets ([ ]). Multiple rows of expression are separated by a forward slash (/).
9. Click Close to exit the Manage Applicability window and apply the options selection.
| Objects will not be automatically checked back in after being edited. |
Be aware of this information when creating advanced expressions:
• Choice values are entered manually. The value must exactly match that defined in the option set for the product, including case.
• Choice names with special characters, spaces, or an initial numeric character must be contained in quotes ("...").
• AND, OR, and NOT statements are accepted as expressions:
◦ AND statements: can be defined with + or && operators
◦ OR statements: can be defined with / or || operators
◦ NOT statements: can be defined with - or ! operators
Note that the NOT operator - must have a preceding + to add it to the expression, for example choice 1 + choice 2 + -choice 3.
• Expressions defined in multiple rows are considered as an OR configuration.
Refer to
Assigning Choices to Part Usages for tips on assigning choices to parts list items.
Refer to
Defining Basic Expressions for tips on using basic expressions.
Refer to
Defining Advanced Expressions for tips on using advanced expressions.
Refer to
Options and Choices for information about options and choices.
Refer to
Creating Options for steps to create options for a product.
Refer to
Working with Option Sets for information on managing option sets for a product.
Refer to
Managing Options in an Option Pool for information on working with an option pool.
