Conflict Rules

Owned by Luuk Koetsier (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Nov 30, 2023
6 min read

This feature is new and will replace the existing conflict checking configuration on dimension in the future.

Overview

Conflict Rules allow you to implement your business rules for reservations, by allowing you restrict your reservations based on rules.
You can create easy rules and more complex rules, using below described operators and functions. You can use fields on the reservation and fields of the related dimension record if you link your rule to a dimension.

The formula itself is where you define the condition for the rule. If the formula evaluates to true, it will result in a conflict. You can use various logical operators such as == (equal), != (not equal), > (greater than), >= (greater than or equal to), < (less than), <= (less than or equal to), CONTAINS, LIKE, NOT, and ISBLANK.

Additionally, there are functions available for performing calculations and filtering lists. When linked to a dimension, you can access special variables like overlappingReservations and matchingAvailabilities to further rules for availability checking or double bookings.

You can choose between hard and soft conflicts, where a hard conflict will block the reservation, and a soft conflict will only display a warning. The validation message you provide will be shown to the user to explain why the reservation is not allowed.

By combining operators, functions, and variables, you can create simple or advanced rules to handle conflicts based on specific criteria, such as resource availability, overlapping reservations, and more.

Getting started

As it’s in a first version, you first need to install our latest version 5.9 or later https://gomeddo.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BPD/pages/1317240946
Navigate to GoMeddo settings, and enable the setting to enable this new way of conflict checking

After doing so, all conflict checking configured on the dimension itself, are disabled and only the rules will be used from now on.

Creating and editing rules

Go to the "Conflict Rule" tab and click on "New Rule” or select an existing rule from the list.

  1. Please provide a name for this rule. Optionally, link it to a dimension. Mark it as active or inactive. If inactive, the rule will not work or be validated upon save.

  2. Type the formula itself here, using the function and operators in the formula editor.
    If the formula is true, it will cause a conflict. You can use the syntax checker to validate your rule.

  3. Specify the conflict type: Is it a blocking (hard) conflict or a warning (soft) conflict?

  4. Enter the validation message. This will be shown to the user as the reason why it’s not allowed.

  5. Save the rule. If the rule is marked as active, it will be checked for syntax and referenced fields again.

Important is that when the result is true, the reservation will be blocked. This is why we call the rules “Conflict Rules”.

 

Operators

We will support the following logical operators:

Operation

Description

Operation

Description

==

Checks if two values are equal. Returns true if they are, false otherwise.

!=

Checks if two values are not equal. Returns true if they are not, false otherwise.

>

Checks if the left value is greater than the right value. Returns true if it is, false otherwise.

>=

Checks if the left value is greater than or equal to the right value. Returns true if it is, false otherwise.

<

Checks if the left value is less than the right value. Returns true if it is, false otherwise.

<=

Checks if the left value is less than or equal to the right value. Returns true if it is, false otherwise.

CONTAINS

Checks if a text value contains a specified substring. Returns true if it does, false otherwise.

LIKE

Performs a pattern matching comparison between a text value and a specified pattern. Returns true if the pattern matches, false otherwise.

NOT

Negates the Boolean value of an expression. Returns true if the expression is false, false if it is true.

ISBLANK

Checks if a field or expression is blank (empty) or null. Returns true if it is blank, false otherwise.

 

Functions

Rules serve different functions, with some of them returning numerical values that you can use in your formula.

  • SUM(listofnumbers) -> yields the sum of all the number in a list

  • SUM(listofrecords, numberfield) -> yields the sum of all the number fields

  • COUNT(list) -> yields the number of items in the list

  • MIN(listofrecords, numberfield) -> yields the lowest number in all of the numberfields

  • MIN(listofnumbers) -> yields the lowest number in a list

  • MAX(listofrecords, numberfield) -> yields the highest number in all of the numberfields

  • MAX(listofnumbers) -> yields the highest number in a list

You can filter records by using the filter function:

  • FILTER(records AS record, record.number_field__c > 5) -> yields a potentially smaller list of any items for which the condition is true

Iteration of a list is also possible, for example to create a list of just numbers:

  • FOREACH(records AS record, record.number_field__c) -> yields a new list of the result of the formula of each record.

Finally, you can combine the functions to create more in-depth rules.

  • COUNT(FILTER(records AS record, record.number_field__c > 5)) > 0 -> returns TRUE if at least one record has a value higher than 5

Rule linked to dimension

When you link your rule to a dimension, two special variables will become available for use in the formula.

  • overlappingReservations
    overlapping reservations with the reservation being checked
    COUNT(overlappingReservations) > 0
    This rule would make sure that no overlapping reservation are allowed

  • matchingAvailablilities
    Allowing you to use the availability or unavailability of the related dimension in your formula.
    COUNT(matchingAvailabilities) == 0
    Reservation not allowed when there is no availability or if there are unavailabilities.

Use custom permission in a rule

You can also reference and check the permissions of the running user in your rule.
By adding: $Permission.Custom_Permission_Name
COUNT(overlappingReservations) > 0 and $Permission.B25__ALLOW_DOUBLE_BOOKING == false

Examples rules:

Important is that when the result is true, the reservation will be blocked. This is why we call the rules “Conflict Rules”.

Basic rules

Reservation not allowed when title matches invalid.

B25__Title__c == 'invalid'

Reservation not allowed when Resource name = invalid
B25__Resource__r.Name == 'invalid'

Reservation not allowed when Reservation title matches reservation notes.

B25__Title__c == B25__Notes__c

Reservation not allowed when overlapping with other reservation.

COUNT(overlappingReservations) > 0

Reservation not allowed if no availability

COUNT(matchingAvailabilities) == 0

 

More advanced rules

  • Reservation not allowed when overlapping with other reservations, not taking into account reservation with status “Canceled” AND status “Temporary”

COUNT(FILTER(overlappingReservations AS item, item.b25__status__r.name != 'Canceled' AND item.b25__status__r.name!='Temporary')) > 0

  • Reservation not allowed when Resource does not allow double booking and when overlapping with another reservation.

Resource__r.Allow_Double_Booking__c == false AND COUNT(overlappingReservations) > 0

  • Reservation not allowed when when overlapping with more reservations then specified at the “max capacity field specified on the related resource.

COUNT(overlappingReservations) > Resource__r.Max_Reservations__c

  • Reservation not allowed when the resource has no availability and the checkbox overbookable is disabled.

B25__Resource__r.Overbookable__c == false AND COUNT(matchingAvailabilities) == 0

  • Reservations are not allowed when there are no availability where the availability type matches the reservation type.

COUNT(FILTER(matchingAvailabilities as item, item.Availability_type__c == B25__Reservation_Type__r.Name)) == 0

  • Reservations are not allowed when going over the lowest availability’s capacity

B25__Quantity__c > MIN(matchingAvailabilities, Capacity__c)

  • Reservations are not allowed when going over the sum of all availabilities' capacity

B25__Quantity__c + SUM(overlappingReservations, B25__Quantity__c) > SUM(matchingAvailabilities, Capacity__c)

  • Reservations are not allowed when no capacity or different gender.

B25__Quantity__c + SUM(overlappingReservations, B25__Quantity__c) > SUM(matchingAvailabilities, capacity__c) OR COUNT(overlappingReservations AS rsv, rsv.Gender__c != Gender__c) > 0

  • Reservations are not allowed to be double booked and when the running user doesn’t have the permission to “overrule double bookings”

COUNT(overlappingReservations) > 0 and $Permission.B25__ALLOW_DOUBLE_BOOKING == false

  • Resource Availability rule, also for the widget.
    Raises a conflict if there is no availability or unavailability

COUNT(FILTER(matchingAvailabilities AS ava, ava.B25__Unavailability__c == true)) != 0 OR COUNT(FILTER(matchingAvailabilities AS ava, ava.B25__Unavailability__c != true)) == 0

  • Resource Capacity rule, raises a conflict if the B25LP__Quantity_For_External_Client__c quantity of all reservations at the same point exceeds the resource capacity.
    SUM(overlappingReservations, B25LP__Quantity_For_External_Client__c) + B25LP__Quantity_For_External_Client__c > B25__Resource__r.B25__Capacity__cCOUNT(overlappingReservations) > 0 and $Permission.B25__ALLOW_DOUBLE_BOOKING == false

Not supported yet: