StatefulRuleEngine (excanon v0.1.0)

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A stateful rule engine implementation using Elixir Agents.

This engine maintains rules in memory using an Agent process, allowing rules to persist across multiple evaluations. Rules are loaded from JSON strings and evaluated against input facts. When rule conditions are met, their actions are executed to modify the facts. Each execution is stateless in terms of input facts, but the rules themselves are stateful and can be updated dynamically.

Features

  • Stateful: Rules persist in an Agent process across evaluations
  • JSON-based: Rules defined in JSON format for easy configuration
  • Sequential execution: Rules are evaluated in order, with actions modifying facts
  • Error handling: Invalid rules or JSON are rejected with error messages

Usage

# Start an engine
{:ok, _pid} = StatefulRuleEngine.start_link(:my_engine, [])

# Load rules
rules_json = ~s([
  {
    "name": "apply_discount",
    "description": "10% discount over $100",
    "conditions": {"gt": [{"obj": "total"}, 100]},
    "actions": [{"set": ["discount", {"mult": [{"obj": "total"}, 0.1]}]}]
  }
])
:ok = StatefulRuleEngine.load_rules(:my_engine, rules_json)

# Evaluate facts
facts = %{"total" => 150}
{:ok, result} = StatefulRuleEngine.evaluate(:my_engine, facts)
# result["discount"] == 15.0

Summary

Functions

Returns a specification to start this module under a supervisor.

Evaluates facts against the loaded rules and executes actions for matching conditions.

Loads rules from a JSON string into the rule engine. This function call is idempotent, so each call will replace the existing rules with the new set of rules provided in the JSON string.

Functions

child_spec(arg)

Returns a specification to start this module under a supervisor.

See Supervisor.

evaluate(id, facts)

Evaluates facts against the loaded rules and executes actions for matching conditions.

Parameters

  • id: The Agent process identifier
  • facts: Map of input facts to evaluate

Returns

  • {:ok, result_facts} where result_facts contains the original facts modified by rule actions
  • Raises ArgumentError for invalid arguments

Examples

facts = %{"age" => 25, "premium" => false}
{:ok, result} = StatefulRuleEngine.evaluate(:engine, facts)
# result may have additional keys set by rule actions

load_rules(id, rules)

Loads rules from a JSON string into the rule engine. This function call is idempotent, so each call will replace the existing rules with the new set of rules provided in the JSON string.

Parameters

  • id: The Agent process identifier
  • rules: JSON string containing an array of rule objects

Returns

  • :ok on successful loading
  • {:error, reason} on failure (invalid JSON or rule structure)

Examples

rules_json = ~s([
  {
    "name": "test",
    "description": "Test rule",
    "conditions": {"eq": [1, 1]},
    "actions": [{"set": ["result", true]}]
  }
])
StatefulRuleEngine.load_rules(:engine, rules_json)
# => :ok

start_link(id, initial_value)