To assign conditional tags to a communication definition

The procedure to assign conditional tags to a communication definition is as follows:

1. Navigate to Quick Menu > Communication Engine > Configuration > Communication Definitions. The Communication Definitions window is displayed.
2. Expand a module and linked entity from the alphabetical list and select an associated communication definition, or type its name into the Search Communications field. By default the list is filtered to show Current communication definitions. An alternative filter can be applied using the Filter by drop-down field: Expired, Future or All combinations 1.
3. Click on Conditional Tags. The Conditional Tags tab is activated and all existing tags are displayed in the Tag Details summary table. Highlighting a tag reveals the associated conditions in the Conditions table.
4. Click on New Conditional Tag. The Conditional Tag window is displayed.
5. Enter a Tag name into the field provided. The syntax must exclude spaces and special characters (? / \ # & ! ^ % £ $) 1.
6. Where inclusion of the tag content within a published communication is to be determined from complex criteria rules, enter the name of the SQL subroutine into the Stored Procedure field provided 2.
7. Using the Pre control character drop-down field, select a control character to appear before the output text (New line command or Space character) and enter the desired repeat value in the corresponding field. The Up and Down arrows are available to increment or decrement the value, as required.
8. Using the Post control character drop-down field, select a control character to appear after the output text (New line command or Space character) and enter the desired repeat value in the corresponding field. The Up and Down arrows are available to increment or decrement the value, as required.
9. Click on Save. The conditional tag entry is displayed in the Tag Details summary table.
10. Highlight the row matching the conditional tag entry and click on New Condition. The Conditional Tag window is displayed.
11. Enter the Output text into the field provided, to be included on the communication in the instance where the condition is met. Tags can also be embedded, either by expanding the entity headings and selecting the desired tag, or typing its name into the Search Tags field to return all possible matches 3.
12. Enter an integer value for the Evaluation order of execution i.e. the sequence in which the condition will be evaluated relative to those already in existence 4. The Up and Down arrows are available to increment or decrement the value, as required.
13. Where the Output text will be displayed only in circumstances where no conditions are satisfied, activate the Is ELSE condition tick box provided; proceed to step 15.
14. Otherwise, click on Next. The Statement Builder window is displayed, ready to define the conditions under which the Output text will be included within a merged communication. This requisite step is covered separately in the topic Understanding the advanced statement builder.
15. Click on Save. The new condition is displayed in the Conditionals summary table, prefixed with the IF, ELSE IF or ELSE statement function, as appropriate 5.
16. To extend the operational scenarios for the custom tag deployment, repeat steps 9 through 14 to add further conditions 6. An example of nested conditions is shown in the table below.

Tip

1 To aid in identification purposes, it is good practice to devise and uphold a consistent naming convention for all conditional tags.

Note

1 The Search Communications field will match against any element of the communication description.

2 Where no SQL subroutine is specified, deployment of the conditional tag must instead be determined from rules defined using the Advanced Statement Builder.

3 A pseudo (friendly) name is shown in the list of available tags; once selected, the physical database field name is shown in the Output field.

4 System validation rules ensure that the assigned Execution order value is unique across all conditions specified for an individual tag.

5 The IF statement function is assigned to the first condition only, as determined by the Evaluation order sequence number; the ELSE statement function is inextricably linked to the Is ELSE condition attribute.

6 To remove a conditional entry, highlight the corresponding row in the Conditionals summary table and click on Remove Condition.

Conditional Tags - Examples

See related topics...

Communication definition management overview

Understanding the advanced statement builder

To create a new communication definition