Rules

A rule is used to retrieve and set variables before and after each timestep of a simulation.

NB all modifications to the database made by a rule are temporary and persist only to the end of the timestep.

Rule scripts

Rules are stored in the directory rule and are classes that extend fr.ifremer.isisfish.rule.AbstractRule which implements the interface fr.ifremer.isisfish.rule.Rule.

Several methods are used by ISIS-Fish.

  • getDescription() – Returns a String describing the rule.
  • getNecessaryResult() – Returns a string array with the results required for the rule.
  • init() – Called once only at the start of the process.
  • condition() – Called before preAction() to determine whether the rule should be applied to the next timestep.
  • preAction() – Called before each timestep.
  • postAction() – Called after each timestep.

Method call sequence

The methods are called by the simulator.

At the start of the simulation process, ISIS-Fish instantiates each of the rules selected for the simulation and calls init() for each rule. The init() method is, therefore called only once.

Then for each timestep the simulator

  • calls condition() for all metiers and all rules (the condition() methods for all rules are called before any other methods for any rule);
  • calls preAction() for each rule and each metier provided that the condition() method returned true for the rule and the metier;
  • simulates the timestep;
  • calls postAction() for each rule and each metier provided that the condition() method returned true for the rule and the metier;
  • rolls back all changes made by the rules.
// debut de simulation
pour toutes les règles
  appel de la méthode init() de la règle
finpour

pour chaque pas de temps
  // condition
  pour toutes les regles
    pour tous les metiers
      appel de la methode condition()

  // preAction
  pour toutes les regles
    pour tous les metiers
      si la regle est active pour ce metier
        appel de la methode preAction()

  // simulation du pas de temps

  // postAction
  pour toutes les regles
    pour tous les metiers
      si la regle est active pour ce metier
        appel de la méthode postAction()

Care required

preAction / postAction

The preAction() and postAction() methods are called several times for each timestep (once for each metier). If preAction() and postAction() should only act once per timestep, a trick, such as a state field, must be used to suppress the repeated actions.

Field initialization

Rules are only instantiated once and init() is called only once. The fields are, therefore, not reinitialized between timesteps.

Persistence of the modifications

The modifications made by a rule are rolled back at the end of each timestep. Persistent changes made to the database must be repeated for each timestep.

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