Rule Machine Global Variables Should allow initialize

📢 Feedback Feature Requests
1

I have a global variable stuck at null. I want to use it as a counter, but I can't add anything to it (can't add to null). When I created it, I wanted to initialize to 0, but there was no way to do that. So I was getting this:
java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot execute null+1 (addVar)
Until I wrote a trigger to initialize it. A lot of work for what amounts to:
int intCounter = 0;

Also, something happened last night, and the variable was back to null, and everything was broken.
Is there an easier way?

2

Can you share the code?

In the meantime I'd suggest using something like

intCounter = (intCounter ?: 0) + 1

I suspect the problem is that global variables aren't actually global, better to use a state variable, although that will only persist at the end of execution.

3

Hi, I am talking about the Global Variables in Rule Machine. I should have made that clear. I will update the title. Thanks.

4

Ah, fair enough.

I've not had to use them yet, all my rules are pretty simple.

5

This feature is in the upcoming release of Rule 3.0. In fact, you have to initialize them.

1 Like
6

Thank you Bruce, looking forward to that.