Routing rules are used to limit destinations based on certain properties of the carrier or the product. There may only be a single rule on a given rail, but the rule itself can have several parts to it.
Routing rules can be a combination of arguments. An argument consists of three parts; a field, a comparer, and value. More than one argument can be combined using AND and OR logic.
By default a routing rule is considered true if all the contained arguments are true.
Example:
- Argument 1:
- Field: Criteria, comparer "is", value Size: Large
- AND
- Field: Criteria, comparer "is", value: Color: Blue
- OR
- Argument 2:
- Field: Criteria, comparer "is", value Size: Small
This routing rule will allow carriers small products of any color, and large blue products.
Fields
- Article Number, Article number of the carrier we are routing
- Carrier Id, Number of the carrier we are routing
- Criteria, Criteria for the carrier we are routing
- Destination Line, Destination line of the carrier that is about to enter a bridge. *Bridge Only
- Examine, If the carrier is marked for examination. (Please see topic Carrier Examination)
- Has Bundle, If the carrier contains a bundle instead of a product
- Is Replacement, If this carrier contains products loaded to replace faulty products
- Operation, The next operation we are about to perform on the carrier being routed
- Order Line Number, Order line number of the carrier being routed
- Order Number, Order number of the carrier being routed
- Product Detected, If a product/garment detector has detected something hanging on this carrier. (Used on bridges only)
- Station Group, True if the station sending the carrier is part of the specified station group
Comparers
- Is, The value should equal our compare value
- Is Not, The value should not equal our compare value
- Contains, The value should contain our provided value. Only valid in some comparisons, such as if checking if an article number contains a certain text
- Starts With, The value begins with a certain text
- Equal Or Less Than, The value should be equal or lower than a certain numerical value
- Equal Or Greater Than, The value should be equal or higher than a certain numerical value
Value
The string, numerical or boolean value that is being compared.
Exclusive routing rules
Routing rules can be exclusive, in the sense that only they allow carriers matching a specific rule.
Exclusive rules affect all rails in a station group, according to the following logic:
- Non-exclusive rule
- Carriers matching the rule can enter any rail on the station
- Carriers not matching the rule will not enter the rail, but can enter any other rail on the station
- Exclusive rule
- Carriers matching the rule will enter only the rails with the rule, and not enter other rails
- Carriers not matching the rule will still not enter the rail, but any other rail
If two or more rules would contradict each other, so that one rule allows a carrier to enter a rail and another rule prevents the same carrier to enter the rail, the carrier will get a routing error.
Example 1:
A station with two rails, 2001 and 2002.
Two carriers 🟢🔵 are addressed to the station.
Rail 2001 has a routing rule that says that only carriers matching 🟢 should enter.
🟢 will enter either 2001 or 2002.
🔵 will only enter 2002 as the rule prohibits it to enter 2001.
Example 2:
A station with two rails, 2001 and 2002.
Two carriers 🔵🔴 are addressed to the station.
Rail 2001 has a routing rule that says that only carriers not 🔵 should enter.
Only 🔴 will enter either 2001 or 2002.
🔵 will only enter 2002 as the rule prohibits it to enter 2001.
Example 3:
A station with three rails, 2001, 2002, 2003.
Three carriers 🟢🔵🔴 are addressed to the station.
Rail 2001 has an exclusive routing rule that says that only carriers matching 🟢 should enter.
🟢 will only enter 2001, and no other rails.
🔵 and 🔴 will enter either 2002 or 2003 as the rule prohibits them from entering 2001.
Example 4:
A station with three rails, 2001, 2002, 2003.
Three carriers 🟢🔵🔴 are addressed to the station.
Rail 2001 has an exclusive routing rule that says that only carriers not 🟢 should enter.
🔵 and 🔴 will only enter 2001, and no other rails.
🟢 will enter either 2002 or 2003 as the rule just prohibits it from entering 2001.
Readdressing Rules
Readdressing rules are used in combination with a product detector to change the destination of a carrier when the detected value does not align with the expected value.