Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for an interface for expanding logical combinations based on relative placement are provided. Logical combinations are built using a consistent logical layout specifying logical operators and order of operations based on direction of expansion and relative positions. The interface allows the user to add or move objects at specific positions relative to existing objects to select the logical operators for integrating the objects into the logical combination. Based on the specific pathway that the direction follows, an associated logical operator is selected to connect an existing object to the new or moved object. The logical combinations that are built in Visual Information Builder (VIB) can be automatically translated into corresponding business rule code for evaluation and execution by a rules engine.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for a visual information builder for business rules are provided. By providing an additional interface layer over a general purpose business rule creation interface, role-based and context-sensitive interaction and presentation can be provided to abstract the complexity of the underlying service platform that supports the business rules. Templates are used to provide custom context-sensitive user interfaces and to hide complexity from the user by limiting the scope of the rule dictionary exposed to the user. The general rule building process is uniformly consistent across different contexts and operates similarly at the block and rule scale. Moreover, logical combinations are built using a consistent logical layout specifying logical operators and order of operations based on direction of expansion and relative positions.