16.4. Queries in DRL

Queries in DRL files search the working memory of the decision engine for facts related to the rules in the DRL file. You add the query definitions in DRL files and then obtain the matching results in your application code. Queries search for a set of defined conditions and do not require when or then specifications. Query names are global to the KIE base and therefore must be unique among all other rule queries in the project. To return the results of a query, you construct a QueryResults definition using ksession.getQueryResults("name"), where "name" is the query name. This returns a list of query results, which enable you to retrieve the objects that matched the query. You define the query and query results parameters above the rules in the DRL file.

The following example is a query definition in a DRL file for underage applicants in a mortgage application decision service, with the accompanying application code:

query "people under the age of 21"
    $person : Person( age < 21 )
end

QueryResults results = ksession.getQueryResults( "people under the age of 21" );
System.out.println( "we have " + results.size() + " people under the age  of 21" );

You can also iterate over the returned QueryResults using a standard for loop. Each element is a QueryResultsRow that you can use to access each of the columns in the tuple.

QueryResults results = ksession.getQueryResults( "people under the age of 21" );
System.out.println( "we have " + results.size() + " people under the age of 21" );

System.out.println( "These people are under the age of 21:" );

for ( QueryResultsRow row : results ) {
    Person person = ( Person ) row.get( "person" );
    System.out.println( person.getName() + "\n" );
}