Patent Document ID: 8271520
Application ID: 13174175

Base Claim:
1. A method for building a rule that specifies an action that may occur during execution of an application, the method comprising: storing in a computer memory an expression editor tool; reading, with a processor, an action point definition from a database, the action point definition comprising an action point identifier that specifies an action point located in application program code; determining from the action point definition, with the processor, a dataset that is in-context at the action point in the application program code; executing from the computer memory, with the processor, the expression editor tool, where the expression editor tool is operable to: display an expression definition interface comprising: data source selectors for obtaining selected data fields from among the dataset; and an operator selector for obtaining a selected logical operator to connect the selected data fields; construct a new expression from the selected data fields and the selected logical operator; display an outcome selection interface comprising: an outcome selector for obtaining a selected outcome for the new expression; create a rule comprising the new expression and the selected outcome; store the rule in the database linked to the action point definition; and display an expression combination interface comprising: an expression ordering section operable to display multiple defined expressions, including the new expression; an operator selector for obtaining a selected logical operator to connect the multiple defined expressions; and an expression grouping element operable to combine a first and a second defined expression among the multiple defined expressions into an individually selectable unitary expression for combination within the expression combination interface.

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Claim 3:
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising executing the expression editor tool to: construct a new expression combination from the multiple defined expressions and the selected logical operator; and create the rule from the new expression combination and the selected outcome.