docs: clarify that program rule assign values aren't shared between rules (DHIS2-20691)#1768
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karolinelien wants to merge 1 commit into
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docs: clarify that program rule assign values aren't shared between rules (DHIS2-20691)#1768karolinelien wants to merge 1 commit into
karolinelien wants to merge 1 commit into
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…(DHIS2-20691) A value assigned to a data element or tracked entity attribute is shown to the user but isn't visible to other program rules until the next form edit; only Calculated value variables are shared between rules immediately. This caused confusing behaviour reported in DHIS2-20691 / DHIS2-21670 (e.g. a "field is empty" warning firing right after another rule filled the field). Adds a plain-language note in the program rule priority section and clarifies the "Assign value" action and "Calculated value" variable descriptions. AI Assisted Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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What
Clarifies a confusing program-rule behaviour in the Configure programs in the Maintenance app guide: a value that one program rule assigns to a data element or tracked entity attribute is shown to the user but is not visible to the conditions of other program rules until the user next edits the form. Only Calculated value program rule variables are shared between rules immediately.
Why
Reported in DHIS2-20691 and DHIS2-21670: e.g. Rule 1 fills in a field, Rule 2 warns when that field is empty, and the warning fires anyway because Rule 2 doesn't see the value Rule 1 just assigned. This is working as designed (and consistent across the web, Android, and server-side rule engines), but it isn't documented. The docs already name the Calculated value variable as the mechanism for passing values between rules, but never state the limitation that makes the above surprising.
I verified the supported workaround actually works by running the rule engine (
@dhis2/rule-engine3.8.1): assigning to a Calculated value variable does propagate to a later rule in the same run, whereas assigning to a data element / TEA does not.Changes (one file:
src/user/configure-programs-in-the-maintenance-app.md)Written for program designers rather than developers — no engine internals.
AI Assisted