Evaluating Partial Expressions (BP V7.2.1)

[Kaylem]

Hi everyone,

Up until recently, we were able to evaluate 'partial' expressions/calculations within a multiline expression.
Example:
InStr([dataItem1], "note")>0
AND
InStr([dataItem2], "comment")>0

We were able to highlight 'InStr([dataItem2], "comment")>0' and evaluate only that expression, but it's not the case anymore.

Anybody with more info on this?

[david.l.morris]

It at least works as of 7.4.1. Do you get an error when you try to do that? Or is it just not changing to say "Evaluate Selection" when you highlight part of it?

[Kaylem]

RPA Guy!!!

Thank you for your swift response.

It appears that this works in the Calculation and Decision stages, but not the Choice stage.

[david.l.morris]

Hi =). I tested Choice stages in 7.4.1, and that is working for me as well to do "Evaluate Selection" for just the first line of a multiline expression. Can you confirm what I tried below is the same thing you're doing to reproduce the issue? And can you explain what actually goes wrong? Do you get an error or perhaps the button doesn't change from "Evaluate Expression" to "Evaluate Selection" when you select the first line?

[manas05]

Tested this on 7.2.1.7446

It seems to be a bug to me. Everything works as expected in Calc Stage.

But in Choice stage. Even if I choose partial expression in 'Expression Chooser', The 'Expression Test Wizard' Pulls in the whole expression from Chooser.

Second bug, when I close just the 'Expression Test Wizard' My original expression gets amended by the selection I did not made, Automatically.
This can cause some serious accidents, if it were to move to production. It is easy to miss such sneaky amendement when expression is large.

Hopefully, this is limited to just studio, and not runtime.

- Manasvi

[Kaylem]

So it does change to 'Evaluate Selection', but I don't get an error. Here's what it shows: 

I hope this helps.

It could be that 7.4 'fixes' this issue.

[david.l.morris · Accepted solution]

@Kaylem @manas05 This was an interesting issue. Well, interesting to me anyway. So, I tested multiple versions that have come out over the last 7 years or so. From the versions I tested, it appears that this issue has existed in Blue Prism as far back as v6.0. I didn't go test v5 because I can't easily do that.

I at least tested 6.0, 6.10.1, 7.1, 7.2.1, 7.3, 7.3.1, 7.4. All of these versions have the same issue.

Given that Blue Prism is normally very good about adding issues to the known issues lists, I was very surprised to find it actually fixed in 7.4.1.

So, I then checked release notes of 7.4.1, not expecting to find anything, but there is a clear description of the issue that was fixed. I do think they probably should have added this to the known issues. However, my guess is that it got overlooked because 7.4.1 fixed A LOT of tiny issues that have existed for years as well as improved various quality of life aspects for developers.

For nostalgia purposes, here's a screenshot of v6.0 having the same issue. 😁

[Kaylem]

This is helpful info, thank you Dave!