Knowledge Base

• What is an indication rule?
• What is an indication rule used for?
• Do indication rules modify data?
• What roles are required to create or use indication rules?
• How do I write an indication rule?
• What are examples of valid "when" conditions?
• How do I create an indication rule in Alma?
• How do I apply an indication rule to a set?

What is an indication rule?

An indication rule in Alma is used to evaluate whether a record meets a specific condition. It does not change or update any data. Instead, it is used to filter sets of records. The result is a new set consisting only of the records that meet the rule’s criteria.

What is an indication rule used for?

Indication rules are primarily used to:

• Filter logical sets of records in Alma
• Determine which records to include in publishing, normalization processes, or batch jobs
• Identify records with or without certain fields, subfields, or values

Examples:

• Is the record in English?
• Is there a local 590 field?
• Does the 035 field start with "on"?
• Is there a 245 field that begins with "A," "An," or "The"?

Do indication rules modify data?

No. Indication rules only evaluate records. They do not alter, remove, or add data.

What roles are required to create or use indication rules?

• Catalog Administrator
• Catalog Manager
• Cataloger

How do I write an indication rule?

Each rule follows this structure:

rule "rule name"
when
    (record-level condition)
then
    set indication."true"
end
  

You can’t set the result to anything except true. If a record meets the criteria, it’s included in the filtered set. If it doesn’t, it’s excluded.

What are examples of valid "when" conditions?

How do I create an indication rule in Alma?

1. Open the Metadata Editor
2. Go to the Rules tab.
3. Click New > Indication.
4. Enter rule details:
   • Record Type:
     • Authority
     • Bibliographic
     • Holdings
   • Format: MARC21
   • Enter a name and description
   • Type: choose how to create the rule:
     • Drool: Write syntax manually
     • Form: Use dropdowns for fields and conditions
   • Access Level:
     • Private: Visible only to you
     • Shared: Visible to others at your institution and usable in sets
5. Click Save.

How do I apply an indication rule to a set?

1. Go to Admin > "Manage Jobs and Sets" > Manage Sets.
2. Find the set you want to filter.
3. Click the ellipsis (…) button
4. Select Filter Set.
5. Choose your indication rule.
6. Name the new filtered set or accept the default.
7. Click Filter.