Command Processing Architecture with Rules Engine Integration

1. Command Processing Pipeline

• Purpose: This pipeline handles the processing of commands after they've been parsed and transformed into an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST). It evaluates each command against a set of rules before execution.
• Components:
  • Command AST: The result from your parser, representing the command to be executed.
  • Pipeline Steps:
    • Validation Step: Initial checks for basic syntax correctness, ensuring the command can be executed.
    • Rule Evaluation Step: The command is checked against the rules defined in the rule engine, evaluating the user's role, the command type, and other contextual factors like user stats or possession of certain items.
    • Execution Step: If the command passes all rules, it is executed.

2. Microsoft Rules Engine Integration

• Purpose: Use Microsoft's Rules Engine to define and enforce complex rules for command execution.
• Components:
  • Rule Definitions: JSON or another format that defines the rules. Each rule can evaluate multiple conditions, such as role, user stats, items, etc.
  • Rule Engine: This engine takes the command, user context, and possibly other environmental factors and evaluates them against the defined rules.

3. Contextual Information Gathering

• Purpose: Collect all necessary information about the user and the environment to properly evaluate the rules.
• Components:
  • User Context: Includes the user's role, stats, items they possess, and other relevant information.
  • Environment Context: Any environmental factors that might influence the command, such as the current state of the game world, other players' actions, etc.

4. Role and Rule Interaction

• Purpose: Ensure that roles and rules are not handled in isolation but can interact in a flexible way.
• Components:
  • Role-Based Rules: Rules primarily concerned with the user's role, e.g., only an Administrator might be able to execute certain commands.
  • Additional Criteria: Beyond role, other rules might involve user stats, items, or specific game scenarios. These criteria can modify or extend the role-based rules.

5. Error Handling and Feedback

• Purpose: Provide feedback to the user when a command is rejected by the rules engine.
• Components:
  • Error Reporting: If a command fails any rule, the pipeline should provide a detailed reason for the failure, so the user understands why the command wasn't executed.
  • Logging: All rule evaluations, especially failures, should be logged for auditing and debugging purposes.

6. Rule Definitions and Administration

• Purpose: Allow administrators to define and manage rules dynamically.
• Components:
  • Rule Editor: An interface for admins to create, update, and delete rules.
  • Rule Storage: Store rules in a database, allowing for easy retrieval and modification.
  • Rule Versioning: Keep track of different versions of rules, allowing for rollbacks or experimentation with new rule sets.

7. Example Flow

• Step 1: A user issues a command, which is parsed into a Command AST.
• Step 2: The Command AST enters the processing pipeline, where it first undergoes basic validation.
• Step 3: The command is evaluated against the rules using the Microsoft Rules Engine. The evaluation considers the user's role, stats, items, and any other relevant factors.
• Step 4: If the command passes all rules, it is executed. If not, an error is returned to the user, explaining why the command was not allowed.

8. Scalability and Maintenance

• Modularity: Keep the pipeline steps modular so that they can be easily modified or extended. For example, adding a new type of check (like environment-based rules) should not require a complete overhaul of the system.
• Extensibility: As new commands or gameplay elements are added, the rule engine and pipeline should be easily extendable to accommodate them.
• Performance Considerations: Ensure that rule evaluation is efficient, especially as the number of rules or complexity increases.