The 'Any' Data Type

The Any data type is specifically and only for use when defining parameters to:

• Manual Rules
• Manual Bag Methods
• Events

This allows values of any type to be passed to a parameter with the new Any type.

A typical use-case is, for instance, a validation rule that checks a parameter for null. In previous versions - without the Any type - it would be necessary with a specific rule for each data type that needed to be checked: IsDateNull, IsNumNull, etc.

With the Any data type this can be done with just 1 rule - IsNull - by defining the parameter to the rule to be of the Any type.

Using the rule, you can now pass fields with any data type to this parameter:

In the generated C# code for the corresponding method, the type of the parameter will be object allowing values of any C# type.

Even though the method parameter is defined as object, the value passed to the parameter when the engine is running is in fact a strongly typed value. That allows a method implementation to inspect the type of the actual value passed and act accordingly:

public override bool FlexibleRule(FlagHandler flag, object any) // The any parameter is of type: object
{
    // if/else approach
    if (any is DateTime date)
    {
        // Do something with the date
    }
    else if (any is decimal num)
    {
        // Do something with the num value
    }

    // Or a switch on type
    switch (any)
    {
        case DateTime date:
            // Do something with the date
            break;
        case decimal num:
            // Do something with the num value
            break;
    }

    return true;
}