Product Documentation
Application Delivery Management
14.1 - Current Release 13.1 13.0
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Optional properties

December 31, 2023
Contributed by: 
C

In some cases, a property of a component takes its value from an expression, which can be a simple expression such as a parameter reference, or a more complex one. Setting this property value is optional in the component. You can choose to set the property value only if the expression returns an actual value, else you can choose not to set this property.

For example, consider that one of the properties you want to set is the lbmethod (loadbalancing algorithm) of a component whose type is ns::lbvserver. The value of the property lbmethod is taken from a parameter value provided by the user, as shown below:


components
  -
      name: lbvserver_comp
      type: ns::lbvserver
      properties:
        name: $parameters.lb-appname + "-lb"
        servicetype: $parameters.lb-service-type
        ipv46: $parameters.lb-virtual-ip
        port: 80
        lbmethod: $parameters.lb-advanced.algorithm
<!--NeedCopy-->

Now, consider that the parameter lb-advanced.algorithm is an optional parameter. And, if the user does not provide a value for this parameter because it is optional, the expression $parameters.lb-advanced.algorithm evaluates to blank value. Therefore, an invalid value is passed for the lbmethod property. In order to avoid such a situation, you can annotate the property as optional by suffixing its name with “?” as follows:


components
   -
     name: lbvserver_comp
     type: ns::lbvserver
     properties:
       name: $parameters.lb-appname + "-lb"
       servicetype: $parameters.lb-service-type
       ipv46: $parameters.lb-virtual-ip
       port: 80
       lbmethod?: $parameters.lb-advanced.algorithm
<!--NeedCopy-->

The use of “?” omits the property if the expression on the right evaluates to nothing, which would be equivalent, in this case, to a component defined as follows:


components
  -
    name: lbvserver_comp
    type: ns::lbvserver
    properties:
      name: $parameters.lb-appname + "-lb"
      servicetype: $parameters.lb-service-type
      ipv46: $parameters.lb-virtual-ip
      port: 80
<!--NeedCopy-->

Because lbmethod is optional, omitting it still makes this a valid component. Note that lbmethod might take its default value if one is defined in its type “ns::lbvserver.”

Optional properties
December 31, 2023
Contributed by: 
C
December 31, 2023
Contributed by: 
C

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