Skip to content

Path and Source Rules

This page defines how to reference source and destination values in filters, variable extraction, and transformer instructions.

Use these rules whenever generated instructions include data access paths.

Rule source ids

Value Purpose
Paths Base cross-activity and general path rules.
HL7Paths HL7 path syntax guidance.
XMLPaths XML path syntax guidance.
JSONPaths JSON path syntax guidance.
CSVPaths CSV column path guidance.
SQLPaths SQL result-column path guidance.
MirthPaths General Mirth-to-HL7 Soup conversion guidance.
MirthHL7Paths Mirth HL7 path conversion rules.
MirthXMLPaths Mirth XML path conversion rules.
MirthJSONPaths Mirth JSON path conversion rules.
MirthCSVPaths Mirth CSV path conversion rules.
MirthSQLPaths Mirth SQL path conversion rules.
AllPaths Concatenates non-Mirth path blocks.
AllMirth Concatenates all Mirth blocks.
AllHL7Paths HL7Paths + MirthHL7Paths.
AllXMLPaths XMLPaths + MirthXMLPaths.
AllJSONPaths JSONPaths + MirthJSONPaths.
AllCSVPaths CSVPaths + MirthCSVPaths.

Rule selection behavior

The built-in path rule selector is token-driven:

  • always includes Paths
  • adds HL7Paths when filter contains hl7
  • adds XMLPaths when filter contains xml
  • adds JSONPaths when filter contains json
  • adds CSVPaths when filter contains csv
  • adds MirthPaths when filter contains mirth
  • adds MirthHL7Paths/MirthXMLPaths/MirthJSONPaths/MirthCSVPaths only when both mirth and the matching format token are present

Non-obvious outcome

  • The string selector does not check for sql, so SQLPaths and MirthSQLPaths are not auto-included.
  • If SQL-specific guidance is required, include SQLPaths explicitly (and MirthSQLPaths for migrations).

Composition recipes

Native workflow design (HL7 receiver -> JSON sender)

  • Filter text: hl7 json
  • Include selected rule text in:
  • receiver variable instruction generation
  • sender transformer instruction generation
  • filter instruction generation

Mirth migration (HL7 channel)

  • Filter text: mirth hl7
  • This includes:
  • baseline path rules
  • HL7 syntax guidance
  • Mirth global conversion guidance
  • Mirth HL7 conversion specifics

SQL sender/receiver scenario

  • Filter text alone is not enough.
  • Append SQLPaths guidance explicitly using enum-based selection.

Instruction quality checks

Generated instruction text should satisfy all of the following:

  • path expressions are concrete, not descriptive prose
  • cross-activity reads include quoted activity name/id prefix ('Sender Name' PID-3.1)
  • variable references use ${VariableName} shape where appropriate
  • mappings update only the current activity message or workflow variables

Minimal examples

Good:

Set ${PatientId} from PID-3.1
Map the value from 'Normalize Name' patient/identifiers[1]/id to externalId
Continue only when PID-8.1 equals 'M'

Bad:

Set patient id from incoming message
Map from previous sender name field
Only include male patients