Forced Decision methods for the React Native SDK

22 min

These methods help test and debug various flows of your client applications by forcing users into a specific variation.

The React Native SDK checks forced decisions before making any decisions. If a matching item is found for the requested flag, the SDK returns the forced decision immediately (audience conditions and traffic allocations are ignored) before making normal decisions.

The React Native SDK checks for forced decisions at the start of each decision process. If a matching forced decision is found, it returns the decision immediately.

Flag-to-Decision – The SDK checks at the start of any decide call for the given flag.

Experiment-Rule-to-Decision – The SDK checks at the start of the decision for the given experiment rule of the flag key.

Delivery-Rule-to-Decision – The SDK checks at the start of the decision for the given delivery rule of the flag key.

Warning You must associate your variations to a flag rule before calling any Forced Decision methods.

On forced decisions, the React Native SDK fires impression events and notifications just like other normal decisions (unless disabled by the disableDecisionEvent option).

Note These forced decisions are not persistent and are cleared when the user is updated.

For information about each method, click on the method name.

setForcedDecision

getForcedDecision

removeForcedDecision

removeAllForcedDecisions

In v4, forced decisions are set on the userContext object returned by the useOptimizelyUserContext hook, rather than directly on the client instance.

import { Text, TouchableOpacity } from 'react-native';
import { useOptimizelyUserContext } from '@optimizely/react-sdk';

function MyComponent() {
  const { userContext } = useOptimizelyUserContext();

  const handlePress = () => {
    userContext?.setForcedDecision(
      { flagKey: 'product_sort', ruleKey: 'experiment' },
      { variationKey: 'treatment' }
    );
  };

  return (
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={handlePress}>
      <Text>Force Treatment</Text>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
}

OptimizelyDecisionContext

export interface OptimizelyDecisionContext {
  flagKey: string;
  ruleKey?: string;
}

OptimizelyForcedDecision

export interface OptimizelyForcedDecision {
  variationKey: string;
}

Set forced decision method - setForcedDecision()

Version

2.8.0

Description

Sets a forced decision (variationKey) for a given OptimizelyDecisionContext.

Parameters

This table lists the required and optional parameters for the React Native SDK.

Parameter	Type	Description
decisionContext required	Interface	An instance of `OptimizelyDecisionContext` with the required `flagKey` and optional `ruleKey` for the forced decision you want to set.
decision\ required	Interface	An instance of `OptimizelyForcedDecision` with the required `variationKey` for the forced decision you want to set.

Returns

A boolean value that indicates if setting the forced decision (variationKey) was completed.

Example

userContext.setForcedDecision(
  { 
    flagKey: "product_sort", 
    ruleKey: "experiment", 
  }, 
  { variationKey: "treatment" }
 );

Get forced decision method - getForcedDecision()

Version

2.8.0

Description

Returns the forced decision (variationKey) for a given OptimizelyDecisionContext. Returns the OptimizelyForcedDecision instance or null if there is no matching item.

Parameters

This table lists the required and optional parameters for the React Native SDK.

Parameter	Type	Description
decisionContext required	Interface	An instance of `OptimizelyDecisionContext` with the required `flagKey` and optional `ruleKey` for the forced decision you want to get.

Returns

A forced decision OptimizelyForcedDecision instance for the context or null if there is no matching item.

Example

var forcedDecision = userContext.getForcedDecision({
  flagKey: "product_sort",
  ruleKey: "experiment",
});

Remove forced decision method - removeForcedDecision()

Version

2.8.0

Description

Removes the forced decision (variationKey) for a given OptimizelyDecisionContext.

Parameters

This table lists the required and optional parameters for the React Native SDK.

Parameters	Type	Description
decisionContext required	Interface	An instance of `OptimizelyDecisionContext` with the required `flagKey` and optional `ruleKey` for the forced decision you want to remove.

Returns

A success/failure boolean status if the forced decision (variationKey) was removed.

Example

var success = userContext.removeForcedDecision({
  flagKey: "product_sort",
  ruleKey: "experiment",
});

Remove all forced decisions method - removeAllForcedDecisions()

Version

2.8.0

Description

Removes all forced decisions (variationKey) for the user context.

Parameters

This table lists the required and optional parameters for the React Native SDK.

Parameters	Type	Description
None	N/A	N/A

Returns

A success/failure boolean status.

Example

var success = userContext.removeAllForcedDecisions();

Full Code Example

import React from "react";
import { Text, TouchableOpacity, View } from "react-native";
import {
  createInstance,
  createPollingProjectConfigManager,
  createBatchEventProcessor,
  OptimizelyProvider,
  useDecide,
  useOptimizelyUserContext,
} from "@optimizely/react-sdk";

const optimizely = createInstance({
  projectConfigManager: createPollingProjectConfigManager({
    sdkKey: "<YOUR_SDK_KEY_HERE>",
  }),
  eventProcessor: createBatchEventProcessor(),
});

function PurchaseButton() {
  const { userContext } = useOptimizelyUserContext();

  const handlePress = () => {
    userContext?.trackEvent("purchased");
  };

  return (
    <TouchableOpacity onPress={handlePress}>
      <Text>Purchase</Text>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
}

function ForcedDecisionControls() {
  const { userContext } = useOptimizelyUserContext();

  return (
    <View>
      <TouchableOpacity onPress={() => userContext?.setForcedDecision(
        { flagKey: "product_sort" },
        { variationKey: "treatment" }
      )}>
        <Text>Set Forced Decision</Text>
      </TouchableOpacity>
      <TouchableOpacity onPress={() => userContext?.removeForcedDecision({ flagKey: "product_sort" })}>
        <Text>Remove Forced Decision</Text>
      </TouchableOpacity>
      <TouchableOpacity onPress={() => userContext?.removeAllForcedDecisions()}>
        <Text>Remove All Forced Decisions</Text>
      </TouchableOpacity>
    </View>
  );
}

function ProductSort() {
  const { decision, isLoading, error } = useDecide("product_sort");

  if (isLoading) return <Text>Loading...</Text>;
  if (error) return <Text>{error.message}</Text>;

  const variationKey = decision.variationKey;
  const isEnabled = decision.enabled;
  const sortMethod = decision.variables["sort_method"];

  return (
    <View>
      {variationKey === null && <Text>{decision.reasons}</Text>}
      {isEnabled && <Text>The Sort method is {sortMethod}</Text>}
      {variationKey === "control" && <Text>Control Component</Text>}
      {variationKey === "treatment" && <Text>Treatment Component</Text>}
      <PurchaseButton />
      <ForcedDecisionControls />
    </View>
  );
}

function App() {
  return (
    <OptimizelyProvider
      client={optimizely}
      user={{ id: "user123" }}
    >
      <ProductSort />
    </OptimizelyProvider>
  );
}

export default App;