Can we compare score fields using velocity script?

[Cindy_Menorath]

Hi,

I'm looking to display content based on score field. I know how to script for if the field is greater than or less then a certain number but I'm looking to compare the scores in multiple fields (all number value) and then display the content for the field with the highest score. There are 10 fields and I need to find the field with the highest score, anyone have any idea how that can be done, or is it even doable to velocity script this?

Example:

Field 1: lead score = 5

Field 2: lead score = 2

Field 3: lead score = 10

Field 4: lead score = 1

I want to display content associated to field 3.

Thanks!

[SanfordWhiteman]

Absolutely can be done, though there is one trick to it that wouldn't occur to you.

I'll post the answer in a few hours as I'm out for the evening.

P.S. Those Score fields won't really be Numbers in Velocity until you make them so. This will make sense when you see the solution.

[Cindy_Menorath]

Oh glad to know it's doable! Looking forward to see the solution. Thanks!

[SanfordWhiteman · Accepted solution]

The trick to this, in any language, is that you need to not only compare numbers but back-reference those numbers back to strings.

That is, sorting just a list of numbers is easy; keeping a one-to-one reference to an original field name is (a tiny bit) harder.

Then you have add in the quirks with Marketo datatypes in Velocity: be ready for scores to come in as numbers, empty strings, numeric strings, or nulls, and handle all cases gracefully.

So use this:

#set( $namedScores = [
 { 
 "name" : "scoreField1",
 "value" : $lead.scoreField1 
 },
 { 
 "name" : "scoreField2",
 "value" : $lead.scoreField2
 },
 { 
 "name" : "scoreField3",
 "value" : $lead.scoreField3
 }
])
#set( $defaultScore = 0 ) ##maybe you want $field.in(0.0).NEGATIVE_INFINITY in your case
#foreach( $score in $namedScores )
#set( $void = $score.put("value", $convert.toDouble( $display.alt( $convert.toNumber($score.value), $defaultScore) ) ) )
#end
#set( $sortedNamedScores = $sorter.sort($namedScores, "value:desc") )
#set( $highestNamedScore = $sortedNamedScores[0] )
The name of the highest score is ${highestNamedScore.name}, which has a score of ${highestNamedScore.value.intValue()}.
Note tie scores are awarded to the key that's added earliest in `namedScores`.‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Obvs. replace $lead.scoreField1 et al. with the real Velocity property name of each score field, and replace "scoreField1"  et al. with the friendly name of the field so you can use it in later conditions (you can have the friendly name be the same as the Velocity prop name, just wanted to point out the option).

Also note the $defaultScore. This is what you assign to a person who is unscored (null score, not the same as an assigned score of 0). There are cases where a null shouldn't be the same as 0: you may want null scores to always be less than every other score, for example, even less than negative scores.

[Cindy_Menorath]

This is a great start! I got it to do what I needed. Thanks so much!