---
title: SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication business rules
summary: Enumerated business rules with per-rule trigger, enforcement, and outcomes.
status: draft
owner: <owner>
last_reviewed: 2026-07-30
library: SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication
reference_type: package
---

# SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication business rules

This library implements application lifecycle and diagnostic conventions, not insurance/claims-domain business rules. The rules below are documented for completeness per the analysis contract.

## BR-001: Batch log stream must resolve to a valid file

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **Statement** | A batch application's log stream (other than `StandardFile`) must be backed by a valid, non-empty environment variable naming a file path. |
| **Trigger** | Call to `WriteAppLogMsg(AppLogMsg, LogFile)` where `LogFile <> StandardFile` and the corresponding environment variable is unset or empty. |
| **Enforcement** | `clsBatchBase.WriteAppLogMsg` — `Throw New Exception("Log stream " & LogNo & " is not a valid environment variable or file.")`. |
| **Outcome** | Writing to an unconfigured log stream fails with an exception rather than silently writing nowhere. |
| **Source** | `Presentation\SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication\clsBatchBase.vb` |

---

## BR-002: Case-insensitive command-line switch matching

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **Statement** | Command-line switches are matched case-insensitively and may use either `/` or `-` prefix; both are stripped before comparison. |
| **Trigger** | Any call to `Initialize()`, `GetParamName`, `GetParamValue`, or `ParamExists`. |
| **Enforcement** | `clsConsoleBase.Initialize()` strips a single leading `/` or `-` character and upper-cases each argument before storage; lookup methods compare against `inName.ToUpper()`. |
| **Outcome** | `/Debug`, `-DEBUG`, and `/debug` are all treated identically. |
| **Source** | `Presentation\SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication\clsConsoleBase.vb` |

---

## BR-003: Command-line validation gates application logic

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **Statement** | If command-line validation fails, the application must not proceed to run its main logic; it must prompt the user and wait for input before exiting. |
| **Trigger** | `ValidateCommandLine()` returns `False` inside `Execute()`. |
| **Enforcement** | `clsConsoleBase.Execute()` — the `Else` branch calls `Console.WriteLine("Press enter to continue...")` and `Console.Read()`, then still proceeds to `Uninitialize()`. |
| **Outcome** | `RunAppLogic()` is never invoked when command-line validation fails. |
| **Source** | `Presentation\SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication\clsConsoleBase.vb` |

---

## BR-004: Colon in a file-path value is not treated as a name/value separator

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **Statement** | When splitting a stored command-line argument into a name and value at a colon, the colon is only treated as the name/value delimiter if the character immediately following it is not a backslash. |
| **Trigger** | `GetParamName(String)`, `GetParamName(Integer)`, `GetParamValue(String)`, or `GetParamValue(Integer)` is called against a stored argument that contains a colon. |
| **Enforcement** | `clsConsoleBase.GetParamName` / `GetParamValue` — before splitting, each checks `cmdArg.IndexOf(":"c) >= 0 AndAlso cmdArg.Substring(cmdArg.IndexOf(":"c) + 1, 1) <> "\"`. |
| **Outcome** | An argument such as `/LOGFILE:C:\Logs\app.log` returns the full path `C:\Logs\app.log` as the value instead of splitting at the drive letter's own colon. |
| **Confidence** | Verified |
| **Source** | `Presentation\SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication\clsConsoleBase.vb` |

---

## BR-005: Command-line parameter names match by prefix, not exact equality

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **Statement** | Parameter existence and value/name lookups by name match a stored argument if it starts with the requested name (case-insensitive); an exact match is not required. |
| **Trigger** | Any call to `ParamExists(String)`, `GetParamName(String)`, or `GetParamValue(String)`. |
| **Enforcement** | `clsConsoleBase.ParamExists(String)`, `GetParamName(String)`, and `GetParamValue(String)` each use `cmdArg.StartsWith(inName.ToUpper)` to test stored arguments against the requested name. |
| **Outcome** | A lookup for a short switch name (e.g., `"FILE"`) is satisfied by any stored argument that begins with it (e.g., `"FILE0"` or `"FILEPATH:x"`), which can produce unintended matches when switch names share a common prefix. |
| **Confidence** | Verified |
| **Source** | `Presentation\SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication\clsConsoleBase.vb` |

---

## BR-006: StandardFile batch log stream is recreated on every write

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **Statement** | Each call to `WriteAppLogMsg` targeting the `StandardFile` batch stream opens a new `StreamWriter` over the target log file, whereas named streams (`File0`–`File4`) open a `StreamWriter` only once and reuse it for subsequent writes. |
| **Trigger** | `clsBatchBase.WriteAppLogMsg(AppLogMsg, BatchStreams.StandardFile)` is called more than once during a single run. |
| **Enforcement** | `clsBatchBase.WriteAppLogMsg` — the `Else` (StandardFile) branch unconditionally executes `m_AppLogs(LogNo) = New IO.StreamWriter(CurDir() & "\" & Appname & ".log")` on every call, while the non-`StandardFile` branch only creates a new `StreamWriter` the first time, guarded by `m_AppLogs(LogNo).GetType.ToString = "System.String"`. |
| **Outcome** | Repeated `StandardFile` writes within the same run each reopen the underlying file via a new `StreamWriter` instance rather than appending through the previously opened one, unlike the named-stream behavior.* |
| **Confidence** | Inferred |
| **Source** | `Presentation\SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication\clsBatchBase.vb` |

## Notes
- These rules are application lifecycle and diagnostic conventions rather than insurance-domain business rules.

## Related documentation
- [Index](index.md)
- [Overview](overview.md)
- [Architecture](architecture.md)
- [Dependencies](dependencies.md)
- [Operations and processes](operations-processes.md)
- [API reference](api/index.md)

## Sources
- `Presentation\SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication\clsConsoleBase.vb`
- `Presentation\SAIF.Presentation.ConsoleApplication\clsBatchBase.vb`