Rules engine for mailpiece content modification

A system for introducing user-defined instructions into the contents of a mailpiece run data file, the system employing program code for operating a computer and comprising:

• means for selecting a representative sample of mailpiece documents, the predetermined number of mailpiece documents being less than all of the mailpiece documents in the mail run data file;
• an interface display operative to accept inputs from a user, the display enabling the user to:
• select a field within the mailpiece document, select an operation with respect to the selected field, and visually display a resulting expression based upon the field and operation;
• a signal processor adapted to execute program code to evaluate the expression relative to representative sample of mailpiece documents and to execute the expression upon running the mail run data file.