Automated Unit Testing is unavailable
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.1
Automated Unit Testing (AUT) is unavailable in 7.1.1 - 7.1.5.
Starting in 7.1.6, users can access AUT features from supported browser versions of IE.
Privilege required for Recent Explorer
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.1
Users with custom roles defined must add the pxUpdateRecents privilege to see work in the Recent Items Explorer.
Use standard Developer portal
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.1
Customized versions of the Developer portal rely on legacy components and are not supported.
To avoid backwards compatibility issues, update your access group to point to the standard Developer portal prior to upgrade.
Top-level (named) pages may no longer be classless
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.1
Newly created top-level (named) pages may no longer be classless or have a blank pxObjClass property. This change can affect applications upgrading from versions prior to Pega 7 to the latest version, especially when:
- Application logic relies on a blank value in the pxObjClass property.
- An activity assumes a new top-level page is classless and explicitly sets pxObjClass in a Property-Set step.
- A data transform assumes a new top-level page is classless and explicitly sets pxObjClass using a Set action.
To avoid application failures, remove or update any logic that expects a blank pxObjClass. Where possible, use the new engine API that finds a page by both name and class:
findPageWithException(PageName, ClassName);
Activities and data transforms continue to create a top-level page when one does not exist. The class name is now derived from the Pages and Classes tab.
IE8 limits expansion features
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.1
Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) does not support CSS media queries, which are used by re-expansion features in the Designer Studio. IE8 users with low screen resolution (800 x 600) and a small window size may find that the explorer area in the Designer Studio collapses but cannot re-expand.
As a work around, access the Designer Studio from another supported browser version and use the recommended, minimum screen resolution width of 1280 pixels.
All tabs are accessible on delegated rule forms
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.1
Delegates can now access all tabs in a delegated rule form.
You can continue to customize the development experience for delegated users, such as line managers, who may not require the full set of rule form options. For example, you can prevent users from adding new nodes on the Decision Tree form or using the expression builder on the Map Value form. All users, including delegated users, can remove these restrictions if they hold a rule-editing privilege.
For more details on this process and a list of commonly delegated rules, see How to delegate a rule.
Customized application overview documents in App Studio
Valid from Pega Version 8.3
Keep stakeholders notified of the status of an application by customizing and generating an application overview document in App Studio. The overview may include information such as case types, roles, features in your application, and more. Select the chapters that you want to include in the overview, and then highlight the most relevant information by ordering the chapters. In addition to the application overview document, you can generate a detailed data model, either in Microsoft Word or Excel format.
For more information, see Creating project documents for stakeholders in App Studio, Exporting a data model into a document.
New send email automations and enhancements
Valid from Pega Version 8.3
You can now configure cases, flows, and activities to compose and send guardrail-compliant emails that conform to the MIME standard by using email automations. Use the new Call-Automation method to call an automation from an activity without writing Java.
You can also now categorize error messages in automations to quickly understand the type of error that occurred. In addition, page list data types are now supported for inputs and outputs in automations.
For more information, see Calling an automation from an activity and Viewing automations.
Support for the decisioning-enabled NLP text analyzer in IVAs and Email Bots
Valid from Pega Version 8.3
You can now use the new intelligent natural language processing (iNLP) text analyzer in Pega Intelligent Virtual Assistants™ (IVAs) and Pega Email Bots™. This advanced text analyzer is decisioning-enabled and empowers IVA or Email Bot for all conversational channels to provide smarter responses. The decisioning capability in the system integrates text analytics with strategies, prepositions, and interaction history, to provide the context for making better next-best-action decisions.
For more information, see Use the decisioning-enabled NLP text analyzer in IVAs and Email Bots, Defining advanced Facebook text analyzer configuration and Facebook channel behavior.
Upgrade impact
Existing channels remain with the current configuration, and their current functionality does not change. Channels created after the upgrade automatically use the new text analyzer.
What steps are required to update the application to be compatible with this change?
The new text analyzer is enabled or disabled using a new interactive API (iAPI) selection, which is selected by default for new channels. You can disable the iAPI for new channels if you want to maintain current functionality. You can also enable it for existing channels if you want to move existing channels to the new functionality.
Support for multiple work queues in the Email Manager portal
Valid from Pega Version 8.3
Pega Email Bot™ now provides multiple work queues in the Email Manager portal. With this functionality, operators, such as customer service representatives, can now triage cases more efficiently by selecting different work queues. Operators have access to work queues only for the current Pega Platform™ application.
For more information, see Email Manager portal.