Accessibility improvements
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
Several improvements are now available that enable application accessibility. These improvements affect the wait indicator, overlays, and collapsible layouts.
The wait indicator, or throbber, announces its status to an assistive technology such as JAWS.
- When loading, the throbber announces “Loading content” or other text that can be edited in the pyThrobberLoadingText property.
- When loading is completed, the throbber announces “Loading completed” or other text that can be edited in the pyThrobberLoadingCompletedText property.
- The loading announcement is set by default to a three-second delay, which can be modified in the pyThrobberAnnouncementDelay property.
Overlays are announced by an assistive technology and overlay content can be tabbed through by using the Tab key without closing the overlay. Overlays can be closed by pressing the Esc key. This behavior applies to all overlays and modal dialog boxes that are opened as local actions and popovers that are part of the autogenerated UI.
All users, including those not using an assistive technology, can focus the expand and collapse feature of a layout by using the Tab key. The expanded or collapsed state is announced by screen readers.
Date control for past and future years
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
The Date control can be configured to show only past dates, only future dates, or any date range that includes the current year. The Display range can be set to include a configurable range of previous years or next years. The number of years is relative to the user’s date.
Enabling run-time edit in Live UI
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
When you inspect a rule with the Live UI tool, you can enable editing if editing has not yet been enabled for the application. The link at the top of the property panel adds a run-time edit branch to the current application's definition. A similar option is available when you add or move elements by using Live UI.
Use multiple built-on applications to enhance ruleset reuse
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
Applications can now have multiple built-on applications, allowing rules to be reused as a part of a built-on application at run time while being developed independently at design time.
Previously, applications built in Pega 7.1 and earlier versions were assembled in a single linear application stack--one application built on top of another application, and so on. Attempting to reuse rulesets and frameworks across applications resulted in having to splice applications together, creating challenges when attempting to support the use of these custom created applications. Starting in Pega 7.2, applications are built on to other applications by using a hierarchical tree structure, and the Pega 7 Platform automatically converts this tree into a linear application stack.
For more information, see Using multiple built-on applications and the Ruleset behavior at design time section in Application stack hierarchy for multiple built-on applications.
Support for delegating map values, correspondence rules, and circumstances
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
You can now delegate map values and correspondence rules from the menu. In addition, you can delegate circumstanced types of the following supported rules and data types:
- Map values
- Correspondence rules
- Paragraphs
- Decision tables
- Data types
Introducing the proximity widget
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
You can use the new proximity widget to display on a map the open cases that are within a certain distance of your current location. You can configure the widget to show open cases within a radius of up to 50 miles.
For more information, see Proximity widget.
Offline support for mobile applications
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
You can work on assignments and create cases while your mobile device is offline. By enabling offline support for a case type, you can move cases closer to resolution while your application is disconnected from the network.
For more information, see Enabling offline for support for a case type.
Relevant records to define reusable assets
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
Relevant records describe the collection of rules that refine the behavior, presentation, and definition of a case or data type. They are commonly used to designate records from an inherited class as important or reusable in a child class.
Use relevant records to define information displayed in certain Pega 7 Platform application screens and fields. The Pega 7 Platform provides a number of items marked as relevant records, and you can further manage relevant records for your own case and data types.
For more information, see Relevant records.
Current parameter page can now be passed into activities, collections, and data transforms
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
In collection rules, you can now pass the current parameter page into an activity, data transform, or another collection when you call the activity, data transform, or collection from either a primary or a response action instead of setting up parameters before you call one of these types of rules. The Pass current parameter page check box is now supported on the Collection rule form.
For more information, see Rules and methods supported by a collection.
Skins can inherit formats from a parent
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
Skin inheritance allows a dependent skin to inherit formats and mixins from a parent skin. This feature provides a modular organization of styles, reducing the cost of maintaining skins. You can create a specific mobile skin to include mobile-specific styles and disable unused styles to decrease the size of the CSS. Inherited formats are displayed on the Inheritance tab of the skin. Formats that are specific to the skin are displayed on the My formats tab.
For more information, see Skin inheritance.