Published Release Notes

The most current version of the engine code is used by default

Beginning in Pega 7.1.7, the "com.pega.pegarules.bootstrap.codeset.version.Pega-EngineCode" setting is removed from the prbootstrap.properties file. By default, Pega 7.1.7 uses the most current version of the code present in the system.

Improved cross-browser support

All rule forms are now harness-based and open in the work area of Designer Studio. This means that you can develop in the browser of your choice, free from pop-up distractions and incompatibility messages. Many rule forms have been upgraded to use the latest layouts, styles, and design best practices, giving you a consistent development experience.

Viewing a Word Template in Pega 7.1.7 compared with Pega 7.1.6

Previous restrictions still apply to any deprecated or custom rule forms in your application that remain form-based. Refer to the Deprecated features list for guidance on how to upgrade these forms and recommended alternatives.

Changes to archive.info in Pega 7.1.7

In Pega 7.1.7, the contents of the archive.info file have changed.

• In versions Pega 7.1.6 and earlier, the archive.info file displays the build number of the Pega installation.
• As of Pega 7.1.7, the build number no longer appears in the archive.info file.

In Pega 7.1.7, the archive.info file only displays a status message indicating whether or not the system is running, and the build number no longer appears. Instead, if the system is operational, the message “status=Running” displays in the archive.info file.

If there are any automated tests, scripts, or applications that rely on the archive.info file displaying the build number, those may fail and produce an error. It is recommended that any automation that relies on the build number displaying in the archive.info file be changed to look for the “status=Running” message.

Quickly see what's new in Pega 7.1.7

A new home page panel gives you centralized access to Help and the PDN, eliminating the need to leave Designer Studio. Use the buttons in this panel to learn about new features quickly and stay connected to product announcements.

What’s new panel as it appears on the Designer Studio home page

After you are finished reviewing new features and enhancements, you can dismiss the What’s new panel. This hides the panel from your operator in future sessions without impacting the home page for other application users.

Clear and actionable guardrails help you mitigate risk sooner

The Application Guardrails landing page has been restructured to give you an executive-level view into your application health. Use the available metrics and tools on each tab to understand the scope of warnings in your application, the operators responsible for introducing this risk, and ways to improve your compliance score before your development goes into production.

Include this landing page in your governance process to:

• Understand your application compliance score and how it has changed over time:

  • A score of 90 or greater indicates your application is in good standing.

  • A score of 80-89 indicates your application needs review for improvement.

  • A score below 80 requires immediate action.

• Investigate the factors contributing to your score, such as warning age or severity, and the rules and operators associated with each warning.
• Review a comprehensive list of warnings and the recommended path to resolve them.
• Communicate all of these details to project stakeholders through email or exported documents.

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Available metrics on the Compliance Details tab of the Application Guardrails landing page

The Charts tab in this landing page has been superseded by the Compliance Details tab, which provides more options and an enhanced presentation.

For more information about the available features on all tabs in this landing page, see Application Guardrails landing page.

Use multiple built-on applications to enhance ruleset reuse

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

You can now delegate map values and correspondence rules from the Actions > Delegate 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

Offline support for mobile applications

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

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

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.