Published Release Notes

Generate documents in the background

When you generate system documentation by using the Document Application wizard (Designer Studio > Application > Tools > Document), the process now runs on a server and not on your local client system. This change not only generates your document more quickly, but also allows you to multi-task within Pega 7 while your document is generating in the background. When the generation is completed, download the document to your computer.

For more information, see:

Updating customized Application Document templates with server-side document generation

Screenshot generation still runs on local client

Warning message when opening server-generated documents

Screenshot generation runs on local client

If you generate screenshots to include in your application document, this process still runs on your local client. Additionally, you are still required to use Internet Explorer to use this feature.

Warning message when opening server-generated documents

Depending on your system configuration, the following warning message might be displayed when you open a document that was generated on the server.

If you click No, certain content (for example, Table of Contents) is not populated in the document. Instead, click Yes and save the document.

The warning message that displays

Link URLs to applications, requirements, and specifications

In addition to files, you can now attach URLs to applications, requirements, and specifications by using the Add/Edit Attachment modal dialog box in Pega 7. This change allows you to link directly to dynamic content in other URL-based systems rather than link to a static file of that content.

Updated Word merge support with Microsoft Silverlight plug-in

Starting in this release, Pega 7 features that integrate with the Word merge capability are now cross-browser. ActiveX controls (which are only compatible with Internet Explorer) have been replaced with Microsoft Silverlight. This plug-in must be downloaded separately from Microsoft because it is not shipped with Pega 7.

Common features that are affected by this change include the Specification form and Case Type landing page.

Prior to using these features, see the release note Word merge support with Microsoft Silverlight plug-in for more information about setting up their client systems.

Custom database (DB) triggers are dropped during upgrade

The latest version of Pega 7 improves performance by no longer using database triggers to assist with System Pulse and Data-Rule-Summary processing, which is now done within the Pega 7 engine. As a result, DB triggers are no longer installed on either the pr_sys_updatescache or pr4_rule_vw tables.

When upgrading to the latest version of Pega 7, if you had previously implemented a custom database (DB) trigger on these tables, or a custom DB trigger that refers to these tables, it is removed during the upgrade process. No custom triggers are removed unless they reference these tables.

If you have custom DB triggers that reference the pr_sys_updatescache or pr4_rule_vw tables and perform other processing, those triggers must be reimplemented. When doing so, you must be careful to not modify the pr_sys_updatescache or pr4_rule_vw tables.

For more information, see Startup check removes custom DB triggers.

Identify, install, and manage hotfixes with the Hotfix Manager

Hotfixes are packages of files that address issues in Pega 7 and in participating Industry Applications. With Hotfix Manager, you can:

• Scan your system for installed and missing critical hotfixes and create a report that you can provide to Pegasystems Support for diagnostic purposes.
• Review the descriptions and contents of hotfixes.
• Install, rollback, and commit hotfixes.
• Manage hotfixes that include schema changes or require other special handling.

The Hotfix Manager replaces the Update Manager Hotfix Installer and System Scanner, both of which are deprecated. For more information, see Hotfix Manager identifies, installs, and manages hotfixes to Pega 7 and participating Industry Applications.

Enhanced product rule form for easy application packaging

The enhanced product rule form allows you to add applications in Delta mode, which includes only the patch version of the rulesets that comprise the application rule. You can also use Global exclusions to exclude one or more rules that are not associated with a ruleset version.

These enhancements allow easy packaging of non-versioned rules that are often deployed separately and reduce the need to manually add them later.

For more information, see Product rules - Completing the Contents tab.

Updates no longer require redeploying the prweb.war file or the application server-specific EAR file

Updating from Pega 7.1.7 to later versions of Pega 7 no longer requires that you redeploy the prweb.war file or the application server-specific EAR file.

Note that upgrades from versions prior to Pega 7.1.7 still require that you redeploy these files.

Updated Rule-Utility-Function resolution

Rule-Utility-Function rules are now resolved based on ruleset.

Previously, if you had the same function @xyz() in different libraries in different rulesets, you could not call the function by using @xyz, because that would throw an exception.

The resolution process has since been updated so that rule resolution is now based on the highest ruleset in context. This update makes the function resolution process consistent with how rule resolution is performed for other rule types.

For more information, see Functions in expressions.