Improved support of browser actions in Cosmos React UI
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Pega Platform™ applications that use the Cosmos React now maintain user settings for the duration of the session. For example, if a user applies filters and sorting to a table, and then opens a new document, the application retains the table settings when the user navigates back to the page by clicking the browser back button.
This change improves user productivity by reducing the need to repeatedly apply the same settings.
Improved modal dialog boxes
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
In Theme Cosmos applications, modal dialog boxes for case creation now support width customization. In addition to a bigger default width, the FlexModalTemplate format now includes the following CSS helper classes, which enable developers to adjust the width of dialog boxes:
- modal-width-1_5x – sets the minimum width to 960p.
- modal-width-2x – sets the minimum width to 1280p.
- modal-width-max-content – sets the minimum width to the maximum width of the content.
In this way, users can now more comfortably create entries that require more descriptive information, for example, bugs. In addition, the background of all modal dialog boxes is now translucent, which highlights the focus of the dialog box as the only active part of the UI.
For more information, see Modal dialog box.
Improved case previews and case utility enhancements
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
The collapsible preview panel in Cosmos applications has been enhanced. The preview panel now helps users complete assignments in the previewed case directly from the panel, to save time. The preview also includes a clickable case stage link which displays an overlay with the case life cycle and all its steps for better context.
Additionally, to help save screen space when a case is fully opened, the collapsed or expanded state of the utility panel now persists for all cases that you open in the same browser tab.
For more information, see Enhance the case processing experience in Cosmos Rules applications (8.6).
Multiple sessions in separate browser tabs or windows
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Theme Cosmos applications introduce an enhancement to the existing ability to work on multiple cases simultaneously in separate browser tabs or windows. You can now open an entire application in, for example, two separate browser tabs, without one session refreshing and overriding the other. As a result, users gain more flexibility and freedom in how they work.
For more information, see Adding a dynamic container to a portal.
Improved tabbed layout group
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Tabbed layout groups now generate semantic markup, which helps conform to accessibility standards. As a result, the tabs in the preview panel support numbers, for example, for items that might require attention, and a horizontal scroll bar if the number of tabs does not fit the display.
For more information, see Enhance the case processing experience in Theme Cosmos applications (8.6).
Improved search results and screen space economy
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Theme Cosmos applications now display search results in a new tab with a variety of filters. Consequently, users do not lose their content when they raise a search query, and can adjust their results by selecting from out-of-the-box filters, such as status or type.
The summary panel now also gives users more freedom in managing screen space by being collapsible. The collapsed panel moves to the top of the page and aligns the summary tabs horizontally, so that users can conveniently interact with complex lists.
For more information, see Enhance the case processing experience in Cosmos Rules applications (8.6).
Tabbed templates in portal authoring
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Portal authoring in Pega Platform™ now includes tabbed templates that provide you with the tools to build complex user interfaces with less effort. The new templates help you save screen space and display the contents of your application in smaller, meaningful chunks.
For more information, see Configuring a tab-based landing page.
Deprecation of EAR deployments in Pega Platform 8.6
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Starting with Pega Platform 8.6, EAR deployments of Pega Platform are deprecated. In the upcoming 8.7 release, EAR deployments will not be supported. The following rules that require EAR deployments will also be deprecated and no longer supported in Pega Platform 8.7:
- Connect EJB
- Connect JCA
- JCA Resource Adapter
- JMS MDB Listener
- Service EJB
With this deprecation, you can use the latest tools and keep your application up to date.
Upgrade impact
In Pega Platform 8.6, you can still create rules that require EAR deployments and update existing rules. However, after an upgrade to Pega Platform 8.7, rules that require EAR deployments are no longer supported.
What steps are required to update an application to be compatible with this change?
To prepare your application for this change well in advance of the Pega Platform 8.7 release, see the following table for a list of alternative rules and for guidance on modernizing your application.
| Deprecated rule type | Alternative rule type | Recommended configuration |
| Connect EJB | Connect REST | Substitute legacy EJB resources with a REST API, and use REST connectors to interact with them. |
| Connect JCA | Connect REST | Substitute legacy JCA resources with a REST API, and use REST connectors to interact with them. |
| JCA Resource Adapter | JCA resource adapters are data records that are used within the scope of a Connect JCA rule. If you replaced Connect JCA rules in your application with Connect REST rules, JCA resource adapters are no longer relevant. | No further configuration is necessary. |
| JMS MDB Listener | JMS Listener | Replace JMS MDB Listener configurations with standard JMS Listener configurations. |
| Service EJB | Service REST | Redefine your EJB services as a set of RESTful service APIs, and invoke them over HTTP/HTTPS. |
For information on the supported platforms that are affected by this deprecation, see Pega Platform 8.6 Support Guide.
Legacy Parse XML rule configurations must be upgraded to edit them
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
If your application has Parse XML rules that use the legacy configuration from Pega Platform™ 5.x, you cannot edit these rules after you upgrade to Pega Platform 8.6 until after you upgrade them to use tree-based parse rule configuration.
You must upgrade a Parse XML rule that you want to edit if it shows the following warning when you open it in Dev Studio.
This type of Parse XML rule is deprecated. An upgrade should be performed.
An option to upgrade also displays below the message.
Upgrade impact
Parse XML rules with the legacy configuration do not map data to the clipboard, and the rule definition is empty. After you upgrade to Pega Platform 8.6, you cannot edit Parse XML rules that you created in Pega Platform 5.x or earlier until you upgrade them to use tree-based parse rule configuration.
What steps are required to update an application to be compatible with this change?
Update legacy Parse XML rules to use tree-based parse rule configuration before you edit them in Pega Platform 8.6. Using tree-based parse rules is considered a best practice.
- Open the legacy Parse XML rule.
- On the Mapping tab, click Upgrade.
Result: The Allow tree editing? check box is displayed and is automatically selected. You can add attributes and elements to the tree structure, or delete them. - Save the upgraded rule configuration.
For more information, see Parse XML rules.
Connect MQ rules configured with alias queue do not work after upgrade
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Connect MQ rules that you defined with an alias queue in earlier versions of Pega Platform do not work after an upgrade to Pega Platform 8.6.
Upgrade impact
If you defined an alias queue in Connect MQ rules, after an upgrade to Pega Platform 8.6, those Connect MQ rules do not work.
What steps are required to update an application to be compatible with this change?
In the Pega-IntegrationEngine ruleset, create the following dynamic system settings and their default values:
- "mq/pmo" = 0
- "mq/gmo" = 0
- "mq/oo_request" = 1040
- "mq/oo_response" = 16
For more information, see Creating a dynamic system setting.