Published Release Notes

Edit sections across Pega Express and Designer Studio

Sections created in Pega^® Express can be edited in Designer Studio, saved, and then reopened in Pega Express. This allows developers to create more complex, feature-rich sections and make them accessible to Pega Express users. In the section rule, you can convert template-based sections to full sections that no longer use a template.

For more information, see Harness and Section forms - Adding a section.

Style UI elements based on their state

You can style a control or component based on its state to give users a visual indication of an element's current state, without overriding the CSS file. The styles that you specified for each state (hover, focus, or active) are applied at run time.

For more information, see Styling UI elements based on their state.

Style radio buttons as segmented buttons

You can configure radio buttons to be displayed as segmented buttons. Segmented buttons display multiple button options in a compact format. Segmented buttons do not support vertical orientation. On the Presentation tab of the properties panel, set Control format to Other and select Segmented.

For more information, see Radio Buttons control properties – Presentation tab.

Text file rules support JavaScript and CSS validation

The Rule-File-Text rule form supports validation errors and warnings for JavaScript and CSS files. This support makes JavaScript and CSS code easier to maintain and allows you to follow best practices while editing the rule. Any JavaScript or CSS validation warnings generate a guardrail warning of moderate severity.

For more information, see Text File rules - JavaScript and CSS validation.

Anypicker control is now available

The new Anypicker control displays a drop-down list of values that you can group into expandable categories for faster browsing. To save time and improve search accuracy, the Anypicker control filters the available values based on the characters that the user enters.

For more information, see Adding an Anypicker control.

Referencing Rule tool in Dev Studio

The Referencing Rule tool now runs in Dev Studio without the need for Adobe Flash Player. This enhancement integrates the Referencing Rule tool into your work environment, which improves productivity by reducing context switching.

For more information, see Finding rules by dependency.

PDF/UA support

PDF documents that you generate in Pega Platform™ are now in PDF/UA format. This enhancement improves accessibility for users who rely on assistive technology, such as screen readers.

For more information, see Setting PDF file versions.

Upgrade impact

With an upgrade to Pega Platform 8.4 and later, the underlying PD4ML library in Pega Platform changes from v3.10 to v4.x. Following an upgrade, most standard HTML-CSS conversions to PDF work seamlessly; however, if you use the following custom coding in their application to convert HTML to PDF, you may find that PDF generation works differently than expected or no longer works:

• Application layer Java in activities that directly link to the underlying PD4ML library
• A Rule Utility Function
• PD4ML tags in HTML fragments

For example, the following PD4ML proprietary CSS keywords are no longer supported in v4.x:

• pd4ml-page-break-border-top
• pd4ml-page-break-border-bottom

What steps are required to update the application to be compatible with this change?

After you upgrade to Pega Platform 8.4 and later and find your PDF generation works differently than expected or no longer works, you should consult the latest documentation available at pd[4]ml support site. You may also consider using the Compact CSS instead of the application skin for PDF generation; for details, see Creating PDF files by using a compact style sheet.

Custom activities protection

Additional activities in table layouts

Table layouts now provide you with the option to run activities either before or after updates to a table. This gives you greater flexibility when you design user interfaces.

For more information, see Configuring table activities.

Support for Thai calendar

Pega Platform™ now supports the Thai solar calendar. The update improves readability for users who rely on this date format, and enhances their experience and engagement.

For more information, see Configuring the Thai calendar.