Offline mobile apps require Dynamic Container to use frameless Single Document mode
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
You can add a Dynamic Container (DC) directly into a Dynamic Layout cell. When creating a custom mobile app with offline capability, you must use the frameless Single Document mode of DC.
Note that mobile offline capability does not support using a framed Single Document mode.
Support for large reference data in offline mobile apps
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
A data page in a Pega 7 Platform mobile application with offline capability enabled can now be marked as a large data page. This feature improves performance significantly when you have a large amount of data in which only individual records change.
In this situation, after the initial sync to the mobile app, only the changes in the large data page are synced instead of the entire large data page. The database table is created for such large data pages in the encrypted SQLite database on the device. Changes such as add, delete, or update are reconciled as row-level updates. Furthermore, you can use JavaScript to query against this data. A large referenced data page is supported by list-based components such as repeating dynamic layout, auto-complete, a dropdown list, and radio button.
Support for offline and online cases in a single mobile app
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
A single offline-enabled application can now support both the creation and processing of online-only and offline-ready cases.
For online-only cases, a list of both the offline and online cases is always available. Case assignment and processing is performed on the server so that a case is available only when the device is connected to the Internet or to data. When a connection is not available for processing an online-only case, an error message is displayed.
For offline-ready cases, a user can open an assignment and perform tasks on that case. There is also an option to explicitly display a harness from a server instead of a client store.
Offline mobility improvements
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
Several offline mobility improvements have been made in this release. Additional use cases have been added for configuring offline-enabled mobile apps at design time. Read-only grids with limited features are now supported offline. You can configure auto-populated properties, and you can create work with parameters. It is also possible to open work by handle. You can use decision shapes with Boolean expressions (no when rules) in screen flows. Barcode scanning is now available in offline mode.
Mobile user interface updates
Valid from Pega Version 7.2
Several improvements have been made to the mobile-related user interface of the Pega 7 Platform. The content of the Mobile tab on the Application rule form has been redesigned. The Offline Configuration and Mobile Certificates landing pages are now available. The Signature Capture control has improved. Post-processing can now occur after the signature has been captured. You can auto-submit with the form submit. You can apply the signature to a page instead of applying it as an attachment to the case. The clear action completely removes the signature from the work object, keeping only the latest iteration of the signature. Touch interactions have been significantly improved. Response time is faster and there is better feedback on the touch action.
Low-code authoring of case pages
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Mobile authoring for Cosmos React applications now supports the configuration of native mobile pages that include case details. Your mobile channel automatically generates these pages for each case type in your application. This enhancement improves the user experience in your app by providing users with native pages that you can adjust to best suit your business process. For example, you can highlight specific views on a page by modifying which tabs appear on the page, or add a floating action button to help your users edit the case.
For more information, see Authoring mobile case pages for Cosmos React applications.
In Pega Platform™ version 8.6, mobile features in Cosmos React applications are available only as a preview, with limited support for various interface elements and features, such as offline mode. The recommended production design system for Pega Mobile in Pega Platform 8.6 is Theme Cosmos.
For more information about the Cosmos React design system, see Cosmos React and UI architecture comparison.
Automatic packaging of cases for offline use
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Newly created mobile channels now support automatic packaging of cases for use in offline mode. The packaging process includes case data from all native list pages that you create from offline-enabled case types and add to the navigation of your mobile app. Previously, automatic packaging was limited to assignments in the work list (and their related work items), and cases that were listed in the data page that you manually designated for packaging.
This enhancement improves the user experience for mobile app developers by ensuring that the data that is referenced in list pages for offline-enabled case types is automatically available for the users of your offline app.
Improved user experience for Cosmos React mobile apps
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Mobile apps that you build for Cosmos React applications now feature a highly performant and responsive user interface that improves the overall user experience.
Native case pages
Prescriptive mobile case pages are now faster and more reliable. Mobile case pages display views and widgets as cards and group the cards into user-friendly tabs. Users can navigate the tabs by swiping left or right. From the case page, users can also edit case page details by selecting the floating action button, or choose an optional action from the case header drop-down menu.
To improve collaboration, prescriptive mobile case pages support the Pulse widget, as well as uploading, viewing, and downloading case attachments.
Improved case processing
The case processing interface on mobile devices is now more reliable and ensures a smooth experience for case workers. After users complete an assignment, Cosmos React apps display the task that is next in the flow that you define for the case type. Optional actions open in an overlay drawer component that users can minimize when they need to multitask while processing cases.
Form validation in real time
Validation of user input for mobile forms is now highly responsive thanks to real-time validation. To ensure that users enter data correctly, forms support validation expressions that you define in App Studio. Expressions are processed on the client side to further improve app performance.
Native Android and iOS controls
Cosmos React apps use a selection of native Android and iOS controls that make mobile apps faster and more intuitive to use. The native controls include map and location controls, date and time pickers, and controls for adding attachments.
In Pega Platform™ version 8.6, mobile features in Cosmos React applications are available only as a preview, with limited support for various interface elements and features, such as offline mode. The recommended production design system for Pega Mobile in Pega Platform 8.6 is Theme Cosmos.