Published Release Notes

Chrome support for editing specification descriptions in Word

If you use Google Chrome 42 and later, you can now create, save, and update specification descriptions even if you are not using the Microsoft Silverlight NPAPI plug-in.

The new Upload Word document as description option provides you with the functionality to upload a Word document that contains the specification description. In addition, you can use the Export to Word option to export the description that you entered in the rich text editor to a Word document.

Redesigned tool for documenting your applications

Use the newly designed Document Application tool to generate application profile documents, application documents, and specification documents. The Document Application tool provides a streamlined landing page for all document types, including custom templates, and replaces the Application Document wizard.

For more information, see Document Application tool and Enhancements to the Direct Capture of Objectives.

Improvements to the Document Application tool

Application profile documents and application documents generated by the Document Application tool have been improved to present information in a more logical order based on how the application was built (for example, by case life-cycle management). Also, these types of documents now include all specifications linked with an implementation rule, presented in logical order under the implementation rule.

In addition, to help you more efficiently drive decisions by stakeholders, you can specify whether to include related built-on application layer assets in application profile documents and application documents. For specification documents, you can specify whether to include specifications from the built-on application layer.

For more information, see Document Application tool.

Associate specifications on implementation rule forms

You can now view, add, and delete the specifications that are associated with a rule on the new Specifications tab of most rule forms. The Specifications tab is available for almost all implementation rules, except for administrative and deprecated rule types. By associating specifications with the rules that implement them, you improve the end-to-end traceability of your specifications.

For more information, see Associating specifications on implementation rule forms.

Customizable New Application wizard

The redesigned New Application wizard streamlines the process of creating and configuring applications, and introduces customizable application templates. When you create an application from an application template, the template defines the wizard steps that gather the information that is needed to configure your new application based on the template. After you specify the required information in the wizard, the system creates an application with the required case types, data types, access groups, and operators. You can create multiple templates, depending on the needs of your business. Sample template types are provided.

For more information, see New Application wizard.

Define and manage features during application development

You can now define and manage the features and child features that you want to implement in your application. A feature represents any capability in your application that you want to promote to stakeholders during the application development process. When you develop an application and design case types, you can link each case type to top-level features in Designer Studio. In addition, you can associate existing rules with features, which maintains traceability and makes it easier for you to extend the application because you can identify the rules that are associated with each feature.

For more information, see Features.

Create connections to repositories

Pega^® Platform can communicate with common repository technologies. Whenever an action creates a RAP, Pega Platform can browse, publish, or fetch artifacts: for example, when exporting an application, product, branch, or component. Repositories are instances of the Data-Repository class which holds all necessary connection information.

Pega Platform includes tools to connect with the following repository types:

• JFrog Artifactory
• Amazon S3

For more information, see Creating a JFrog Artifactory or Amazon S3 repository connection.

Associate rules and project management work items with features

You can now link a project management work item with a rule when you create a rule, check in a rule, and save a rule as a new rule, which automatically links the rule with any features that are associated with the project management work item. Associating project management work items, rules, and features maintains traceability and makes it easier for you to extend the application, because you can identify the rules that are associated with each feature. On the Application Overview landing page, you can also link existing rules directly to features in the Associated rules section of a feature.

For more information, see Associating existing rules with a feature.

Capture real-time feedback with Agile Workbench

Project stakeholders can use the new Agile Workbench tool to capture real-time feedback directly in an application, which can increase the efficiency of application development. You capture feedback by creating a user story, bug, or feedback item, and these work items can include video recordings of screens, annotated screen captures, file attachments, or URLs. In Designer Studio, you can configure Agile Workbench to integrate with Pega^® Agile Studio so that bugs and user stories are synchronized between the two systems.

For more information, see:

• Pega Express 7.3 – Agile Workbench
• Pega Platform 7.3 – Agile Workbench

Create application guides that direct users through tasks

Use the new Application Guide rule to create a guide that directs users through a set of tasks. A task can provide instructions to the user and include links to a landing page, wizard, URL, rule, or data record. After you add an application guide to a portal, users can open the guide from the Resources menu.

For more information, see Creating an application guide.