Collections more effectively model business decisions
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
Use the redesigned Collection form to model business logic or implement rule engine patterns in your application. This form is now located in the Decision rule category.
You can add response actions to each collection step to process return values transparently, and simplify your implementation by calling a function alias or when condition instead of an activity. Use one of the supported Stop methods to cease processing in the current collection or all collections in the call stack.
For more information on the available features on this rule form, see About Collection rules.
Existing collections are deprecated
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
The original implementation of the Collection form is deprecated. Legacy instances in your application remain functional; however, any new instance you create uses the redesigned Collection form. Use the Decision category in the Records Explorer to view all collections available to you.
For guidance on upgrade limitations, see the Deprecated Collection form.
Achieve traceability through mapped rule type parameters
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
Maintain thorough audit trails of rules processed in your application by mapping one or more function input parameters to key parts of rules called by a collection. Each association you define updates referencing rules by linking the specified rule and the collection that calls your function or an associated function alias.
For instructions on how create these mappings in the Rule Type Parameters section of the Function form, see Function form - Completing the Parameters tab.
Display read-only formatting
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
When an editable field is in focus, date and text inputs display unformatted numerical values if the Display value using read-only formatting check box is selected. Unformatted text allows users to enter numerical values without adding currency symbols or decimal separators. The read-only formatting option appears for the Currency, Date Time, Integer, Number and Percentage control types when the Editable field is not in focus.
Simplified parameter passing with functions and function aliases
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
After you have mapped a rule type on the Function form, you can pass a parameter page to it from a corresponding function alias. This simplifies your implementation by exposing parameter prompting to users anywhere that function aliases are supported, such as collections and when conditions.
For a procedure on how to pass parameter pages to mapped rule types, see How to use parameter pages with a function alias.
New menu design options with the auto-generated menu control
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
Usability and responsive capabilities have been enhanced with a new auto-generated menu control offering multiple design options and configurations. New display options include text, descriptions, badges, and responsive vertical in-line menus. Loading options include:
- At screen load
- Defer load
- On first use
- On every use
Show menu controls for existing applications can be upgraded using the Upgrade Show Menu button in the HTML5 Readiness feature.
Menu created using the auto-generated menu control
ShowWarningOnForm is no longer processed
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
Rule forms now display all warnings, independent of category or type. The standard decision tree Embed-Warning.ShowWarningOnForm is no longer used to determine which warnings are visible.
You can safely remove any specialized versions of this rule in your application.
Use JDBC 4 compliant drivers for better performance
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
For better performance, ensure that you are using JDBC 4-compliant drivers. For more information on supported and non-supported JDBC drivers, please reference the Platform Support Guide.
Use Tomcat 7 for better performance
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
For better performance with a Tomcat web server, use Tomcat 7.
Tomcat 6 has a limitation that causes the server to treat the JDBC driver as if it were a JDBC 3-compliant driver, even if the system is using a JDBC 4-compliant driver. Customers using Tomcat will see better performance if they upgrade to Tomcat 7 and use a JDBC 4-compliant driver.
Engine will not start if the incorrect JDBC driver is used
Valid from Pega Version 7.1.7
The engine will not start up if the incorrect JDBC driver is used. The following configurations are unsupported:
- Using a Multi-tenant Oracle system with one of the Oracle JDBC drivers with issues (see the chart in the Platform Support Guide)
- Using a Multi-tenant system with a JDBC 3 compliant driver, OR with Tomcat 6 (for more information on using tomcat with Pega 7.1.7, see Use Tomcat 7 for best performance)
- Using Microsoft SQL Server with a JDBC 3 compliant driver, OR with Tomcat 6 (for more information on using tomcat with Pega 7.1.7, see Use Tomcat 7 for best performance)
When any of these unsupported configurations are encountered, Pega 7 will not start. Before this change, the engine would appear to start up properly, but would encounter issues during other parts of the engine startup or during actual use of the system.