Release notes 6.15
Released 2023-11-01
General information
SERVER MANAGER: To install the new 6.15 release you must download the new server manager from Download on the Novacura website
As of the release of Flow 6.15 only the last version of previous major releases will be available for installation.
The Android apk download buttons on the server pages have been removed. To install the Android client, please visit Google Play or go to Downloads on the Novacura website.
Technical change
IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR PORTAL 2: Novacura Flow 6.15 is designed to work with the latest version of Portal 2, which is 2023.3. Please ensure that you have updated your Portal 2 to version 2023.3 as earlier versions (2023.2 or earlier) will not be compatible with Novacura Flow 6.15. This is a critical step to ensure seamless integration and optimal performance.
NEW SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: 6.15 requires Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable (x64) to be installed on the Flow server machine.
With the release of version 6.15 Novacura Flow has moved from a 32-bit architecture to a 64-bit architecture. The advanced application pool setting Enable 32-Bit Applications is set to False by the 6.15 installer.
Key Improvements:
Enhanced Memory Capabilities: The new 64-bit architecture removes the memory limit constraints found in the 32-bit version, allowing Novacura Flow to access a significantly larger RAM space. This change is crucial for performance-intensive applications and scenarios dealing with large datasets, as operations are no longer limited by the 4GB memory boundary.
Improved Performance: Novacura Flow can now handle more data per CPU cycle, thanks to the wider general-purpose registers, which allow faster computation and data processing. This improvement particularly benefits compute-intensive tasks, enhancing the overall speed and responsiveness of Novacura Flow.
Some dependencies or plugins used by Custom Connectors may need to be updated to compatible versions. Users utilizing external integrations should verify compatibility with this new release.
New features
Event step scanning
The Scanner event step trigger type is employed for scanning into a user step, primarily when the user needs to scan a barcode containing multiple values. The scanned data will be accessible within the designated target variable. Subsequently, script and assignment steps can be utilized to break down the target variable into the specific variables used to populate the user step.
Studio improvements
The capability to perform searches has been added to the Roles selector when accessed from both User and Menu.
The Roles selector will as of this release automatically open and expand in areas where roles have been selected, enhancing visibility and simplifying the identification of roles already added to the user or menu.
Start ring - Editor tab
An Editor tab has been added to the start ring in order to ease configuring start parameters.
Parameters can be added, modified and removed in both the Start and Editor tab, a change made in one view is directly converted to the format of the other.
Test bench improvements
Sort: Sort on top node on Name (variable column): Ascending - Descending - Original
Search: The integration of a search box simplifies variable location. The first matching node in the variable tree view is automatically highlighted, and the Enter key allows users to cycle through matches. The sort order remains consistent during search operations.
Edit: Slow double-click to enter inline-edit for all types that can be parsed from String (including boolean, number and date).
Pinned Variables: Users can pin variables in the test bench for immediate reference. These pinned variables update with every step action and maintain their sort order during search and step functions. Pinning can be toggled through the context menu. Pinned variables are retained between debugging sessions within a workflow tab.
Value Color Indicators: To facilitate change tracking, modified values since the last breakpoint are displayed in bold orange font. Variables created since the last breakpoint are highlighted in bold purple.
Variable Copy Options: The context menu provides options to copy a variable as JSON or to replicate only its name or value. These actions are also accessible via keyboard shortcuts.
Data Export Feature: Variables that contain binary data or file records can be exported to disk using the context menu.
Monospace Font: The debugger has transitioned to a monospace font to optimize readability and alignment.
Usability: Various improvements have been added to enhance the test bench functionality. For example, selecting a pinned item within a collapsed parent will expand the nodes. Context menus are available in both the pinned and variable tree views, with pin/unpin options present in all such menus. Columns auto-adjust to accommodate their content, and the Escape key in the search box facilitates instant input clearance.
Short cut keys
Edit value: F2
Copy value and nodes:
ctrl + c - copy as Json
ctrl + b - copy variable (trinket) name
ctrl + shift + c - copy selected variable (trinket) value as string
ctrl + s - save file record or data (you need a file record or a binary trinket)
ctrl + f - focus in find window in the debugger (when focus is on any of the variables in the tree view)
Pin variable: Ctrl+D
Export to disc: Ctrl+S
List selection
Allow Empty Input configuration has been added to the List selection control.
Condition To Hide
Add the condition that must be met for the control to be hidden. If left empty, the control will be visible in the user step. Note that when controls are hidden, empty variables will be created, unless default values or pre-defined data exist.
Auto Forward
The option to configure the workflow for automatic progression to the next user step is enabled by the Auto Forward configuration.
Enable - To activate the auto-forward feature, the Enabled checkbox is checked.
Delay - The waiting time before the workflow advances automatically is defined by the Delay setting, with available options including Instant, 1 second, 2 seconds, and 4 seconds.
Condition - A condition can be added to determine when the auto-forward action should occur. Note that it's the values entering the user step that will be taken into account, not any changes made within the user step itself.
Prevent pause
A setting has been introduced to eliminate the option of pausing workflows. This setting can be located in Workflow - Runtime Options - Prevent Pausing.
Prevent going back
The Prevent Going Back configuration determines whether a client user should have the option to undo and return to a previous user step. If this option is enabled, users won't have the ability to undo their actions. Conversely, if it is disabled, the option will be visible unless the workflow has just passed a committing step.
Note that the Prevent Going Back setting can be applied at both the individual user step level and for the entire workflow, including fragments. You can configure this in Workflow - Runtime Options - Prevent Go Back.
Connectors
The Webservice connector has been upgraded to support both HTTP basic authentication and OAuth2 password credentials authentication.
The Database connectors now support specifying connection timeout.
Tags can now be applied to connector configurations.
New Flow script functions
Abs
Group by
Inner join
RegexMatches
Bug fixes
Added so that Flowscript does show an error when the error is located inside a return statement
An issue in the table element has been corrected, allowing the addition of new columns to existing elements
Fixed studio crashes Resolved issues importing flows where template strings had comments
The issue where background number icons were not visible when a foreground icon was added has been corrected.
A correction has been made to ensure that element labels are fully visible in Flow Studio at all zoom levels.
Corrected so workflows can be committed after just updating the fragment version
Corrected issue with Custom Colors for branding not picking the correct colors.
Fixed an issue where step editors were showing on the wrong screen
An error message has been added for users who attempt to upload a logo in a format other than PNG.
Web Service Connector: Connector will now use the storagePath from the server web.config in Azure.
Fixed an issue causing the magic wand to replace flow variable names with reference id's
Resolved an issue causing input parameters to a linked workflow not to work
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