With support for a dark theme, favicons can now be set independently for light and dark themes for each of your applications. You can set the favicon to any image in the image gallery by simply changing the favicon in the application's Settings editor. See Manage App Settings.

• Fragments as sections for dynamic containers

  It's now possible to add fragments as sections in a dynamic container. By default, all fragments tagged as pageContent become available for selection when you add a section to a dynamic container. You also have the option of indicating a particular fragment as preferred content for all sections in the container. See Add Fragments as Sections in a Dynamic Container.

• InstanceFactory types for fragments

  Types from code, known as InstanceFactory types, can now be defined in fragments, making these types accessible to fragments. As with all fragment artifacts, these types are local to the fragment. See Create a Type From Code.

• New properties for fragment slots

  The Fragment Slot component now provides several new properties to help you configure a named slot, including a Preferred Content option that indicates the type of content the slot can contain. See Add Slots to a Fragment.

• Drag and drop for fragment slots

  Fragment consumers can now drag and drop their component of choice onto a fragment slot in the fragment's Properties pane, in addition to the Insert Component option. See Add Slots to a Fragment.

• Improvements on customizing fragment variable display in the Properties pane

  • If your fragment variable uses an array of primitives (for example, string[]), you can now edit the fragment's JSON to display a drop-down menu showing all values for each item in the array. See Subtypes and valueOptions for arrays in Customize How a Fragment Variable is Displayed in the Properties Pane.

  • When an object-type input parameter in a fragment is customized to display an endpoint picker, fragment users can use the Configure Endpoint quick start to select a suitable endpoint and choose its URI parameters. See Customize How a Fragment Variable is Displayed in the Properties Pane.

  • When sectioning fragment properties, you can now use a Label field to provide a user-friendly name for the fragment variable. This is particularly useful for dynamic components with data that might take a while to display in the Page Designer. See Section Fragment Properties for Display in the Properties Pane.

• Navigator badge to indicate audit error

  Audit errors are now badged in the Navigator to indicate that action must be taken to resolve the issue. The badge persists until the error is fixed or until the session ends.

• New Copy to Clipboard option

  A new Copy to Clipboard option in the right-click menu allows you to copy one or all audit issues to your clipboard for further processing.

See Audit Application Code.

• Core Pack in Components palette

  The next generation of Oracle JET components, known as Core Pack components, are now available in the Components palette as part of the Early Access category. These components, written entirely using the VComponent API and the JET Virtual DOM architecture, are available as a completely new set of components, so you can use Core Pack and legacy components side by side in your application. Core Pack components provide improved rendering performance over legacy components. See Add Components to Pages.

• Page input parameters from parent flows

  When input parameters for a page are defined beyond its current scope (say, at the app or flow level), those parameters are now listed in the Page Input Parameters dialog, allowing you to readily pass the input parameter from parent flows and pages. See Enable Variables as Input Parameters.

• Live/Design toggle change

  To switch between Live and Design modes using the Ctrl key (Cmd on Mac), the cursor must now be on the canvas. This way, the mode won't switch when the canvas is not in focus. Releasing the key to switch the toggle back works anywhere. See Use the Page Designer.

• Event editor updates to improve developer productivity

  We've reworked how new action chains are generated when you create a listener for an event. Previously, you would use several clicks to create a new action chain at the desired scope with a particular name in the Create Event Listener wizard. Now you simply click the Create {scope} Action Chain option to generate an action chain with a name in the format {event/varId}ChangeListener. See Create Event Listeners for Events.

• New behavior type for custom events

  The transform behavior type for custom events is deprecated and replaced by the new tranformPayload behavior type for new event listeners. The change does not impact existing apps with events configured to use the transform type, but the new tranformPayload type addresses issues with invoking event listeners in the correct order. You are, therefore, encouraged to switch to the new behavior type for your existing apps. See Choose How Custom Events Call Event Listeners.

• Actions tab renamed

  The Actions tab is now the Action Chains tab.

• New options for local functions

  You can now convert a local function to an action chain so it can be used by other action chains. Simply right-click the local function and select the new Convert Function to Chain option. It's also possible to create a local function from an action on the canvas. Just drag an action on the canvas onto the Create Function button, or onto the green line that appears before or after a local function. See Design Editor.

• Summary button to simplify action chain view

  You can now visually simplify your view of an action chain by hovering over the canvas's upper-left corner and clicking the Summary button. The Summary button hides the input parameter details of each action (except for the Assign Variable and Reset Variables actions). Click the Full button to switch back to the complete view. See Design Editor.

• Simplified display for action parameters

  We've simplified and enhanced how parameters display in different actions. Parameters displayed in actions such as Open URL, Call REST, and Fire Data Provider Event are now grouped. Also, the Store Result In variable has been added to the header to make it more readable.

• Changes to the Assign Variable action

  • The Assign Variable action can now be used to create a local variable, by adding the action and using the Properties pane to define it.

  • Consecutive Assign Variable actions are now consolidated into a single action.

  See Add an Assign Variable Action.

• Support to drag and drop an action into an else branch

  You can now drag and drop an action into an else branch on the canvas.

• UI changes for business objects based on your own schema

  When working with business objects that use your own schema, you'll notice some UI changes, primarily when adding or editing a business object's fields. See Create a Business Object Based on a DB Table or View and Add Fields to a Business Object Based on a DB Table or View.

• Improved error handling for business object diagrams

  When business objects and their relationships don't display on the Diagram canvas because of syntax errors, the editor now displays an error message and allows you to edit the JSON source file (diagram.json) to fix the error.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Process Automation, a service that quickly automates business approval workflows, can now be integrated in Visual Builder. To leverage this functionality in your application, create an OCI Process Automation backend, then create service connections for the REST APIs you want to use. See Connect to Oracle Process Automation APIs.

See Deprecated Features.

You can now create action chains in JavaScript. JS action chains allow you to debug them using the browser's developer tools; they are also easier to manage through Git actions. A Design view that reflects code structure helps you build functionality by dragging and dropping actions; you can also choose to work entirely in Code view.

With this update, all new action chains (including those created by Quick Starts) will default to JavaScript—though you can still create JSON action chains. Existing JSON action chains will continue to work as before.

See Work with JavaScript Action Chains.

Mobile apps have been deprecated in favor of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)—although mobile functionality won't be entirely removed from the product until July 2024. Starting with 23.10, you can no longer create a new mobile app, but you can import an existing mobile app and deploy it as a PWA for use on mobile devices. See Run Mobile Applications as PWAs.

Functionality relating to hybrid mobile applications (deprecated since April 2021) has also been removed from the product. This means that the use of build configurations to build native .ipa and .apk files for distribution to iOS and Android devices—as well as the Cordova custom plug-in option—are no longer available. You can no longer create new hybrid mobile apps or new build profiles for existing apps; build configurations for existing apps will be ignored. For apps that target mobile devices, enabling PWA support is the recommended approach for distribution.

You can continue to use your existing mobile apps until July 2024 when mobile apps (including PWA-enabled ones) reach End of Life (EOL). To be able to use your mobile PWAs beyond July 2024, we strongly urge you to transition your mobile app as a web app and deploy it as a PWA.

• Variable tracking to detect unsaved changes

  You can now track a variable's state to detect unsaved changes in your app. Tracking a variable marks it as "dirty" any time its value changes. You can then query for dirty variables using a new JavaScript-based Get Dirty Data Status action. If you don't want a change to be considered dirty, you can reset variable state using the Reset Dirty Data Status action (also based on JavaScript). See Track Variables to Detect Unsaved Changes.

• Filter for input parameters

  A new Show Input Parameters only option on the Variables editor now allows you to filter variables used as input parameters. See Enable Variables as Input Parameters.

• Slots in fragments

  A new Fragment Slot component, available in the Components palette, now allows you to add slots to a fragment where users can drop in their own content. A fragment with slots, when used on a page, reveals its slots on the canvas, the page structure, and as part of the fragment's properties. Fragment slots are similar to component slots and users work with them in much the same way. See Add Slots to a Fragment.

• Autowiring of fragment variables

  To simplify the process of creating pages with fragments, we've added a new property for fragment variables enabled as input parameters to be automatically created on the page where the fragment is used and wired back to the fragment variable's value. See Automatically Create and Wire a Fragment Variable on Its Container.

• Design Time support to display an enhanced UI for fragment input parameters

  A new Design Time tab in a fragment variable or constant's Properties pane now allows you to customize the UI component shown in the Properties pane when the fragment is selected on a page or container. Previously, you had to do this by editing the JSON metadata. See Customize How a Fragment Variable is Displayed in the Properties Pane.

• Support to display fragment input parameters in sections

  You can now group a fragment's input parameters and dynamic components by sections using a new Design Time editor that appears in the fragment's toolbar. Use this option to display a fragment's most important properties in the Properties pane when the fragment is selected on a page or container. See Section Fragment Properties for Display in the Properties Pane.

  If the fragment is used as a page template to create a page, the sectioned view also shows on the page's Properties pane and the Structure view, with the fragment considered the root element instead of the page. See Create Pages From Fragments.

• Backends mandatory for new service connections

  If you're looking to create a new service connection by providing a specification document or an endpoint URL, you now need an existing backend to be able to create the service connection. If a backend doesn't exist, you'll be prompted to create one as part of the Create Service Connection workflow.

  With this update, all new service connections will require a backend. Making backends mandatory simplifies the task of managing server connection attributes, especially credentials, across environments. Service connections created previously without a backend will continue to work and their configuration settings can be changed as well. See Create a Service Connection from a Service Specification and Create a Service Connection from an Endpoint.

• Default service name change

  New service connections no longer include a default name. You can now specify your own service name for easier identification. See Create a Service Connection from the Catalog, Create a Service Connection from a Service Specification, and Create a Service Connection from an Endpoint.

• Multiple undo and redo options in the Designer

  When working in the Designer, you can now undo and redo multiple actions at one shot; previously, you could undo and redo only your most recent change. See Tour the Designer.

• Audit improvements

  As a part of performance improvements to enhance application auditing, a new Opened Artifacts setting only audits artifacts that are currently open. To audit the entire application, change this setting to All Artifacts.

  Further, results in the Audits pane now show in a tree view, instead of a column view. With this change, issues are grouped by artifact, helping you view all issues in a particular artifact. See Audit Application Code.

• Create pages with a fragment's content

  You can now create pages prepopulated with a fragment's content when the fragment is tagged with the page metadata that surfaces it as page-level content. This way, you create pages easily with initial content, both from the Create Page dialog as well as the app-level Flow Diagram. See Create Pages From Fragments and Add a Page in the Flow Diagram.

  Because this option essentially uses a fragment as a page template, it's also possible to change the page's content at the click of a new Select Page Template button. This option allows you to remove everything from the page, including associated files, but keep the same page name. See Change Page Templates.

• Write back changes in a variable's value to a fragment's parent container

  When a fragment variable is marked as an input parameter for a page variable, a new Write Back to Container property, available on a fragment variable's Properties pane, allows you to automatically write back changes in the fragment variable's value to the page variable used as an input parameter. This option provides a convenient and powerful alternative to raising custom events that emit to the parent container. See Automatically Write Back a Fragment Variable's Value to Its Container Variable.

• Customize a fragment variable's Properties pane

  You can now customize a fragment variable's Properties pane to suit the UI component that will be used to edit the variable in the Page Designer. Previously, the Properties pane always used text field components for editing the values of fragment variables. See Customize a Fragment Properties Pane.

• Suggest a fragment for particular components

  A new Implements setting now allows you to suggest a fragment as preferred content for particular components. For example, if you choose FoldoutPanelElement, users working with a foldout layout will see this fragment suggested as content that can be added as a foldout section. See Manage Fragment Settings.

  With this update, the listItem and foldoutPanel options are no longer available for the Used For setting.

• Create a fragment from the Components palette

  A small but nifty enhancement allows you to create a fragment directly from the Components Palette, by using the icon next to the Fragments category. See Create and Add a Fragment to a Page.

Deleted applications are moved to a Soft Deleted status and can be restored within 30 days if they've not been permanently deleted. See Restore a Deleted Application.

It's also possible to change the page's content at the click of a new Select Page Template button. This option allows you to remove everything from the page, including associated files, but keep the same page name. See Change Page Templates.

• Data type changes for fields

  You can now change the data type for business object fields—functionality that allows you to use a non-numeric field as the object's primary key field. Previously, you could change data types only when creating business objects from a file. See Change a Field's Data Type.

  This functionality is also supported for business objects that use your own schema, where creating a field based on a DB column always sets the field's data type to the column's default type. See Change a Data Type of a Field Based on a DB Column.

• Custom audit fields

  It's now possible to use your own fields to audit your business object's history. While this functionality is available for native business objects, it's most useful for business objects that use your own schema when you have existing DB columns that you want to use for auditing. See Set a Field for Auditing.

  It's also useful for business objects created from a file, when your data file has audit information that you can use to track the object's history, instead of the default audit fields. See Set Audit Fields for an Imported Business Object.

• New type viewer for service endpoints

  You can now use a new Type viewer to see the type structure for an Endpoint's request/response. This means that you no longer have to create a web app and use a query string or type from the Endpoints tab in the Page Designer to see the type structure. See Create a Service Connection from an Endpoint.

• Audit warning for IP-based service URLs

  An IP address audit warning is shown for service connections that use IP-based addresses in URLs, as a reminder to use DNS-based addresses instead. See Create a Service Connection from an Endpoint.

• View page initialization time

  A new icon in the Page Designer's canvas now displays a breakdown of how long different tasks (such as bootstrapping and loading a shell page) take to display the page. You can use this information to isolate runtime issues that may cause your app to load slowly.

• Improved tab bar

  We've redesigned the tab bar to always show the active tab, even when the window is resized. When you have multiple tabs open, you can use the mouse or keyboard to scroll through them—though moving the focus away will bring the active tab back into focus. You can also use a new icon to view a drop-down list of overflow tabs; from here, you can open a particular tab or close it.

• Components in Components palette categories expanded by default

  The default view for the Components palette is now changed to always show components in every category. This view is controlled by a new Expanded By Default option in the Components palette's options menu.

• Advanced category in Components palette

  For discoverability reasons, all JET components are now available in the Components palette, with those that don't have design-time properties showing under a new Advanced category. Components in the Advanced category typically require you to manually code different aspects of their functionality.

• Preferred category of components for use in slots

  When you use Insert Component in the Structure view to drop a component directly into a slot, a list of recommended components show up under a Preferred category. These components are recommended based on the type of component that can be used in the slot.

• Options to insert a component in code editors

  It's now possible to insert a component before, inside, or after an existing component from a code editor's right-click menu.

Apps created on Visual Builder version 20.07 or earlier were created with Oracle JET's Alta theme as the base theme. The Alta theme was deprecated in JET 10 and will not be supported beyond JET 13. To be able to publish new versions of an Alta-based app beyond January 2024 (when JET 13 reaches End of Life), we strongly urge you to transition your app to use the Redwood theme. Starting with JET 14, only best-effort support will be available for Alta; no bug fixes or new features will be provided for Alta-only issues.

To check the theme used by your web or mobile application, navigate to the application's Settings editor and look for the Theme field. If Theme is set to Alta, take time to redesign your app using the Redwood theme before support for the Alta theme ends.

The Enable implicit grant for Service Connections option used for backends and service connections in a web app has been deprecated. The change does not impact existing apps that enable this option—though it won't be available for new web apps starting from June 2024. If your existing web apps use the Enable implicit grant for Service Connections option, we recommend updating them.

No action is needed if your web apps don't have Enable implicit grant for Service Connections enabled and if none of your backends/service connections are set to Delegate Authentication.

24.04 - Feb 2024

Planned for May 2024

The Oracle Visual Builder Classic service offering has reached End of Life (EOL) and End of Support Life (EOSL), and is now no longer available. Oracle will migrate all current Oracle Visual Builder Classic instances to the service's replacement: Oracle Visual Builder Generation 2. This does not affect instances already on Oracle Visual Builder Generation 2.

Instance administrators will receive email notifications with details about when their instances will be migrated, and how to prepare for the migration. For more details, see Migrate Your Instance to Generation 2 in Administering Oracle Visual Builder.

• Register deployed processes
• Use of Process Actions in Action Chains
• Support for Process code snippets
• Process-related Quick Starts

You can still use these features in Oracle Integration Generation 2, but as you plan the transition to Oracle Integration 3, you should leverage service connections instead to interact with Process.

To leverage OCI Process Automation (Oracle Integration 3) in your application, create an OCI Process Automation backend based on your instance, then create service connections for the REST APIs you want to use in your visual application. See Connect to Oracle Process Automation APIs for more information.