Over the last two weeks, we have been working on improvements to the platform. In this blog post, you can see a simple list of what has been changed and updated and what bugs have been fixed. You can read more about the release notes here.

Component Path

Value: We’re excited to introduce the new component path feature, a handy tool in the page builder that gives you a clear, structured overview of your selected component. With just a single click, you can now easily jump to a higher level in your component hierarchy, making complex structures more manageable.

Impact: When selecting a component on your canvas, the component path feature will be visible on the bottom of the canvas.

Date picker label option

Value: We’ve resolved an issue in the date picker component where the label was not positioned correctly above the input when its default value was loaded from a page variable. Previously, if the label was loaded from a translation key and the default value from an object page variable, the label would not appear correctly on top of the input - both on page load and when the input was focused. This issue has now been fully fixed.

Impact: This improvement is included in the latest version of the date picker component within the default Betty Blocks component set. Existing components already in use on pages will not automatically receive this update.

Inputs used in data components

Value: Input components used in data tables or lists have been enhanced to resolve an issue upon re-fetching data. Previously, when input components (e.g., text fields, dropdowns) were embedded within data components (e.g., data table, list or containers), they did not reflect changes correctly after a data re-fetch. If the data in the parent component changed, the values within the input components remained static, leading to inconsistencies. This update resolves the issue by ensuring that input components now correctly refresh their values when the underlying data changes.

Impact: This improvement is included in the latest version of the input components within the default Betty Blocks component set. Existing input components already in use on pages will not automatically receive this update.

Limitations: This improvement does not (yet) apply to the following input components:

​Save as widget

Value: As a builder I can save a wrapper as a widget.

Impact: When this is released the wrapper component will contain a 'Save as' option that allows builders to save their wrapper as a widget. After saving, the new widget or component is visible in their respective category. That also means a new category 'widgets' is added next to components and partials in the sidebar.

Timeframe: November

​Improved UI interactions

Value: The Interactions segment within the page builder has been redesigned to improve the ease of creating and editing interactions, while enhancing their overall readability. We've introduced icons for the various interaction types, 'click', 'change', and 'more', to help quickly identify the interaction you're working with. When setting or adjusting a target component, hovering over the possible target components now highlights the corresponding component on the canvas, helping you identify whether it's the one you wanted to target. Additionally, interactions are now presented in a clearer, more human-readable format, making it easier to understand what each interaction does, even when not actively editing. The most recent interactions will always be displayed at the top for quicker access.

Impact: All existing interactions will continue to function as they did before. This update focuses on improving the interface for a more user-friendly experience.

Timeframe: October

Relative date/date-time filtering improvement

Value: As a business technologist, I want to filter my data table of Activity records to display only those where the start date falls within the current week. At the moment, the current implementation of the relative date/date-time filtering of the page builder falls short of expectations at runtime. We will address this issue.

Impact: Users do not need to take any additional steps to benefit from these improvements. This improvement is not included in the current filters already in use on pages. This update will only be applied when saving existing filters.

Timeframe: October 2024

Display logic V2 - Enhanced functionality and bug fixes

Value: The release of display logic V2 introduces significant improvements that address existing functional issues and expand functionality. This enhancement brings two key benefits:

Impact: To benefit from the fixes in display logic V2, all you need to do is re-save your existing display logic filters after the release. Unchanged filters will continue to function as they did before, but to activate the enhancements, a save is required.

To take advantage of the ability to use page variables in display logic, simply integrate page variables into your filter conditions. Since this is a new feature, there will be no impact on existing filters—they will continue to operate as expected without modification.

Timeframe: October 2024

Replacing the current cloud storage

Value: We are currently replacing our current cloud storage provider with Wasabi Technologies as our subprocessor for cloud storage. This change is part of our continuous efforts to optimize our services and ensure we leverage the most efficient and secure solutions available.

Impact: No action is required nor expected from our users. This transition will be seamless, and we are doing everything to minimize the impact on our services and are expecting no downtime during the migration.

Timeframe: Customers will be notified when the migration of their applications is scheduled.

Commitment to quality improvement

Currently, we are improving the quality of the data segment by improving our internal processes and code bases. All to service the builders on the platform better and give them a better builder experience.

Dependency checker for properties (Beta)

Value: We are excited to introduce a new feature to enhance the user experience when managing properties within the platform. Previously, when users deleted a property, the platform didn’t provide insights into where that property was being utilized. This often led to broken pages or actions, creating uncertainty and reducing confidence in performing safe deletions. In the detail view of a property, users will now see a new tab titled "References". This tab provides clear visibility into where each property is being used across the platform, including dependencies within pages, models, and actions.

Impact: Since this is a Beta feature, you need to apply a feature flag to gain insights into the dependencies of properties which will be provided on request.

Timeframe: Within the upcoming two weeks.

PDM logging button in GraphQL playground

Value: We’ve added a convenient new feature to the GraphQL playground for a smoother data-fetching experience. A PDM (Private Data Mode) Logging Button is now available in the GraphQL playground. With a simple click, you can easily log in to PDM directly from the playground interface. This feature simplifies the process of accessing private data while running your actions. When executing actions in the GraphQL playground, you can now quickly authenticate by clicking the PDM button, which redirects you to the PDM login page. After logging in as a builder, you’ll be able to seamlessly fetch and interact with private data in your actions.

Impact: Users do not need to take any additional steps to benefit from this.

Passing through authentication info when calling remote models

Value: We have addressed an important issue related to the transfer of current user/authentication information when calling a remote model action. Previously, when builders tried to perform a remote model action through a private action, the authentication info (such as the currently logged-in user) was not transferred. Soon, we will properly include the information when calling the action.

Impact: Users do not need to take any additional steps to benefit from these improvements.

Timeframe: End of October.

200+ records in a collection in Actions (Beta)

Value: With this exciting update we will simplify working with large collections in Actions. Soon, Actions will automatically handle the 200-records limit in collections. This means builders no longer need to manually create batches to process collections larger than 200 records. Builders can focus on their core tasks without worrying about batch setup, making the process much more efficient and accessible to all users.

Impact: To make use of this improvement, the builder can turn on and off this functionality per action.

Timeframe: End of October.

Company end-user activity tracking (Beta)

Value: See the number of active end-users within the company dashboard, so that the company manager can get an idea of the value created by the associated applications within the company.

Impact: Navigate to the company overview within My Betty Blocks and open the Dashboard tab. Currently this is behind a feature flag, please let us know if you want to check out this feature.

Company Growth Metrics (Beta)

Value: See the growth of global company information, so that the company manager can get an idea of the success of the license at Betty Blocks and its growth over time.

Impact: Navigate to the company overview within My Betty Blocks and open the Dashboard tab. Currently this is behind a feature flag, please let us know if you want to check out this feature.

Migrate existing applications to the new Login Provider

Value: In the upcoming months, we’re going to migrate existing applications from our current login provider to our new login provider to increase the security and compliance of our login provider.

Impact: Logging into the platform will be via an updated design, similar to the design when logging into My Betty Blocks.

Application monitoring using Grafana

Value: Application monitoring is working successfully again but now based on Grafana.

Impact: Navigate to application or sandbox monitoring via dropdown menu in the application detail view and/or sandbox manager.

Migrate existing SSO applications to the new Login Provider

Value: In the upcoming months, we’re going to migrate existing applications from our current login provider to our new login provider to increase the security and compliance of our login provider.

Impact: Logging into the platform will be via an updated design, similar to the design when logging into My Betty Blocks.

Timeframe: When SSO is configured on the application level, we will reach out to be able to change to the new login provider.

Data API

value: To support existing and new builders in optimally using the data API for testing and building purposes.

Form components

Previously, this article included too much information and went beyond the point of properly explaining what the Form components and it's options are about. The screenshots have been adjusted and the information has been refined.

See, Form components and inputs for all the updates.

Hosting videos in your application

Displaying your images, videos or URL's, has been updated to also include displaying hosted videos.

CRUD content

“Deleting a task” article has been updated, in the previous edition, certain classic functionalities were being used. The current version is up to date with the platform and now includes dynamically refetching your data once the task delete has been succesful.

Data API content improvements

Value: To support existing and new builders in optimally using the data API for testing and building purposes.

The education team is going to refine the existing Data API articles and research best practices that have been gathered over time to provide users with an assisting document.

Improvements to the Betty Blocks learning management system

Value: as a Betty Blocks platform trainee, I can test my skills via a Betty Blocks-supported test environment and get graded on level-based tests.

Timeframe: we are currently researching a system that fits our expectations and integration wishes.

Want to know more about the upcoming features and functionalities of the Betty Blocks platform? Visit the platform roadmap of our community, where you can find most of the topics that we are currently working on and are planning to work on. Let us know your thoughts by upvoting the topics you believe are the most valuable!

Visit the platform roadmap.

That was all for now. Your feedback allows us to continuously improve the Product. So please let us know what