Best Summer Ever with 5 New Features in the Appian 22.3 Release

Hot sand. Cold drinks. New Appian features. My perfect kind of August!

The heat may be relentless, but we’re staying cool with the Appian 22.3 release. From codeless data modeling to SAML “Remember Me” log-in configurations to a one-stop shop Solutions Hub, this release brings you new capabilities that make building apps easier than ever so you have more time to enjoy your summer.

Missed the webinar with Appian VP of Product and Deputy CTO, Malcolm Ross? Don’t sweat it. We’ve got the rundown on the top 5 highlights for developers below.

Appian 22.3 release highlights.

1. Spend more time building apps, not database tables, with the addition of codeless data modeling in Appian Records

Data fabric is a defining feature of Appian that lets you automatically integrate performance-optimized data from anywhere, and now you don’t even need an existing database table to pull information from. No database table, no code, no problem.

This is especially helpful for new users building from scratch who can now spend their time learning the core product rather than worrying about using a database console. Automatic implementations lead to fewer errors and higher build speed, which is a win for developers of all experience levels.

Now if only my sunscreen had this level of automatic implementation quality, I wouldn’t have this sunburn.

With codeless data modeling, users can:

• Configure record fields to automatically generate a new database table.
• Download the database script for manual deployment into the higher environment.
• Create a data model (fields and relationships) from scratch for a record type that does not have a data model defined and create the required objects and database updates.
• Update the record type data model with new or changed fields and relationships and publish any required changes to the database.

2. Appian Designer got you on a building spree? Now access your recent apps even quicker.

Maybe it’s summer brain, or maybe it’s the ease of the new Appian designer interface, but lately I’ve been working on so many apps that I can’t even keep track of them.

Creating easy and direct access to your recent projects seems like a small design change, but it provides a huge quality of life improvement. These project cards are sorted by most recently personally edited, live at the top of the newly revamped Applications list view, and include app name along with application prefix, application editor initials, and timestamp.

Continuing projects this way is a breeze, even better than turning on that high-powered ceiling fan in your mom’s muggy basement.

3. Everyone wants to be remembered. Now you can be with SAML “Remember Me.”

I cried during the song “Remember Me” from the Pixar movie Coco. I also (nearly) cried (for joy) when Appian introduced a “Remember Me” configuration with SAML authentication. No more logging in constantly! No more worrying about offline mobile session timeout!

Typically when utilizing SAML, a user's session on the mobile app will timeout after the specified session timeout period. For customers utilizing offline capabilities, if a user is offline for longer than the session timeout period, they are then required to re-authenticate when coming back online in order for any pending forms to submit to the server. We heard feedback on how this can become a blocker, especially for offline mobile adopters, due to time and online access restraints.

Now a “Remember Me” option for SAML authentication will allow pending forms to seamlessly upload to the server after a user regains connectivity. The SAML provider on both web browsers and mobile devices (with separate toggles for each) will allow users to be remembered for a set number of days configured in the Admin Console so they don’t need to authenticate again.

Even as we cling to these long summer days, at least we no longer have to cling to our time-constrained login requirements.

4. Work smarter, not harder, with new smart services.

Many Appian features support synced records, making querying and displaying data from records easy. Until now, writes to the database have required a data store entry instead of a record type. That can be frustrating and confusing, which is the opposite of how you’re supposed to feel working with low-code. So we changed it.

Two new smart services in the process modeler now enable updates to record data for record types that use a database as the source. Query data, save into variables that use record data types, and write back to the database. With smart service outputs of error messages and IDs for records updated and deleted, you’ll be able to debug if anything gets tangled.

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap toward a unified experience using records for all data management activities.

5. Appian solutions make implementing apps easy. The new Solutions Hub makes it even easier.

From COVID-19 Workforce Safety to ESG Compliance, Appian solutions provide everything you need to launch right out of the box. And the new Solutions Hub is a one-stop shop to configure, customize, and go-live in record time.

The site is a dedicated start page for designers and administrators, featuring the tools, resources, and guidance that you need to successfully demo, configure, customize, and deploy your solution. This allows administrators with a range of development experience to demo and implement powerful solutions easily and quickly.

Get your extra credit this summer by customizing and launching a solution in hours, not weeks.