Upcoming Updates - February-March 2022

Upcoming Updates - February-March 2022

Hi all,

Greetings from the Zoho Creator team!

A new year is here and we're looking forward to bringing in new features, improving performance, and delivering on all the exciting updates we previously announced.

In this update, we'll go over the:
  • 30 new ready-to-use functions including randomNumber, encoding, and AI
  • Try-Catch, Break, and Continue statements
  • Sorting ability in subform fields
  • Advanced search option in lookup fields
  • Security check for unpublished components
  • Code sign mobile apps in AAB format
  • Enhanced report exporting on mobile
  • Field permissions in pivot reports
  • Invalid parameter validation
  • Enhancements and changes in Deluge
30 new ready-to-use functions including randomNumber, encoding, and AI

One powerful aspect of Deluge is its minimalistic approach to the number of statements required per execution. Some of the features we have in the pipeline are going to help further optimize your Deluge coding experience. We have also supported additional ready-to-use built-in functions and tasks.

randomNumber & other new built-in functions

To the long list of our available built-in functions, we'll be adding the following new functions:

i. Common

Function

Description

Generates a random number from the specified range.


ii. Text functions



Converts hexadecimal to text value.


Converts text to hexadecimal value.


Returns all the characters which precede the first occurrence of the search text in the input text. The search text is not case-sensitive.


Returns all the characters which follow the first occurrence of the search text in the input text. The search text is not case-sensitive.


Replaces all occurrences of the search text with the replacement text. The search text is not case-sensitive.


Replaces the first occurrence of the search text with the replacement text. The search text is not case-sensitive.


Returns a text with the input text repeated for the specified number of times.


Returns the input text with its characters in reverse order.


Checks if all characters in the input text are ASCII.


Removes all the extra white spaces (if any) inserted after the input text.


Removes all the extra white spaces (if any) inserted before the input text.



iii. Number functions



Returns the number equivalent to the hyperbolic tangent of the input angle.


Returns the hyperbolic arccosine or inverse hyperbolic cosine of the input number.


Returns the hyperbolic arcsine or inverse hyperbolic sine of the input number.


Returns the hyperbolic cosine of the input angle.


Returns the angle of the input number.


Returns the number equivalent to the hyperbolic tangent of the input angle.


Returns the angle between the positive x-axis and the ray from (0,0) to the input point (x,y).


Returns the degree equivalent to the input angle in radians.


Returns the radian equivalent to the input angle in degrees.


Extracts the sign of the given input values.



iv. Date-time functions



Returns the number of months between the given input date-time values.


Returns the number of years between the given input date-time values.


Returns the next immediate date that falls on the specified input day.


Returns the previous week's date that falls on the specified input day.


Returns the date-time values after subtracting the specified number of business days from it.


Encoding functions

We've expanded Deluge's set of encoding functions by supporting the following new functions:
  • htmlEncode: Transform all special HTML characters in the input text into HTML entities.
  • htmlDecode: Render all the HTML entities in the input string.

Artificial intelligence functions

Deluge's ready-to-use AI feature will include a couple more tasks:
  • zoho.ai.detectObject: Detects objects (example: person, laptop, car, traffic lights, etc) and their position in the input image.
  • zoho.ai.extractKeywords: Extracts keywords or tags from the input text.

Try-Catch, break, and continue statements

Deluge will be empowered with flexible error management and improved loop handling features. We're excited to add the following capabilities in Deluge:

Try-Catch: Exception handlers that can test Deluge scripts for run-time errors, and perform required actions if any errors are found.
Break: Terminates the execution of the current loop when encountered.
Continue: Terminates the execution of the current iteration of loop when encountered.

Sorting subform fields

Currently, the fields in subforms are sorted based on the added time. Soon, the subform field will include the capability to sort the fields listed within the subform. This feature will be made available in the field properties of the form. The admin will be able to navigate to the form builder, select the subform field, and specify the sorting preference.



This sorting capability is aimed at requirements that need the fields in the subform to be sorted in a specific order.

For instance, a Customer form might require its subform to list the recent orders of a customer. Here, the admin can sort the subform by navigating to the form builder, selecting the date field of the subform, and specifying the sorting preference as descending. Let's say a customer record is added with the orders of that particular customer in the subform.The sorted orders of that customer will be available while trying to edit the customer's record and also while viewing the record in report.

Note: Sorting cannot be done based on the following: Encrypted fields, URL, Audio,Video, multi-selection fields, integration fields, and user field.

Advanced search option in lookup fields

The advanced search option will equip you with an enhanced search mechanism to drill down to records or field values when you have a large volume of data. This feature is available only for lookup fields with the display type set as dropdown or multi select.

Search queries must return the most accurate and useful results possible, Anything beyond 5,000 is not likely to be the result that the user is looking for. So we have limited the search results to 5,000.This also eliminates the need to scroll down endlessly.



To ensure the user makes the most of this option to locate the record or value, user should try to use the parameters provided in the advanced search as efficiently as possible. This allows user to skip scrolling, while narrowing down the search. All that needs to be done is select the correct search operator and enter the appropriate keywords to fetch the relevant records more easily.




The advanced search will be enabled when the admin enables it in the field properties or when there are more than 500,000 records. Similarly, if a user field or date-time field is used as a display field, Advanced Field Search will automatically be enabled.

We're also introducing a restriction on the number of fields that can be included in display fields in lookup. A maximum of four display fields can only be added. If you have a requirement to add more than that, you can use the formula field as a workaround to combine more than four display values and then lookup the formula field




Security check for unpublished sub-components

It's advisable to share all subcomponents that belong to a published component with your users. Let's assume you have a iframe or widget inserted in a Page and if an unpublished form is used within the iframe or widget, said form will be restricted. This restriction is imposed as a security measure to ensure cross domain security policy. To avoid these kinds of anomalies, please ensure all sub-components present inside a published component are also published.

This restriction will be imposed from March 1st, 2022.

Code sign mobile apps in AAB format

Android App Bundle, or AAB, is a new publishing format added for the Zoho Creator's mobile app Codesign process. It includes all your app’s compiled code and resources, and defers APK generation and signing to Google Play.

Google Play will use your app bundle to generate and serve optimized APKs for each device configuration, so only the code and resources that are needed for a specific device are downloaded to run your app. Going forward, there will be no necessity to build, sign, and manage multiple APKs to optimize support for different devices, and users will get smaller, more-optimized downloads. Learn more

Enhanced report export in mobile and tablet

The enhancements in report export settings that were previously introduced for the web are now being extended to mobile and tablet. You can export the records in your report in your preferred file format and then download them. The exported file can then be used outside of your Zoho Creator application. In the new export settings, you'll be able to provide a file name, select the file format, select the columns to be included in the file, and make the file password-protected. Learn more 



Field permissions in pivot report

Previously, the field permissions feature was not applicable to pivot reports. As a step towards security enhancement, we are now rolling out the capability to control field permissions of View Underlying Data, Drill Down, and Export Underlying Data options in pivot. So the fields that are listed in the above options will be according to the field permissions set up in the permissions set under Users and permissions.

However, the permissions will not be applied when the fields are added as the axes of the charts or as the row/column of the table, because the construction of the chart or table will be impacted.

Invalid parameter validation

We are rolling out a minor change in handling API requests that have invalid or unsupported parameters. Currently, if there are API requests with invalid parameters, our API servers will ignore them and provide the appropriate responses to those requests.

As a step towards data security, we are implementing a change wherein API calls with invalid parameters will be rejected. An error response with the reason for the error will be provided. This validation is scheduled to go live this week or coming week. To avoid such validation errors, we recommend that you remove unsupported parameters before the stipulated date.

Enhancements and changes in Deluge

With the intention of also improving and evolving our existing Deluge features, we've planned a few updates. Ultimately, our aim is to boost Deluge's overall performance, so we've also prepared to lay out a few regulations that will streamline the way Deluge is used. We humbly ask your support in carrying out this plan.

Modified time of main form will be updated when subform rows are updated using Deluge

When rows are inserted into a subform, cleared from a subform, or particular fields of a subform are updated using Deluge, the modified time of the corresponding main form's record will be updated.

Map's key order will be retained in toXml() function's conversion

When using toXml function, the xml string will be generated in the input map's order. In the current behavior, it is generated irrespective of the order of the input map.

Multiselect fields in criteria and sort operations

Note: The following changes will be applicable to all customers.
i. <multi_choice_field>.<multi_choice_field> cannot be used in all filter criteria (report criteria, report filter criteria, conditional filter criteria, conditional formatting criteria, lookup filter criteria, all page builder criteria) and Deluge's fetch record task criteria.

Multi-choice fields are Multiselect, Checkbox, Subform, Multiselect Lookup and Multiselect Users fields.

ii. The values returned by the fetch records task cannot be sorted based on multi-choice fields and composite fields.

File size
i. Uploading files stored in file attachment fields to invokeURL or integration tasks will continue with the current ceiling of 50 MB, whereas downloading the content using invokeURL or extracting file content using <field_link_name>.content is capped at 5MB.
File attachment fields are File Upload, Image, Audio, and Video.

Note: This change is applicable only to new users and unaffected existing users (to be rolled out in a phased manner). Therefore, existing users who already consume file size more than the new limit will not be affected.
ii. The content function (<field_link_name>.content) cannot be applied on Audio and Video fields.

Regex evaluation

Evaluating regex is usually a performance-intensive operation. Therefore, we've been frequently encountering issues related to regex evaluation using Deluge tasks, such as matches, replaceAll, and replaceFirst. To avoid any more issues in this regard, the number of iterations done in the regex matching process is capped at 100,000.

That's all for now!

Thanks,
Zoho Creator Team


    Access your files securely from anywhere


            Zoho Developer Community




                                      Zoho Desk Resources

                                      • Desk Community Learning Series


                                      • Digest


                                      • Functions


                                      • Meetups


                                      • Kbase


                                      • Resources


                                      • Glossary


                                      • Desk Marketplace


                                      • MVP Corner


                                      • Word of the Day



                                          Zoho Marketing Automation
                                                  • Sticky Posts

                                                  • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 1

                                                    Hello everyone! A very Happy New Year to you and your family. Hope you're all good and having a great time using Zoho Creator to make your lives easier and your businesses prosper. 2022 was an action-packed year for us at Creator, and we hope to continue
                                                  • Zoho Creator User Group meetups in a city near you! - Oct - Nov, 2023

                                                    Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! We're hosting a series of Zoho Creator meetups in various cities across the globe, and we'd love to meet you there! Our meetups are a great opportunity to network with industry peers, exchange ideas and best practices,
                                                  • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 2

                                                    Hello everyone! Time truly flies when you're having an incredible journey, and today we mark the completion of an eventful and action-packed six months. It feels like just yesterday when we embarked on this adventure together with the launch of our new
                                                  • Upcoming Updates - August 2022

                                                    Hi all, Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! Today we've got news for you on some exciting updates. And rest assured— there’s more to come! In this post, we'll be going over the upcoming features and improvements for this month as mentioned below. A
                                                  • Introducing Zoho Creator's v2 APIs

                                                    Hello App Creators, Welcome to Zoho Creator's v2 APIs! This post will serve as the central point for migrating implementations of Creator's current APIs (v1) to v2. Improvements that v2 brings OAuth-based authentication, which is more secure than the


                                                  Manage your brands on social media



                                                        Zoho TeamInbox Resources

                                                          Zoho DataPrep Resources



                                                            Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                              Zoho Books Resources


                                                                Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                  Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                    Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                      Qntrl Resources


                                                                        Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                            Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                            • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                              CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                            • Kaizen

                                                                              Kaizen

                                                                            • Functions

                                                                              Functions

                                                                            • Meetups

                                                                              Meetups

                                                                            • Kbase

                                                                              Kbase

                                                                            • Resources

                                                                              Resources

                                                                            • Digest

                                                                              Digest

                                                                            • CRM Marketplace

                                                                              CRM Marketplace

                                                                            • MVP Corner

                                                                              MVP Corner





                                                                                Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                Get Started Now


                                                                                  Zoho Show Resources


                                                                                    Zoho Writer Writer

                                                                                    Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                    Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                      Zoho CRM コンテンツ






                                                                                        Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                            ご検討中の方





                                                                                                  • Recent Topics

                                                                                                  • Form to update a CRM contact field

                                                                                                    Hello I need an help as I am going crazy. I need to create a form where there is a dropdown field with the contacts of Zoho crm (if possible filtered on the base of a field) and where other fields will be be automatically fetched with zoho crm data as
                                                                                                  • Lookup field, odd issue

                                                                                                    So I tried creating and app that has the names of engineers so I can use that for a lookup in the other apps that are being created . I add the look up in a new app, launch the app and when I try to fill out the form its just blank in the drop down menu
                                                                                                  • Query About Updating Records in Batches via API

                                                                                                    We are working on integrating the Creator application with an external app, and we need to update thousands of records daily. I understand that the "Update Records" API is available; however, it appears to be designed for updating multiple records with
                                                                                                  • PDF API FROM ZOHO CREATOR DELUGE SCRIPT

                                                                                                    Hi I am in need of using a PDF Api to compress and Merge PDF files from zoho creator. Any support on this would be really helpfull any sample code for any PDF API would be extremely heplfull
                                                                                                  • Filter report using dynamic filter using function not working

                                                                                                    Hi - I am trying to dynamically filter a report as follows: when I save the filter it looks like this: However when I run the report it is not returning results as I expect. I have tested the function. If I copy and paste the output of the function and
                                                                                                  • How to add coloring on List Reports

                                                                                                    Hi guys, I would like to add colors to List reports. Is there an option to apply table colors other than using the custom layout? Thank You!
                                                                                                  • Formula fields - Request for dynamic recalculation / proper implementation

                                                                                                    Hi Guys, I have a big problem with Zoho formula fields. They don't recalculate each time the record is viewed - only when a record is edited. Formula fields should be updated dynamically each time a record is retrieved. As an example: I have a formula
                                                                                                  • 🔍 How to effectively organize data in a CRM? – My approach and questions for you

                                                                                                    Dear ZOHOssians! While working on organizing data in a CRM, I decided to use the native modules: Leads, Deals, Contacts, and Accounts as a solid foundation for managing processes. However, I’m now exploring the next steps and considering various options
                                                                                                  • Editing data in Related List tables

                                                                                                    Hi, we have a related list table showing many quotes on our Client record. At present, we have to edit each quote record by entering each record and then going back to the Client record. Is there a way to edit the various fields shown in the related list
                                                                                                  • Directly Edit, Filter, and Sort Subforms on the Details Page

                                                                                                    Hello everyone, As you know, subforms allow you to associate multiple line items with a single record, greatly enhancing your data organization. For example, a sales order subform neatly lists all products, their quantities, amounts, and other relevant
                                                                                                  • Is there a API to fetch tasks in a Board/Section

                                                                                                    I am writing a scheduled function that retrieves all the tasks and send an reminder on cliq. I cannot seem to find a API to fetch tasks (by user / board / section) What are the way to fetch tasks?
                                                                                                  • Zoho Books - uploading company logo squashed

                                                                                                    I am trying to upload my company logo with the following dimensions - 240 x 240 pixels and a file size of 106Kb. When I look at the logo in my invoices, it is squashed and not the right size. Any idea what is going on? I've tried uploading jpeg and png
                                                                                                  • Streamline Custom Dashboards

                                                                                                    I'd like every brand have the same dashboard. Is there a way to streamline them so every brand has one? Or that I can use the same dashboard from another brand?
                                                                                                  • How to Create and Edit Advances in Zoho Expense Using Deluge?

                                                                                                    Hi everyone, I am working with Zoho Expense and need to manage Advances (Advance Payments) using Deluge. I’ve familiarized myself with some basic functions, but I have specific questions about how to create and edit advance records: Creating Advances:
                                                                                                  • Integrate MS Teams with Zoho CRM for faster collaboration

                                                                                                    Availability Editions: Standard and above DCs: All Release status: This feature has been released for all users in all DCs. Help resource: Microsoft Teams integration Hello everyone, We're adding MS Teams to our lineup of CRM chat integrations—Cliq, Slack,
                                                                                                  • Easy way to delete attachments

                                                                                                    I've reached my data limit and would like to run a view/report, and mass delete attachments. Is there an easy, fast way to do this? Moderation Update: Post Summary: There are two features the post discusses a) Easy way to remove Email attachments Will
                                                                                                  • Ho to restrict access to row level to Zoho Analytics users

                                                                                                    Let me explain the scenario we are trying to achieve. We have an online system our team members work with. On it we have 6 users that manage data from different areas (North, South, East and West). We would like to transfer this information to a Zoho
                                                                                                  • Remove the link between app admin roles and org admin privileges

                                                                                                    Greetings Zoho One Team, Currently, assigning someone as an admin in certain Zoho apps, such as Cliq, Connect, Mail, Vault, or Forms (and maybe other apps as well) automatically grants them org admin privileges, even though they are not listed as org
                                                                                                  • Standalone function is not working

                                                                                                    Hi, We have created a standalone function to integrate with a third-party service using OAuth. However, the standalone function's REST API key is expiring automatically after some time. When we regenerate the API key from the admin account, the function
                                                                                                  • All Deluge environments draggy! Negatively impacting productivity

                                                                                                    Hello, I have been using Zoho flow, CRM, Project, etc to develop custom functions, integrations. etc. for over 5 years. However, just about 3 days ago, I observed the deluge integrated environment is now acting draggy across all Zoho products using Chrome
                                                                                                  • Pass json to ZDK.Client.openMailer TO parameter

                                                                                                    Hello I try to make send emails to a list of emails with : ZDK.Client.openMailer({ from: 'example@zoho.com', to: details_output, subject: 'test Mailing List', body: 'Test Mailing List Body' }); where details_output is an array like : [{ "email": "testcarte18078@test.com",
                                                                                                  • How to remove banners at the top of email web page

                                                                                                    Every day, I find valuable screen real estate being consumed by Zoho advertising themselves at the top of my email web page. I can dismiss that "announcement", but something else will come back the very next day. How do I permanently dismiss them as 99%
                                                                                                  • My domain provider does not support to DKIM records

                                                                                                    My domain provider does not support to DKIM records in zoho mail. It does not allowed underscore in a TXT name but zoho had provide DKIM records already with an underscore This is the zoho provides But my domain provider does not allowed
                                                                                                  • Zoho email experiencing delay when receiving emails from AWS SES

                                                                                                    When sending an email from our SES, our non-Zoho email is receiving emails almost instantly with a 1-2 min delay, however, the zoho email we send to is experiencing delays from 3-4 hours and sometimes dont recieve them at all. Any idea what might be going
                                                                                                  • How to listen to ticket change

                                                                                                    Hello community, I created a widget, which checks all departments, if the user has written there as well, as some customer do this. Overall it works fine, except that I have to refresh the widget tab every time I go to another ticket. How can I listen
                                                                                                  • Did you know you can secure your content with Zoho Writer?

                                                                                                    Sometimes you need to protect certain parts of your content to conceal sensitive information or prevent changes to important sections of a document. Zoho Writer offers several tools for securing content to help maintain privacy, security, and confidentiality
                                                                                                  • Webhook when estimate is refused is not firing

                                                                                                    Hello, I use a workflow through make that sends estimate with zoho books (I paid books and sign). -Those estimates when accepted are firing the webhook that I create in zoho sign (photo 1) -However when refused they are not firing the webhook that I created
                                                                                                  • How do I delete a test email address to which I am supposed to send a test email?

                                                                                                    How do I delete an email address added to a test email recipient that is no longer needed due to resignation or other reasons?
                                                                                                  • Create custom rollup summary fields in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                    Hello everyone, In Zoho CRM, rollup summary fields have been essential tools for summarizing data across related records and enabling users to gain quick insights without having to jump across modules. Previously, only predefined summary functions were
                                                                                                  • Creating smart filters manually

                                                                                                    Hi Team, One of my colleagues accidentally deleted the Notification folder in Zoho Mail. Now all the emails are directing to spam instead of inbox. Is there any way to create the smart filter manually?. With Regards, Logeswar V
                                                                                                  • Is there a way to get Guided Conversation responses to appear on a ticket?

                                                                                                    Hello When using the Create Ticket block, is there a way to save all of the responses the user has inputted on the ticket once it's been made?
                                                                                                  • Tickets Assigning Automation

                                                                                                    I am trying to build a bot which can automatically assign the tickets to the concerning team as of now we have a dedicated person who read the emails, understands the query and then assign it to the dedicated team. I have built an prototype of the same
                                                                                                  • Zoho Desk using APIs

                                                                                                    We have generated the necessary tokens and successfully executed the following calls: • List all tickets • Get a ticket • Create a ticket We have encountered difficulties when attempting to perform searches using the APIs related to SEARCH, as it returns
                                                                                                  • Knowledge Base - Import PDF/Doc

                                                                                                    Our company already has guides and manuals in PDF/word format. Is there a way to directly important these as articles for our customer portal? When doing a copy/paste the formatting gets a little skewed and images don't post over either. 
                                                                                                  • Paid Support Plans with Automated Billing

                                                                                                    We (like many others, I'm sure) are designing or have paid support plans. Our design involves a given number of support hours in each plan. Here are my questions: 1) Are there any plans to add time-based plans in the Zoho Desk Support Plans feature? The
                                                                                                  • Credit Card Terminal for Zoho Books

                                                                                                    Hello, Instead of punching the credit card number manually for customer payment, do you have a third-party hardware credit card reader that works with Braintree? Thank You
                                                                                                  • Checklist/ save to onedrive/ a group of items invoicing in Zoho FSM

                                                                                                    hi, is there a way to add a specific checklist to any WO without passing eachtime by the model customization? can we save file such picture directly in our sharepoint ak onedrive? is there any way to add a group of item pre defined to make invoicing easier
                                                                                                  • Splitting a List into different rows

                                                                                                    I am getting a List from a for each loop. But I can't figure out how to separate each item that is separated by a comma. Example Zone 1 - Front Door,Zone 2 - Rear Door,Zone 3 - Side Door I need it too look like this: Zone 1 - Front Door Zone 2 - Rear
                                                                                                  • This domain is not allowed to add. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

                                                                                                    I am trying to setup the free version of Zoho Mail. When I tried to add my domain, theselfreunion.com I got the error message that is the subject of this Topic. I've read your other community forum topics, and this is NOT a free domain. So what is the
                                                                                                  • Zoho Analytics - CRM Sync Failure

                                                                                                    We have experienced consistent sync failures between our Zoho CRM and Analytics apps, but there aren't any details provided as to why this failure might be occuring. Please advise on troubleshooting steps so we can figure out how to restore the sync.
                                                                                                  • Next Page