Pega automatic draft off mode for processes in case types

When you add a process to a case life cycle in Pega, it starts in draft mode. That is a deliberate convenience: it lets you run and preview the case type while the process is still unfinished or has configuration errors. The catch is that draft mode must be switched off before the application goes to production. Pega 8.5 made that step automatic.

What draft mode does

• New processes are in draft mode by default.
• In draft mode you can run the case or preview it in a portal even if the process contains errors, so you can test the rest of the case type early.
• Before moving the rulesets to production, draft mode has to be off, so that only processes that are really complete and valid are deployed.

The old way

Before 8.5, a developer had to open each process in Dev Studio and turn off draft mode by hand. It was easy to forget one, and a process left in draft mode could behave unexpectedly after deployment.

Automatic draft mode off in Pega 8.5

• Case Designer now shows a message listing the errors in the case type, with a short description of each one.
• Each entry links straight to the process that needs fixing.
• When you fix the issues and save the case type, Pega switches draft mode off for the affected processes for you.
• This works when you save the case type in either App Studio or Dev Studio.

A worked example

A bank builds a Loan Application case type with a Verification process. During development the process has a missing connector and a decision table with no default row. In draft mode the team can still run the case and test the screens in the Approval stage. Before release, Case Designer lists the two problems. The developer fixes the connector and adds the default row, saves the case type, and draft mode turns off on its own. The release then goes ahead without a manual toggle.

Tips

• Check the errors list before every build. A clean list means the process is ready to deploy.
• Do not rely on draft mode for anything that must work in production.
• If you use an older version, add a manual check of draft mode to your release checklist.

Related: What is Case Management in Pega? and the Case Management label.