Release Notes: HybridForms Client App Version 7 (April 2020)

What’s new in HybridForms? Which innovative enterprise functions are now available for mobile data capture and digital forms workflow, which features are planned? In the regularly published release notes we would like to inform you briefly about the current status as well as the roadmap.

Continuous development and updates

The HybridForms Suite is constantly being improved and optimized. New devices are supported and new functions are made available. Many of the new releases are developed in cooperation with customers and based on special requirements in customer projects. If such feature requests from customers are regarded as product improvements and fit into the HybridForms product roadmap, icomedias (as producer of HybridForms) is eager to support this by generalizing requirements and then adding them as core functions. icomedias then also takes a share in the development costs for these functions.

This is one of the advantages of the customer-centric product approach versus the development of small individual solutions: New innovative product features are available to all customers of various industries, based on the practice-oriented and special requirements of other users.

HybridForms Client App: General

Cross-platform – Android, iOS, Windows and Web App:
HybridForms is a cross-platform form solution with one core version with specific extensions and adaptions for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android, for Windows and MacOS – as well as a Progressive Web App for use with web browsers without installation. Most release notes apply to all platforms.

Responsive design for optimized display on different devices:
The HybridForms Client Apps use Semantic Responsive Design and thus automatically adapt to different device screen sizes and orientations (portrait/landscape) in several steps (with two-columns/one-column as well as fully expanded/minimized/no menu bar).

Full Base versions:
We release two to four Full Base versions every year that are available through our customer and partner support portal as well as through the public app stores of Apple, Google and Microsoft. These versions are fully and systematically tested by our QA department based on defined test procedures – these versions are therefore fully supported. The Full Base versions are ready for productive use.

Experience Beta versions:
Between Full Base versions, we provide Experience Beta versions with new features and improvements as well as fixes. These Experience Beta versions will be tested with regard to new features, but not applying the Full Base test procedures. These versions are only available through the Customer and Partner Support Portal (self-service). The Experience Beta versions are intended for early preview and testing of new features and changes.

HybridForms Version 7.1 – Experience Beta: New features

  • Progressive Web App with advanced install
  • Complete ADFS logout in Apps and Web
  • Updated drawing controls with filled boxes, ellipses and arrows
  • Grouping in list page based on areas for better overview
  • Feature gallery with multi-select for images, sketches and maps
  • Repeating units support header and footer
  • Entity Precision Scan updated base Anyline V20
  • Adaptive form rendering for repeating units/checklists with dynamic data from Excel/JSON
  • OData 4.0 for people catalog (needs group portal function on server)

HybridForms Version 7.0 – Full Base: New features

  • Advanced Progressive Web App replaces the HTML5 forWeb browser version, Windows IE11 is no longer supported
  • Further optimization of UI for colors, buttons, symbols and lists
  • Advanced sync mechanism with prioritized/reserved channels for interactive elements
  • Improved drawing and annotation capabilities for images, sketches and maps: freehand, lines, rectangles, circles and arrows and text boxes; move, resize and rotate these new graphical objects
  • Universal Media Picker not only for pictures, but now also for sketches and maps; available in sizes 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1/1
  • In-app Kiosk Mode for a single form, function and visibility lock mode when handing over a device to customer/patient for secure self-service
  • Document Scanner for optimized images of documents (color, contrast, border recognition, skew and distortion correction and cropping)
  • Client–Server compatibility check to avoid problems when a too old app tried to connect with a too old server (with a warning message displayed)
  • Client–Form compatibility check to avoid problems when a too old app with features not supported tried to subscribe a too new form (with a warning message displayed)
  • Windows PC version moved from Universal Windows Plattform (UWP) to Electron
  • Apple MacOS version based on Electron

Preliminary Roadmap and Planning: New Features

  • Stages for different owners, visibility and business workflow within a single form
  • Universal Map Interface to support Google, Bing, OpenStreetMaps, ESRI and SynerGIS ProOffice
  • OpenID Connect / OAuth2 authentication with ADFS and Azure AD
  • Focus on usability focus and UI for improved user experience

Please note that this roadmap is preliminary – and subject to change.

Further details and contact

We strive for long-term partnerships with customers and HybridForms partners and support roadmap sharing for joint long-term strategic planning. For Solution Partners and customers who implement form templates by themselves, we also offer update calls and training.

Christian Ekhart, CEO icomedias / HybridForms

Your contact for further details on existing enterprise features and an outlook on planned new features:

Christian Ekhart, MSc
christian.ekhart@icomedias.com
Phone: +43 (316) 721 671-211