The latest updates in Nintex Automation (K2 5.7)

Hello Nintex K2 community! 🚀 Let’s dive into the latest developments in the Nintex K2 (Nintex Automation) platform released in September 2023. The new release expands on the previous one, offering some new features, enhancements, and bug fixes to take your Nintex K2 experience to the next level.

What’s Fresh

Designer Enhancements

• Style Profile Designer: Customise and directly preview any form of your choice in the Developer tab. This becomes a game-changer, especially when designing a universal style for multiple applications. A single change lets you gauge its impact across different forms!
• Advanced Styling for Controls: Our Check Box, Rating, Radio Button, and Toolbar Button icons are now style-conscious! If you have custom-tailored any CSS for these, a quick review might be in order. While the color selections in the screenshots may not be immediately intuitive or relatable, Nintex Style profile page gives you examples of how far you can go now without custom CSS or Javascript.

SharePoint Integration

• Nintex Automation for SharePoint app: From Nintex Automation (5.7) onwards, there are two distinct apps for SharePoint. One is the legacy, useful for SharePoint on-premises and SharePoint Online upgrades. The other is specifically crafted for fresh SharePoint Online installations. Nintex Automation for SharePoint documentation

K2 Management & Email Handling

• Exchange Online Update: A new property called “From Address” has been added to the Email SmartObject List method. Handy! Now, with the “From Address”, you can retrieve the email address rather than just the display name.

Branding

• Say hello to Nintex Automation! The familiar Nintex K2 Five has been rebranded to match the Nintex suite. But don’t worry, all your favourite features are still there with some new additions…

Workflow Designer Changes

• A slight switch-up in how autosaving works: SignalR, which is used to autosave at every click, has been ditched to make the Workflow Designer run smoother and faster. You still have the 2-minute autosave, but if things crash, it will return to the last saved version.

Retirements / Deprecated stuff

• InfoPath support is gone. If you have built workflows using InfoPath wizards in older versions, you will need to rebuild them using the latest Workflow Designer.
• Internet Explorer 11 and Silverlight are officially off the roster. Designer and runtime functionality is blocked. Make a note of it!

Heads Up & Considerations

• Before hopping on the upgrade train, ensure there are not any lurking dependency and/or compatibility issues. Nintex K2 Product Compatibility, Integration and Support
• jQuery in SmartForms got a boost to version 3.6.3. It’s all about security and reducing vulnerabilities. Upgrades for SmartForms
• Those using the legacy Silverlight Designer need to rebuild workflows in the Workflow Designer (HTML) before upgrading.
• For SAP users that have K2 connect: When installing Nintex K2 connect (5.3) on Nintex Automation (5.7), ensure you use the Nintex K2 connect (5.3) (5.0006.1000.2) version of the installer.
• From Nintex Automation (5.7) onwards, the legacy client tools (K2 Studio, K2 Designer for Visual Studio) are now available in the main installer. You can now use one installer to upgrade all your components.

Issues in the Spotlight

• Some users might hit a snag when installing or upgrading to Nintex Automation (5.7). But there is a handy workaround using the SharePoint Online Management Shell.
• A few other hiccups have been identified when configuring specific workflows, but solutions are provided.

Bug Fixes

• The update brings several fixes. From enhancing variable functionality in workflows to ensuring smoother task transitions, the team’s been working hard to iron things out.

Recap

1. Branding changes are in the air! Nintex Automation is the evolved name for K2 Five.
2. What’s New?
   • Customisable Style Profile for precision previews.
   • Nintex Automation Rename harmonising with the larger Nintex landscape.
   • Licensing Tools got a makeover: Think Excel reports and timely alerts for subscription license key expirations.
   • Performance Gains: Particularly in the workflow designer, promising swifter operations.
   • jQuery’s Leap to 3.7: Plugging security gaps.
   • Reliability Upgrades: Incorporating all the fixes from 5.6 into 5.7.

So, that’s a wrap! Let’s explore, adapt, and as always, keep the community vibes strong by sharing experiences and feedback. Cheers to continuous growth! 🌱

Should you need any advice, or feedback, or wish to engage in a discussion with our operations team, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Sources :

https://help.nintex.com/en-US/platform/ReleaseNotes/K2Five.htm

https://community.nintex.com/news-18/now-available-nintex-automation-5-7-formerly-known-as-k2-five-60455