NowDev Assistant Release Notes
Detailed history of the Evolution phase and the progress of NowDev Assistant.
Navigation & Core Stability (Venus)
Version 2.3.1 is a stability and robustness update focused on ensuring a foolproof navigation history and fixing critical integration issues with ServiceNow's native scripts.
đ§ Robust History
- Direct URL Tracking: Uses iframe URLs to capture states even when the browser address bar hasn't updated.
- Inclusive Capture: Now tracks Requests, UI Pages, and non-standard forms automatically.
đž List Pagination
- Data Paging: 20 records per page with navigation controls for Saved Filter previews.
- Smart Sorting: Always sorts by sys_updated_on descending to keep latest data at the top.
Stability & Compatibility
- âĸ đ GlideAjax Fix: Resolved a critical bug where multi-argument callbacks were losing data during interception.
- âĸ đ¨ UI Polishing: Added helpful banners and improved loading states in the Form Center Logic tab.
- âĸ đ Optimized Metadata: History tracking now uses lightweight page titles instead of expensive API calls.
Cross Instance Intelligence (Venus)
Version 2.3.0, the "Venus" release, pushes the boundaries of ServiceNow development with cross-instance configuration auditing, deep version history peeking, and persistent navigation memory.
đ Cross Instance Comparison
- Side-by-Side Audit: Compare metadata and scripts across instances with high-contrast drift detection.
- Git-Style Diffs: Pro-grade diffing engine for XML and scripts, identifying precisely what changed between environments.
đ Version Explorer
- Historical Peeking: Fetch and compare previous record versions without leaving the current form.
- Payload Inspection: Analyze historical update set XMLs to track configuration changes over time.
Workflow & Intelligence
- âĸ đ§ Navigation Memory: Persistent history that survives browser restarts, allowing you to resume complex investigations instantly.
- âĸ âšī¸ Record Intelligence: New anchor-aligned panel in Form Center for instant access to Table, Sys ID, Scope, and Update Set status.
- âĸ đ On-Demand Loading: Explorer and Logic tabs now load on-demand, significantly improving performance for heavy forms.
- âĸ đž Saved List Filters: One-click data peeking with named filter persistence in List Helper.
- âĸ âŗ Lazy Loading Explorer: The details on Form center are now loaded on demand.
Stability & Role Fixes (Venus)
Version 2.2.2 is a minor update focused on fixing role detection issues and improving the reliability of page context identification across complex ServiceNow UI patterns.
Minor Fixes & Improvements
- âĸ Role Detection Fix: Prevented "blinking" and loss of admin status when background iframes reported empty role context.
- âĸ Enhanced Bridge: Added context retries to ensure ServiceNow globals are properly captured even on slower instance loads.
- âĸ List Identification: Improved detection of list pages within deep-nested frames and Polaris UI patterns.
- âĸ Zero-Reload Updates: Features like List Helper and Form Center now react instantly to context changes without manual reloads.
Deep Insights & Context Preservation (Venus)
Version 2.2.1 focuses on keeping you in the flow by providing deeper record insights and the ability to lock your investigation context.
đŗ Related Records Hierarchy
- Contextual Tree: Automatically maps parents, children, and siblings for common platform tables.
- Recursive Insights: Traverse relationships (REQ â RITM â Task) without leaving the search hub.
- Intelligent Grouping: Clutter-free view with virtual folders for multiple approvers or tasks.
đ Integrated KB Preview
- Shadow DOM Isolation: High-fidelity article previews with zero style leakage.
- Live Experience: Renders KB content with native ServiceNow-accurate styling.
Security & Reliability
- âĸ đ Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Real-time detection of ServiceNow roles to intelligently hide admin-only tools (App Navigator, Code Search, Executor) for ITIL users.
- âĸ đ Pin Record: Lock the Form Center context to a specific record to preserve investigative state during navigation.
- âĸ Transition Stability: Implemented smart delays for List Helper and Form Center to ensure accurate context detection after page transitions.
- âĸ Smart Context Validation: Dynamic visual feedback when pinned context differs from live page record.
The Search & Preview Update (Venus)
Version 2.2.0 introduces two of the most important developer features: a powerful Global Search hub and a Contextual Record Preview system.
đ Unified Search Center
- Incremental Code Search: Find logic across all script tables with real-time snippets.
- Deep sys_id Search: Incremental scan across 30+ tables with progress tracking.
- Dynamic Prefix Resolution: Supports custom record prefixes via sys_number lookup.
đŧī¸ Contextual Preview
- Native UI Experience: Previews respect "Default view" structure and section headers.
- Recursive Navigation: Drill into references with a full "Back" history stack.
- Security First: Automatically identifies and skips encrypted field types.
Refinements
- âĸ Re-implemented fresh token fetching for every API transaction to prevent auth timeouts.
- âĸ Added Sidebar Positioning (Left/Right) customization in Settings.
- âĸ Implemented Sticky Headers for search grouping to maintain context during scroll.
Venus Refinements
Building on the v2.0 foundation, this version focused on workflow efficiency and user feedback with high-impact productivity tools.
- Quick Switcher: Floating environment shortcut for transitions without opening the sidebar.
- List-to-Glide Generator: Convert list filters into GlideRecord scripts with one click.
- Detailed Metadata: Enhanced field cards showing technical types and table hierarchy.
- Toast Message System: Real-time UI notifications for all actions.
Major Overhaul (The React App)
"The assistant has been completely rebuilt from the ground up to provide a faster, more stable, and highly isolated development experience."
Architecture Highlights
- â React Architecture: Superior performance and high-speed state management.
- â Shadow DOM Isolation: Full UI encapsulation from the host ServiceNow page.
- â Lazy-Mounted Tab System: Minimal initial footprint and zero interference.
Mercury Era (v1.x.x)
The foundation of the Assistant, featuring the original Data Spy, Code Generation and List Extractor.