Developer Features in 21R2

We are pleased to bring you the following additions and enhancements to Developer Portal features in 21R2. REST API features added in 21R2 only affect API v21.2, unless otherwise noted.

Service Announcements

Deprecate Public iOS SDK

Release Date: 21R1.4; June 25, 2021

The Vault Mobile iOS SDK has been deprecated and will no longer be updated or made available for download. Existing solutions built using this SDK will continue to work and must be maintained by the developer.

Deprecating Vault-Wide Document Migration Mode

In 20R2, we released the X-VaultAPI-MigrationMode API header to replace Vault-wide Document Migration Mode, which was never intended for use in live customer Vaults. In accordance with this, we’ve updated Vault Loader and Vault Certified Migration Partner tools to use the API header. In 21R2, Veeva Support will no longer enable Document Migration Mode for customers. In 21R3, we will deprecate Vault-wide Document Migration Mode completely, meaning that Vaults where Document Migration Mode is currently enabled will revert to normal behavior.

Enabling Document Migration Mode for an entire Vault has an effect on all users and prevents many Vault processes from operating. Instead, use the X-VaultAPI-MigrationMode API header with the Vault REST API’s Create Multiple Documents, Create Multiple Document Versions, Update Multiple Documents, and Add Multiple Document Renditions endpoints, or use Vault Loader with the Document Migration Mode checkbox. This minimizes risk and impact by ensuring that only the documents being created and updated in the API request are subject to migration mode limitations, and allows the rest of the Vault to be fully operational.

Access Permissions Change for Inbound Package Objects

Release Dates:

Users now require the Migration Packages: Deploy permission in addition to object read permissions to read the following objects through the API or with VQL:

This feature provides consistency with permissions in the Vault UI. If your integration queries these objects, you must update your integration user with the appropriate permissions. Note that Vault Owner and System Administrator security profiles are enabled with Migration Packages: Deploy permissions by default.

Global Changes

Admins Can Edit All Picklist Labels & Picklist Value Labels

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

Standard picklist labels and picklist value labels can now be updated in admin and via API and MDL.

Display the Unclassified Doc Type in Admin

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

The Unclassified document type (labeled as Undefined in previously created Vaults) is now a child of the Base Document type and visible in the Vault Admin UI. You can assign fields and document type groups to the Unclassified document types, and can also create document permissions on the document type. Note that required fields are not enforced while a document remains in the Unclassified document type (or the Inbox lifecycle).

Learn more about configuring document types in the Vault Admin UI in Vault Help.

Relabel “Undefined” Document Type to “Unclassified”

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

In Vaults created after 21R2, the Undefined document type is relabeled as Unclassified. In Vaults that use Veeva Snap or custom integrations with the Vault REST API, relabeling the Undefined document type may cause errors when uploading documents. Check your integrations before updating this label. We recommend that customers experiencing errors change the label back to Undefined until this issue is resolved.

Relabel “Unclassified” Lifecycle to “Inbox”

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

In Vaults created after 21R2, the Unclassified document lifecycle is relabeled as Inbox. In Vaults that use Veeva Snap or custom integrations with the Vault REST API, relabeling the Unclassified document lifecycle may cause errors when uploading documents. Check your integrations before updating this label. We recommend that customers experiencing errors change the label back to Unclassified until this issue is resolved.

REST API v21.2

New Endpoints

Promote to Production

Release Date: 21R1.4; June 25, 2021

With this feature, Vault Admins can promote a pre-production Vault to a production Vault directly from the Vault API. This enhances the self-service model of sandboxing by allowing Vault Admins to fully manage a Vault’s lifecycle from initial to go-live.

POST /api/{version}/objects/sandbox/actions/buildproduction

POST /api/{version}/objects/sandbox/actions/promoteproduction

View these endpoints in the v21.2 API Reference.

Existing Endpoints

Auth & Change My Password: User Credentials as Body Parameters

Release Date: 21R1.2; April 30, 2021

Starting from v21.2, the Authentication and Change My Password REST APIs ignore user credentials passed as query String parameters. These APIs only accept the username and password as body parameters. In previous API versions, we recommend using the body for these parameters as a best practice.

Read and Understood Document Workflows

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

This feature allows administrators to create and run “Read and Understood” workflows for multiple documents.

Read and Understood workflows can’t be started using the Document Workflow APIs(formerly multi-document workflow), however, Read and Understood tasks can be completed, reassigned, or canceled using the Initiate Workflow Action APIs.

GET /api/{version}/objects/objectworkflows/{workflow_id}/actions

GET /api/{version}/objects/objectworkflows/{workflow_id}/actions/{workflow_action}

POST /api/{version}/objects/objectworkflows/{workflow_id}/actions/{workflow_action}

When querying Read and Understood workflow tasks, the Retrieve Workflow Tasks and Retrieve Workflow Task Details endpoints now include the workflow_class__sys field in the response with a value of read_and_understood__sys.

GET /api/{version}/objects/objectworkflows/tasks

GET /api/{version}/objects/objectworkflows/tasks/{task_id}

Learn more in the v21.2 API Reference.

Restrict Document Workflow to a Single Document

Release Date: 21R1.2; April 30, 2021

We are adding some new attributes as part of this feature for Object and Document(formerly multi-document workflow) workflows.

Attribute type is getting added with all workflows. This will determine whether a workflow is Object or Document (formerly multi-document workflow) workflow.

Attribute cardinality determines whether you can have only one or many documents. For e.g.

GET /api/{version}/objects/documents/actions/{workflow_name}

will return type as Document and cardinality as One if it’s a Document workflow and can be used with only one document.

Learn more in the v21.2 API Reference.

Task Completion API Enhancement

Release Date: 21R1.2; April 30, 2021

Retrieve Task Complete API

GET /api/{version}/objects/objectworkflows/tasks/{task_id}/actions/complete

now returns tasks with eSignature.

Completion of tasks with eSignature continues to remain blocked through APIs.

Learn more in the v21.2 API Reference.

Prevent Reclassify for Checked-out Documents

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

For all versions of the API, the Reclassify Document endpoint no longer allows reclassification for documents that are currently checked out.

PUT /api/{version}/objects/documents/{doc_id}

Include Inactive Classification on Single Document Version

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

When retrieving single document versions, previous versions of the API return null for classification__v when the classification is inactive. In API v21.2+, inactive classifications return the classification name.

Facetable Attribute

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

Metadata describe queries on documents and objects will now return a facetable attribute with each field to indicate which fields will return facets when searching document or object tabs in the Vault UI.

Release Date: 21R1.4; June 25, 2021

In API v21.2+, the /audittrail endpoints contain only one previous_page and next_page link.

In previous API versions, these endpoints contain both previousPage and previous_page as well as nextPage and next_page links.

Audit API Returns Nulls

Release Date: 21R1.2; April 30, 2021

Audit API JSON responses now include null instead of empty strings when a field is blank. This change only affects v21.2+.

Learn more in the v21.2 API Reference.

Application-Specific Endpoints

Vault Safety: Inbox and Imported Case Create API from E2B

Release Date: 21R1.4; June 30, 2021

The Vault Safety API can now receive E2B files and import to either Imported Cases or Inbox Items. New endpoints have also been introduced for retrieving import status and ACKs.

Learn more in the v21.2 API Reference.

VQL

VQL for Document Workflows

Release Date: 21R1.3; June 4, 2021

This feature allows VQL developers to query Document Workflows (formerly multi-document workflow), workflow tasks, and supports relationships to user data. To access this data, we’ve introduced new query targets for actively running workflows and completed (or cancelled) workflows. Query results can be sorted, filtered, and paginated.

Learn more about querying document workflows in the VQL documentation.

Number Precision for Document Field Queries

Release Date: 21R1.2; April 30, 2021

This feature enhances the decimal precision of field values for Number fields. As of VQL v21.2+, document read precision is based on the number field’s configured Decimal places.

For example, if you save a document number field with a value of 3.0 and the Decimal places for that field is configured as 2, you will see a field value of 3.00 in VQL query results.

Learn more about querying number fields with VQL.

Release Date: 21R1.2; April 30, 2021

To make filtering consistent across Vault Objects, we are enhancing the related object section filters to use Criteria VQL. Any existing filters will remain unchanged and continue to function as before. Vault will automatically convert legacy filters to Criteria VQL upon edit of the related object section.

Previously, there was an Apply on Create feature that allows an Admin to specify at the individual criteria level indicating if the criteria will be used as default for creating new records. In this release, the Apply on Create feature has been changed to apply to all criteria instead of applying at the individual level.

Vault Java SDK

Action Icons

Release Date: 21R1.4; June 25, 2021

You can now specify one of 10 icons to display in the Actions menu for custom record and document actions using the icon element of a RecordActionInfo or DocumentActionInfo annotation. When a custom action is used frequently by a user, it is displayed in the most frequently used actions section of the Action Bar with the specified icon.

Learn more about Action Icons.

JSON Binding Annotations: User-Defined Model and Property

Release Date: 21R1.4; June 25, 2021

This features introduces a new Vault Java SDK code type, user-defined model, which supports annotating getters and setters on a Java interface as a user-defined property. Using JsonService, developers can serialize a model to JSON and deserialize JSON to a model. Additionally, user-defined models can be used with HttpService to send and retrieve data using REST APIs.

Learn more about user-defined models.

Object Metadata Service Field Type Support

Release Date: 21R1.2; April 30, 2021

Starting in 21R1.2, object field types and value types are now available for retrieval as part of the ObjectMetadataService. This functionality is extremely useful for use cases where the custom Java SDK code needs to have conditional logic based on the type or value type of a field.

Support PATCH on HttpRequest

Release Date: 21R1.2; April 30, 2021

HttpRequest now supports the PATCH verb when making REST API calls with HttpService.

Audit Enhancements: On Behalf of User

Release Date: 21R1.4; June 25, 2021

System and Application events that make data changes will be logged as System on behalf of {username}, which provides additional visibility into which user’s actions caused data to be created, updated, or deleted. Previously, these audit entries were logged simply as System. Existing audit entries will not be altered and only new audit entries will reflect this additional information.

ObjectFieldType Implements FieldType Interface

Release Date: 21R1.4; June 25, 2021

ObjectFieldType now implements the common FieldType interface.