Experimental Features
In 2017, we moved to shorter release cycles. Rather than releasing major versions over longer periods of time, we build, test, and release updates more frequently.
With continuous delivery, we no longer need to support an Early Access Program. Instead, we use the option to include experimental features in each release. These features are in early or intermediate stages of development. This strategy lets us get feedback for a feature as we work on it, learning more about what you want to see in the final product.
To use and test new functionality, you can enable experimental features for your YouTrack Standalone installation. If you are an administrator, simply enable the features you want to try on the Feature Configuration page. This page shows a list of features that you can enable system-wide and other features that you can enable for specific groups.
To access this page, select Global Settings from the Server Settings section of the Administration menu, then click the Open Feature Configuration Page link at the bottom of the page.
When working with experimental features, keep the following precautions in mind:
Experimental features can include known and undiscovered errors.
The API that supports the feature is also under development and subject to change.
The documentation can be incomplete, and may also contain errors.
Should you encounter any errors, feel free to report an issue in the YouTrack project.
Manage Experimental Features
Experimental features that have the potential to disrupt or otherwise impact the user experience are disabled by default. We leave it up to you to decide whether the reward outweighs the risk. Before users can access and use these features, you need to enable the feature in your YouTrack Standalone server or InCloud instance.
To enable an experimental feature
In the Server Settings section of the Administration menu, select Global Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Open Feature Configuration Page link.
The Feature Configuration page opens.
- Locate the feature that you want to enable on the page.
For features that are enabled system-wide, select the checkbox in the Enabled column, then confirm this action in the dialog.
For features that are enabled for specific groups, select a group from the drop-down list, then click the Save button.
If the relative downside risk is low or the demand for the feature is high, we enable the feature by default. This improves the visibility of the feature and lets us collect feedback from a broader audience.
Still, if you find that an experimental feature affects your users in a negative way, you can disable it at any time.
To disable an experimental feature
In the Server Settings section of the Administration menu, select Global Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Open Feature Configuration Page link.
The Feature Configuration page opens.
- Locate the feature that you want to disable on the page.
For features that are enabled system-wide, deselect the checkbox in the Enabled column, then confirm this action in the dialog.
For features that are enabled for specific groups, deselect all of the groups in the drop-down list, then click the Save button.
Current Features
The following features are currently available for experimental use:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Strict Suggestions | Filters the list of users that are suggested for auto-completion based on the permissions that are granted to the current user. |
Features in Transition
We have a few features that may or may not be available on an experimental basis, depending on the version of the product that you are working with.
If you're working with a new installation or instance that runs on version 2018.2.44329 or later, these features have already been enabled by default. We have also started to enable these features by default for YouTrack InCloud instances on selected servers.
We plan to retire the old issue views in an upcoming release. If these features are still available on an experimental basis in your application, we strongly encourage you to enable them for all users.
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Redesigned Issue Creation Page | The Create Issue page gets a facelift with the same polish and presentation that we delivered with the redesigned view for single issues. |
| Redesigned Single Issue View | We’ve restyled the presentation for displaying single issues. This view supports Markdown, checklists, a dark theme, distraction-free mode, activity stream, and the ability to download all attachments. The comments, issue history, time tracking, and VCS changes have been consolidated into a single activity stream with options to show or hide specific event types. |
| Checklists in Markdown | We’ve extended the Markdown syntax in YouTrack to support checklists. When added to an issue description or comment, a checklist with interactive checkboxes is displayed in the issue. Use checklists to track activities that contribute to issue completion without creating separate issues for subtasks. |