Welcome to the JMP Development Update for this Pi Day, March 14, 2025!
This March I want to wish a happy work anniversary to localization team senior manager Trish O’Grady (36 years) and program manager Shannon Leslie (5 years)! For those of you who are remembering Shannon being at SAS much longer ago, this is the anniversary of her return to SAS after a prior 18 (!) years of service. I am very fortunate to have both Trish and Shannon on my team helping to keep our development processes running smoothly - and they are both thinking every day about how to improve them, when things don’t go as well as they could. Please join me in congratulating them and thanking them for their tireless dedication to process improvement!
Signoffs are now complete for JMP 18.2 with release planned for 3/18/25, just after our Global Rest and Recharge Day on Monday 3/17/25! Thank you to all the teams who worked so hard to get this latest round of functional and security fixes ready for customers. With 18.2, we also release localized JMP Help and PDF documentation for Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean. A special thanks to the JMP documentation, localization and testing teams for collaborating on the process of handoff, translation, review implementation and testing of translated documentation content. This process is complex on its own, and required extra testing and fix cycles this time due to interactions with recently migrated content on jmp.com. In the end, this process allows JMP to provide high quality translated documentation for our customers around the world which they very much appreciate.
Our next release will be JMP 18.2.1, currently planned for mid-May. The 18.2.1 track is open for third-party library fixes by security champions until our security freeze in early May. If you identify a serious customer-reported JMP bug that cannot wait for JMP 19.0 but must be fixed for 18.2.1, please submit information about the Jira issue in your request to the JMP Approvers list. Since dot-dot releases have such short timeframes, development management must give priority to major issues that are holding up customer deployments, causing widespread crashes, and numeric issues.
It sounds like JMP Discovery Summit Europe held this week in Berlin, Germany was quite a success! If you attended the conference, don’t forget to add your notes to this page in Confluence kindly set up by Mia Stephens. We are now nearly 2 months past JMP 19 feature freeze, so please use feature requests or stories to add customer ideas for future tracks and do not add new story items to 19.0 feature lists or the JMP 19 Late features page. With about half of the items on the Late features page still in progress, Shannon L and I are working to clean up Story items with a Planned Version of 19.0 that are not listed on the page. Please check your open issue lists and make sure to triage items that will not make 19.0.
As we wrap up 19.0 work, please also continue to:
As a reminder, today is the developer deadline for sample data requests. Many changes have already been implemented and will be verified by testing prior to sample data handoff to localization in a few weeks.
Thanks to Shannon Leslie for sharing this month’s Atlassian updates!
March 10 Atlassian product changes for Jira/Confluence
On March 10, Atlassian rolled out changes to our Jira and Confluence Cloud sites. A list of relevant changes along with highlighted details and documentation can be found here.
The changes include:
- Upcoming changes to existing API tokens - existing tokens now set to expire in one year
- Deprecation of JQL search/Evaluate expression endpoints (starting May 1)
- Improved table customizations in all rich text fields in Jira
- and more!
Please contact Shannon Leslie or any of the other JMP Atlassian admins with questions.
General Announcements
Important Upcoming Dates
- JMP 18.2 Release in MyJMP - 3/18/25
- JMP 19.0 Developer String Deadline for Handoff 2 – 3/28/25
- JMP 19 EA8 Freeze – 4/17/25
- JMP 19 EA9 Freeze – 6/5/25
- Please visit Confluence for a full list of JMP 18 and JMP 19 dates.
JMP Development Updates
Hosting and Interfaces
- John Schroedl: Changed code so we no longer need the separate WinResource DLLs w/ follow fix up for registry key names. Fixed button label truncation issue for some DPI settings. Investigating issue with password field callbacks with Dan Schikore. Trying to fix IME placement in menu search box but it appears to be a WPF bug.
- Michael H: Thread Safety work.
Interactive HTML
- Mike Stickes: Fixed legend bugs JMPHTML-14432 (Cannot see text for legend items when positioned inside chart area & shown in dark mode), JMPHTML-14437 (Inside floating legend drawn outside of chart area), and JMPHTML-13548 (The legend box missing when opening the outline node on HTML5). Updated unit tests affected by the fix for the first issue above. Gave basic training on my Javascript debugging toolkit to the HTML team. Completed required ACT-Now Compliance Training.
- Paul Spychala: Finishing up Red Triangle Menu on JMPLive (Triple Dot Menu), which included doing some final code refactoring, some bug fixes (JMPHTML-14418, JMPHTML-14415, JMPHTML-14422, JMPHTML-14425, JMPHTML-14420) and adding support for scriptitems inside ContinTables (JMPHTML-14433). Also polish work for 3D Scatterplot Axis (JMPHTML-14142) so that they don’t overlap with the graph and dynamically move as the graph is moved. Lastly bugs dealing with FrameBoxes (JMPHTML-14436, JMPHTML-14384).
Statistics
- John Sall
- In Response Screening, use a modified zdiv routine to propogate missing values (JMP-25320).
- In Explore Outliers, fixed row number issues for By group situations (JMP-24965, JMP-24969, JMP-25093) and fixed Colorize row number to account for excluded rows (JMP-25112).
- In Process Screening, OSI and other fixes (JMP-25231, JMP-25224, JMP-25253, JMP-25246, JMP-25213, JMP-25208)
- Laura C-S: Fixed a couple of crashes with the new MIIV-2SLS estimator when we have equality constraints in an SEM. Fixed a bug with Sargan tests with multiple-group analysis and MIIV-2SLS. Allowed for survey reliability estimates (Omega and H) when multiple-factor models have correlated items across factors, and added unstandardized Omega too (these were great requests from Yusuke Ono). Used SEM with simulated chemical process data for a potential SEM example. Drafted a SKP SEM webpage and sent it to John Mosier for review.
- Elizabeth: Bug fixes, work on nominal multinomial GLMMs, and baking a pie for Pi Day.
Stat Testing
- Haley: Found SEM crashes with the MIIV estimator when fitting models with equality constraints and when showing heat maps in the report. Verified numerics for a variety of SEMs with the MIIV estimator and fixed parameters. Met with Laura Castro-Schilo to discuss appearance of MIIV Model Shortcuts and verifying MIIV estimates in multiple groups analysis.
- Mark: Met with Chris and two of his collaborators, Marco and Daniel, to discuss their simulation study of Bayesian optimization based on the prototype I developed as a JMP add-in. I am modifying the BO add-in to support their simulation study. Met with Nicole and Yeng to discuss a strategy to test the new Bayesian Optimization platform by Chris and Kasia.
Life Sciences Updates
- Drew: Working through JMP Clinical 19.0 Jiras. Triaging and fixing issues for Novo, Amgen, and United Therapeutics.
- Richard: Debugging JMP 19.0.
Product Management and Product Marketing
Technical Support and Engagement
- Wendy:
- Tech Support signed off on 18.2 early this week. Kai Janson represented Tech Support and Corrado Tricoli represented Engagement this week at Discovery in Berlin. It sounds like customers very much enjoyed themselves! Congratulations to everyone for another great event!
- Sadly, we are still having issues receiving updated data for our reports. Once the data is updated, the TS JMP Live reports will automatically regenerate. And here is the usual link to the Jira filter showing the tickets reported by Support for the last 14 days.
Development Operations
- Melanie:
- Investigated Saturday’s (Mar 8) Stringbot problem – it lost its perforce connection at a bad moment. Thanks to Krzysztof for running it again Monday night/Tuesday morning!
- Investigated Authorization problem for Unit Tests machines on Monday ([JMP-25290: Move resources out of WinResource DLLs into jmp.exe and xstr files. ) Thanks to Daniel Powell for helping us track it down, and to John Schroedl for fixing it!
- Discussed writers reviewing requests to add terms to the Stringbot dictionary with Qiana and Michael Crotty. We’ll publish the process next week (very easy – enter a Jira on a component that hasn’t been added yet
).
- Shared my use case for column tags and scripting them with Mandy and Audrey.
- Tested publishing Unit Test Stream data to JMP Live (data as of Friday Mar 14):
- Shannon L: Curated list of Atlassian March release changes affecting our Jira and Confluence sites. Jira project admin review and cleanup. Working with JMP Procurement on Atlassian renewals. Assist with JMP 19.0 story cleanup. Working with Atlassian on best practices for user management. Weekly technical meetings plus meetings on improving security scanning. End of cycle 18.2 tasks. Meetings with project teams on lending assistance for program management and general process improvements.
- Bob: Worked with John Schroedl and Jim Borek to remove WinResource files from Windows 19 installers. Reviewed processing of how Student Addin is installed. JMP-25392 will remove existing Student Addin before installing new one. Investigated possible modifications to graphics used in Windows installers.
- Jim:
- A big “Thank You” to Daniel Powell, John Schroedl and Hunter Weaver for their efforts to pinpoint and resolve authorization failing on Windows localized Baseline unit test runs for JMP 19 (JMP-25353); updated some WinOS JMP build scripts after John Schroedl moved resources out of WinResource DLLs into jmp.exe and xstr files for JMP 19 (JMP-25290).
- Thanks to Fang Chen and Audrey Shull for their investigation of a Baseline Unit test failure. The remedy was to account for German language having an extra line in b anova benchmark; this was integrated to (19.0 and) 18.2.1.
- Myron: JMPTOOL-1538 - start updating Jirabot API calls. Getting software approval for SQL Server to PostgreSQL migration software. Set up Jenkins export jobs and continue cleaning telemetry data.
- Shannon C: Reviewed unit test failures and crash issues. Goal discussions with team members and technical meetings.
Localization
- Ying:
- Continuing to check EN screenshot scripts for UG and retaking screenshots if needed (JMPLOCTOOL-717). Except for one chapter halted due to account issues, all others are completed. Nine Jira bugs have been opened for the Documentation team to correct certain screenshot scripts.
- Beginning to check EN screenshot scripts for DJ and retaking screenshots if needed (JMPLOCTOOL-735). Two chapters have been completed and two Jira bugs opened for the Documentation team to correct certain screenshot scripts.
- Processing JMP Reunion travel.
- Krzysztof: Working on clean-ups to Marketplace descriptions machine translation output (cosmetic issues related to formatting). Re-ran Stringbot on Tuesday morning after the failed run on Saturday night. (I will keep checking the status of Stringbot run in early hours on Mondays). Set up memoQ for Books template files (.asp), Assisting reviewers in their review work for JMP Live. Testing new Automation features.
- Howard:
- Project template integration features
- Unit test
- Work with Sandy in passing the final Test
- Debugging Git integration for translation push
- Help creating translated Add-ins for 18.2
- Allison: Handed off JA and ZH 18.2 Release Notes pdfs and JA, KO, and ZH JMP Documentation Library pdfs to Marketing and they're now posted on JMP.com; created localized 18.2 Documentation Add-ins for JA, KO and ZH and handed them off to Marketplace to post and QA to sanity check; verified vendor invoices and sent them off for payment.
- Sohail: Continued experiments with embedding model, data organization, and retrieval system for RAG pipeline. Also tested keyword extraction prompts and refined for few-shot prompting.
- Sandy: Verified new dashboard features and bug fixes. Continued testing and refinement of new string return process program.
Documentation
- Qiana: Tested new data table filter view, legend positioning, and dynamic transform columns. Investigated Beta reports and verified fixes for fit to window.
System/Host Testing-Cary
- Mandy: Worked on my Dev Demo for later in March – working on the Data table changes, fixes, tags and properties, and Filter Views. Chased down a few test issues, one hang on Mac and got that fixed. Verified Jiras and added tests if needed. This week attend IWD panel discussion – very encouraging. Next week, helping out at the Tuesday ATHENA Leadership conference in Building C.
- Hunter: Finished testing using the sandbox main location for JMP-22400 which adds support for authorization during the grace period in JMP 19. Daniel P. has checked in these changes now and we are authorizing nightly builds with PROD again. Applied Sequoia 15.4 Dev. Beta 3 on the Intel and Apple Silicon host testing Macs in the lab and ran some tests. Reviewed the JMP Documentation Library PDFs for three languages. Investigating one open JMP 19 EA 7 case.
- Audrey: Planning for Reunion activities with the Beijing test team (let me know if you have any topics to discuss with them), early planning for 2025 interns, planning for distribution of unit test runs in the future when we branch for JMP 20.
- Mike M: Good progress working w/ Chris Barrett on localized JMP Help. Verified JA, ZH, KO (brand new for 18!) and EN help installations for 18.2. Working on Doc Add-ins next. Caught up on SAS Saba training.
Web Testing – Cary
- Anna: Tested new data table filter view, legend positioning, and dynamic transform columns. Investigated Beta reports and verified fixes for fit to window.
- Josh: Updating the JMP Live silent installer scripts. I am trying to make it easier to update from version to version. JMP Live regression testing.
System/Host Testing-Beijing
- Beijing Team:
- Da Li: (1) Bug verification. (2) TS: 00190907 investigation and provide feedback. (3) IN-Progress: Feature testing WEBJMP-6149: Allow sending of notifications to channels other than e-mail .
- Nan Wu: (1) JMP 19.0 Oracle regression testing due to bug JMP-14316, no issues found with most recent 03.09.2025 JMP Pro 19.0 installer on both Windows and Mac. (2) Technical support issues investigation and provided feedback on: Case Number 00191547, 00191859, 00191534, 00191546. (3) JMP 19.0 bugs verification testing.
- Da Zhang: (1) Bug verification. (2) Feature testing for JMPTESTBJ-3371 – In Progress. (3) Feature testing for JMPTESTBJ-3457 – In Progress. (4) Q1 Conversation with Nala.
Core
- Dan S: Working on mechanisms for hiding some items in a red-triangle menu. Working on options for which boxes to save when recording a filter to animated gif. Additional light/dark mode fixes. Fixed some surface profiler issues related to PlatformContainerBox.
- Ernest: Workflow, Columns Manager, bug fixes. Converting between Workflows and Notebooks.
DOE and Reliability
- Caleb: Addressed some lingering issues with CSALT as well as some other tickets that had been on the back burner.
Note from Shannon
Thanks to Pany Allen for sharing the link to the JMP donation drive for InterAct in Raleigh in honor of International Women’s Day. This organization supports women seeking to escape domestic violence and abuse situations. You can place an order through this Amazon wish list and it will ship to Pany’s office, or you can purchase similar items and drop them off to her office. She will be delivering the items on the 19th to Interact. Thank you and hope you all have a great weekend!
