Colloquial Logo

Changelog

Colloquial is always getting better — here's how.

by Chris Haskett
Features

Improved Topics Import

Enhancement: Improved Topics import to be more user friendly and add new capabilities to fine tune data import.

What’s New

  1. Create/update: Creates new or updates existing Fact Cards
  2. Archive: Archives existing Fact Cards
  3. Purge: Permanently deletes existing Fact Cards
  4. Skip: Ignores rows during import
  5. Add group only: Adds to groups without updating other data
  6. Remove group only: Removes from groups without updating other data
  7. All data: Updates all Fact Card data (for multi-groupable types)
Topic import screen

Where You’ll See This

Data Import Capabilities

  • Basic Data: Name, aliases, description
  • Groups: Single and multi-group assignments
  • Hierarchical Groups: Support for nested group structures (up to 5 levels)
  • Assessments: Scale values and numeric responses
  • Tags: Multiple tag assignments with automatic creation
  • Relationships: Parent-child relationships and partnerships
  • Detail Answers: Fact template responses with type validation

Validation System

  • Column Headers: Automatic detection and validation
  • Data Integrity: Required field validation and type checking
  • Import Handler Rules: Validation of handler combinations
  • Reference Validation: Ensures referenced entities exist

Error Handling

  • Row-level Errors: Specific error messages with row numbers
  • Validation Errors: Clear descriptions of data issues
  • Reference Errors: Missing parent, group, or template errors
  • Import Summary: Counts of created and updated records

See our Import Data User Guide for further details.


by Chris Haskett
Features

Added: Recent Activity Page

Enhancement: Added a new Recent Activity page that provides comprehensive visibility into workspace activities and changes.

What’s New

  • Activity Dashboard: Centralized view of all recent activities across the workspace
  • Advanced Filtering: Multiple filter options for targeted activity review
    • Action Type Filter: Filter by different types of actions performed
    • Date Range Filter: Filter activities by specific time periods
    • Fact Card Type Filter: Filter by specific Fact Card types (Apps, Technologies, etc.)
    • User Filter: Filter activities by specific users
Recent Activity screen

Where You’ll See This

Enhanced Visibility: Provides administrators and users with better insight into workspace activities Audit Trail: Supports compliance and change tracking requirements User Accountability: Enables tracking of user actions and changes Operational Efficiency: Streamlines activity monitoring and review processes

See our Recent Activity Guide for further details.


by Chris Haskett
Features

Added: View Collections Management

Enhancement: Added View Collections to organize and group related views together with advanced management capabilities.

What’s New

  • Create Collections: Add new view collections with title and description
  • Inline Editing: Edit collection titles and descriptions directly on the page
  • Drag-and-Drop Sorting: Reorder collection tabs by dragging and dropping
  • Draft/Publish Workflow: Collections start as drafts (curators-only) and can be published for all users
View Collections screen

Technical Details

  • Supports drag-and-drop reordering with automatic saving
  • Integrates with existing permission system
  • Real-time updates without page reloads

Impact

  • Improved content organisation and navigation
  • Better workflow management with draft/publish states
  • Enhanced user control over view organisation
  • Streamlined content management processes

See our View Collections Guide for further details.


by Chris Haskett
Updates

Improved Tab Navigation with Overflow Support

Enhancement: Tab groups now intelligently handle situations where there are more tabs than can fit in the available space.

What’s New

  • Smart Overflow: When you have many tabs, excess tabs are automatically moved to a convenient dropdown menu
  • Flexible Layout: Tab bars now adapt to different screen sizes and content lengths
  • Better Navigation: Access all your tabs easily, even when working with large numbers of options
  • Consistent Experience: Tab positions remain stable - no unexpected movement when switching between tabs
Tabs with dropdown overflow

Where You’ll See This

  • Settings Groups: Navigate between multiple configuration types more easily, with quick access to all available options through the overflow menu
  • All Tab Interfaces: Any screen with multiple tabs will now handle overflow gracefully

Benefits

  • Improved Usability: No more cramped or cut-off tabs on smaller screens
  • Better Organization: Keep your workspace clean while maintaining access to all functionality
  • Future-Ready: Supports adding more tab options without cluttering the interface

This enhancement makes it easier to work with complex workflows that require multiple tab views, particularly beneficial for power users managing extensive configurations or datasets.


by Chris Haskett
Features

New Guide Wizard Launched

We’ve introduced a comprehensive guide wizard to help new users get started with Colloquial quickly and confidently.

Guide wizard interface

What’s New

The guide wizard provides step-by-step assistance for:

  • Initial setup: Configure your workspace and preferences
  • First fact cards: Create your initial applications and technologies
  • Team collaboration: Invite colleagues and set up permissions
  • Best practices: Learn proven approaches for enterprise architecture documentation
  • Integration setup: Connect with your existing tools and workflows

Benefits for New Users

  • Faster onboarding: Reduce time to value from days to hours
  • Confidence building: Clear guidance prevents common setup mistakes
  • Structured approach: Follow proven methodologies from day one
  • Interactive learning: Hands-on experience with real examples
  • Progress tracking: See your completion status and next recommended steps

How It Works

When you first log into Colloquial, the guide wizard automatically appears. You can:

  • Hit the rocket icon in the bottom left corner to launch at any time
  • Follow the complete guided tour for comprehensive setup
  • Skip to specific sections based on your immediate needs
  • Return to the wizard anytime from the help menu
  • Access contextual tips throughout your journey

Perfect for Teams

The wizard is especially valuable for:

  • New team members: Get productive quickly without extensive training
  • Pilot projects: Establish consistent practices from the start
  • Enterprise rollouts: Ensure all users follow the same proven approach
  • Self-service adoption: Reduce dependency on IT support for basic setup

This enhancement makes Colloquial more accessible than ever, ensuring every user can harness the full power of our enterprise architecture platform from day one.


by Chris Haskett
Updates

Upgraded to Ruby 3.3

We’ve successfully upgraded our platform to Ruby 3.3, bringing significant performance improvements and enhanced security to Colloquial.

What’s New

Ruby 3.3 introduces several key improvements that benefit our users:

  • Performance boost: Up to 15% faster response times across the platform
  • Enhanced security: Latest security patches and vulnerability fixes
  • Memory optimisation: Reduced memory usage for better scalability
  • Improved garbage collection: More efficient memory management

Benefits for Users

  • Faster page loads: Noticeable improvements when navigating between fact cards and dashboards
  • Better reliability: Enhanced stability during peak usage periods
  • Improved search performance: Quicker results when searching across your architecture data
  • Enhanced API responsiveness: Faster integration responses for connected systems

Technical Highlights

The upgrade includes:

  • Updated Ruby runtime from 3.2 to 3.3.1
  • Compatibility testing across all platform features
  • Performance benchmarking to ensure optimal configuration
  • Security audit to validate all dependencies

Seamless Transition

This upgrade was completed with zero downtime during our scheduled maintenance window. All existing functionality remains unchanged, and users will simply experience improved performance without any action required on their part.

Our development team has thoroughly tested the upgrade across all environments to ensure a smooth transition for all Colloquial users.


by Chris Haskett
Features

Search History Now Available

Search History Now Available

We’ve added search history to make it easier to revisit your recent searches. Your last 5 search requests are now displayed for quick access.

Search history{.half-width}

What’s New

When you click on the search bar, you’ll now see:

  • Recent searches: Your last 5 search queries displayed below the search input
  • Quick access: Click any previous search to run it again instantly
  • Privacy-focused: History is stored locally
  • Keyboard shortcut: Press / from anywhere on the page to quickly focus the search bar

Your search history makes navigating Colloquial’s extensive architecture data even more efficient.