Changelog

Retool has improved the self-hosted Retool release process with the introduction of two release channels: Stable and Edge.

Stable releases​

Releases on the Stable channel occur every 13 weeks (quarterly). Preparation and testing of a Stable version occurs approximately four weeks prior to its release and they are rigorously tested before they are published. The release tags for Stable releases contain the suffix -stable.

Retool supports each Stable release for six months. During this time, Retool will release patch updates that contain bug fixes or security updates. Patch updates do not contain functionality changes and can be applied more quickly than performing a full version upgrade.

Retool provides versioned product documentation for supported Stable releases. When browsing Retool Docs, use the version dropdown menu in the navbar to switch to a relevant version.

Edge releases​

Releases on the Edge channel occur weekly. Each release occurs one week after the equivalent release for cloud-hosted Retool. Edge releases are available for organizations that want the latest features or to use private beta functionality. The release tags for Edge releases contain the suffix -edge.

Retool recommends most organizations use Stable releases unless you have a specific need for Edge releases and can keep your deployment up-to-date.

Benefits of Stable and Edge releases​

Until now, Retool maintained a single release channel. A new release would be published every two weeks that is generally a number of versions behind Retool Cloud. Retool would also release patch updates for previous versions.

The new release channels streamline the release process, makes it easier for administrators to perform upgrades, and provides a separate deployment path for customers who prioritize stability over new functionality. As the Stable release cycle is less frequent, administrators can more easily maintain and upgrade deployments.

Edge releases are now on par with Retool Cloud, providing self-hosted customers with new features much sooner. The weekly release schedule also means it is no longer necessary to patch previous releases. Every Edge release contains bug fixes and improvements.

Legacy releases​

All releases prior to the introduction of the Stable and Edge release channels are considered Legacy. Retool will continue to support existing Legacy releases for six months from their initial release date. During this time, Retool will continue to release patch updates that contain bug fixes or security updates.

After six months, a Legacy release is deprecated. You can continue using a deprecated release but it will no longer receive updates. At this time, you should upgrade to the latest Stable or Edge release.

The new Linting and Performance tools, available within Debug Tools in the App IDE, provide additional methods for debugging and optimizing apps.

Linting​

Identify queries, code, and components that may affect app performance.

Performance​

View statistics related to app performance along with an overall performance score. This is a useful tool for measuring how changes affect an app's performance and provides guidance on how to optimize it further.

You can now use configuration variables within workflows. Both values and secrets are supported and can be referenced using:

{{ retoolContext.configVars.YOUR_VAR_NAME }}

Retool Forms is the fastest way to build a form on top of your database, your data warehouse, or wherever else you want your data. Retool Forms are:

• Native to your data source: Generating a form on top of any SQL datastore (Postgres, MySQL, Snowflake, etc.) in one click.
• Your form, your database: Use your own or we’ll give you a Postgres DB—with a connection string if you want to take it elsewhere.
• Code-first: You can write JavaScript almost anywhere, including libraries like moment and lodash, for custom validations, conditional logic, and data parsing.
• The start of other processes: Build apps and workflows on top of your data to join data sources, send updates through Slack or email, and take action on your results.
• Secure: Forms are public but the data, apps, and workflows you build are permissioned securely with granular access controls. You can also self-host it in your own VPC.

Retool Forms is free and has no arbitrary limits on users, forms, or submissions.

Cloud-hosted Retool has been updated with the following changes. These changes will also be available in a future release of Self-hosted Retool.