Field components no longer have to be wrapped in a Form component to work. When used without a form, they provide a global binding of their value.

Almost all field types support this usage, except attachments (single and multiple), signatures, and relationship pickers, which must be bound to a datasource to function.

A couple of things to note:

• The field setting is now optional for standalone fields. Instead, the component name will be used to generate the global binding.
• All settings, such as validation, default values, and on-change actions, continue to function as expected.

We’ve introduced View Calculations in Budibase, making it easier than ever to analyze data directly within your app. With a fresh and intuitive interface, View Calculations let you group, filter, and aggregate data dynamically.

Here’s what’s new:

• Dynamic Filtering: Select which rows to aggregate using the familiar filtering UI, powered by real-time, binding-enabled inputs.
• Group By: Group data by one or multiple fields, and order by grouped or aggregate columns.
• Aggregates: Perform calculations such as COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, and MAX on your data. Aggregate fields are automatically named for clarity and consistency.

View Calculations are read-only and designed to streamline your workflows, all while maintaining simplicity and performance.

This release introduces four new AI-driven features:

• AI Configs: Connect OpenAI-compatible language models (OpenAI, Azure, Anthropic, and others) directly to Budibase. Run multiple AI workflows with ease.
• Budibase AI: Built-in AI, powered by ChatGPT, is now available for Premium Cloud users, bringing AI functionality directly into your workflows without external LLM setup.
• AI CRON Generator: Set up automation schedules with natural language—simply type commands like “Every Tuesday at 3 PM,” and Budibase converts it to a CRON expression.
• AI Column: Add dynamic AI-powered columns to any table. Analyze data, triage tickets, and draft responses with AI directly in your database, compatible with Postgres and MySQL.

Check out the full launch blog for more information!

This release introduces conditional branching to the Automation section as part of Budibase 3.0, enabling you to define rules for executing different sets of actions.

This is accompanied by several UX enhancements, including:

• Drag-and-Drop - To rearrange actions without losing their configuration.
• Pan and Zoom - Shift your focus between individual branches and the wider automation flow.
• Updated Testing - Only the branches and actions that are actually executed will appear in automation tests.
• Branch Reordering - Rearrange adjacent branches in order of precedence at the click of a button.

We’ve created a launch blog detailing everything you need to know about Automations in Budibase 3.0.

Managing permissions in Budibase just got a major upgrade! With the new Role-Based Access Control features, you can now visualize and manage permissions more efficiently.

Here’s what’s new:

🔒 Visual Role Management: Use an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to create, update, and visualize roles and their permissions. Easily connect roles to establish permission inheritance and streamline access management.

🌿 Branched Permission Inheritance: Assign permissions from parent roles to child roles. This makes managing complex permissions more intuitive by ensuring that higher-level roles inherit the capabilities of lower-level ones.

🛠️ Updated Role Definitions:

• App Admin: Full access with the highest level of control.
• App User: A restricted role with no built-in permissions.
• Power User: This has been discontinued for all future apps.

Watch the launch video to learn more!

Managing data visibility and access control just got easier with Enhanced Views! You can now create custom views that restrict or grant access to specific rows and columns based on user roles. This gives you granular control over who can view, edit, or interact with your data, ensuring that each user only sees what they’re supposed to.

Whether your app has simple data tables or complex workflows, Enhanced Views ensures data security is baked right in. Plus, this feature is available to all Budibase users for free, making secure app-building accessible to everyone!

Row Actions gives you complete control over what users can do with your data! Now, you can assign different actions (like approve, reject, or edit) to different user roles on the same dataset. For example, an approver might have the ability to accept or reject requests, while a submitter can only edit or cancel their own.

Save time and reduce errors with Default Values! This new feature allows you to automatically pre-fill specific fields with default data whenever a new record is created. You can set default statuses, assign users automatically, or ensure consistent data is applied across your apps without manual input.

Default Values streamline your workflows, eliminate repetitive tasks, and ensure that your data remains accurate and consistent. It's perfect for minimizing user error and speeding up data entry.

View Joins allows you to pull in related data from other tables directly into your views, without needing to modify your app’s schema. This feature lets you display key information—like an approver’s name or email—in one place, streamlining workflows while maintaining data security.

By pulling in only the related data you need, View Joins keep your views clean and organized. It’s an essential tool for making workflows more efficient and giving users the context they need without compromising security.

Build apps faster than ever with Dynamic Screen Generation! With just a click, you can generate fully functional screens (tables, forms, and more) from your data views. This new feature makes it easier to visualize and interact with your data, turning views into working app interfaces instantly.

Choose from a variety of templates, generate the screens you need, and watch your data come to life in seconds. Dynamic Screen Generation takes the heavy lifting out of app-building, helping you go from concept to working app faster than ever!