stack-584 - Release Notes

Release Date: April 12, 2026

Summary

Stack-584 continues two parallel investment tracks: foundational search infrastructure for a future Synapse search experience, and UI quality improvements across core platform workflows including the File Browser, Curator, and Challenges.

On the platform side, this release lays the groundwork for a next-generation search capability by introducing new backend data models and APIs for managing Search Configurations and Synonym Sets — reusable building blocks that will power richer, more contextual search across Synapse projects. A stub search query API was also introduced so that UI development can begin in parallel. This work is not yet user-visible but is a prerequisite for the upcoming search roadmap.

On the user experience side, this release delivers a cluster of targeted fixes and improvements: cleaner CSV export behavior, safer deletion workflows for Challenges, a more reliable Curator validation experience, and expanded embedding support for Airtable in Synapse portals.

14 tickets completed across PLFM (5) and SWC (9).

Affected Users & Systems

Deprecated or Breaking Changes

None in this release. All changes are additive or bug fixes. No existing APIs or workflows have been removed or modified in a backward-incompatible way.

New Features

Airtable Embedding in Synapse Portals (SWC-7772)

Portal pages can now embed Airtable views via iframe within Synapse.org. This enables teams to surface live Airtable data directly alongside their Synapse content without leaving the platform.

Recommended Hover Popover (SWC-7771)

A new hover popover interaction has been implemented in the File Browser, following updated UX design guidelines (DESIGN-1611). Users will see improved contextual information on hover, with a consistent and polished presentation.

Search Infrastructure Foundation (PLFM-9544, PLFM-9512, PLFM-9510)

Three platform stories deliver the backend scaffolding for Synapse's future search experience:

• Search Query API (stub): New async endpoints (POST /repo/v1/search/query/async/start, GET /repo/v1/search/query/async/get/{asyncToken}, POST /repo/v1/search/autocomplete) are live and return empty results. This unblocks the UI team to build against the real API surface while backend indexing is finalized.

• Search Configurations: A new SearchConfiguration resource allows Sage admins to define reusable search profiles — bundling synonym sets, column analyzer overrides, and default text analyzers — and attach them to projects or folders via Project Settings.

• Synonym Sets: A new SynonymSet resource allows Sage admins to define term synonym rules (e.g., bidirectional equivalences or one-way expansions) that will be baked into search indexes. Synonym sets are organization-scoped and publicly readable.

Note: These APIs are currently write-protected to Sage Bionetworks employees and admins. Search results are not yet surfaced in the UI; this infrastructure underpins a future release.

External URL Links Now Clickable (SWC-3930)

When a Synapse file is stored as an external URL, that URL is now rendered as a clickable hyperlink in the file details view, eliminating the need to copy and paste the URL into a browser.

Simplified Portal Notification Banner (SWC-7763)

The notification banner displayed on portal pages has been streamlined. A new column was added to the banner table to improve clarity and reduce visual noise for portal visitors.

Fixes & Improvements

CSV Export: Spurious etag Column Removed (SWC-7733, SWC-7750, PLFM-9571)

Three related issues were resolved together:

• CSV exports from RecordSet tables no longer include an empty etag column. Previously, this caused re-uploads of exported CSVs to fail because the column was not recognized by the schema.

• A backend CSV import job that became stuck in an infinite retry loop (due to a write-lock contention bug) has been fixed. Exports and imports now complete reliably.

• The ROW_ID, ROW_VERSION, and etag columns — which are internal system fields — are no longer included in CSV exports by default, reducing confusion for users who intend to re-upload or share the file.

Curator: Validation Banner Stays Visible (SWC-7764)

A regression was fixed where the validation message banner in the Curator grid editor would disappear when a user clicked outside the grid. Users can now interact with (e.g., copy text from) the banner without it dismissing.

Challenges: Evaluation Editor Navigation Fixed (SWC-7760)

Three navigation issues in the Challenges Evaluation Queue editor have been resolved:

• The "Back to challenge" button now correctly returns users to the evaluation card list.

• The "Unsaved changes" modal no longer appears when no changes have been made.

• After saving changes, the "Unsaved changes" modal no longer incorrectly reappears when navigating away.

Evaluation Queue Deletion Warning Added (SWC-7528)

Deleting an Evaluation Queue is an irreversible action that permanently removes all associated submissions and scores. A new confirmation warning now makes this clear before the user proceeds, reducing the risk of accidental data loss.

File Browser: Annotations Popover Polish (SWC-7792)

A visual bug where the annotations popover in the File Browser flickered on load and had a misaligned icon has been corrected.

Session Timeout Research Complete (PLFM-9275)

Research into extending the Synapse login session timeout from its current value to 72 hours has been completed. Implementation will follow in a future stack, balancing user convenience with FISMA inactivity and overall timeout requirements.