Magento 2.3 New Features and Enhancements You Must Know About

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In the month of April 2018, Magento announced the release of Magento 2.3 at the Imagine conference. And just like every major release, the authorities added several features to the version which has brought along different opportunities and back-end efficiencies for customers. So, what are these features and in what ways will it benefit the vendors who have embraced the Magento platform? Let us find out.

This article will outline the most exciting features which this major release, scheduled later this year, will bring:

Progressive Web App (PWA)

Magento has developed PWA studio, which entails an array of tools that enable you to develop and execute a PWA storefront with Magento 2.3. It is one of the latest front-end technologies which has a combined advantage of websites and native apps. The experts have built PWAs on a JavaScript Framework that includes Vue.js, AngularJs, React. Using these technologies, you can handle data, display it and execute functions in the backend via Magento 2 REST API. It is known as Headless Magento.

While you are reading this, the beta version is out already. As soon as Magento PWA solution is stable, it will be a ‘to go’ option for merchants. Moreover, you can also build simple and fast front end that provides an app like experiences on mobile devices.

Take a look at some of the core features of PWA studio:

Tools that help you personalize content and add local preferences
Build and manage channels through one code base, deployment, and app
Enhanced user experience with creative CMS theming and commerce
Modularized component architecture that helps extension resellers to drive opportunities
Purpose-built developer tools that help with rich feedback, fast prototyping, better productivity, and helpful debugging

It is important to remember that PWA studio needs GraphQL capabilities that are available only with Magento 2.3 releases.

GraphQL Support

GraphQL API language is perhaps one of the best moves by Magento 2.3. It is a data query language that Facebook has developed and released publicly in the year 2015. Apart from REST and SOAP, GraphQL is an alternative API endpoint.

GraphQL has opened up a lot of data retrieval possibilities for PWA by enabling you to request the data you want and also providing you with the facility to join data through a single request. In other words, you can get a small amount of data and make a few API requests. This makes it better than the traditional REST/SOAP requests that return the data which is associated with the endpoint and asks for at least 1 request for every resource.

By using this language, Magento PWA works quickly even if the mobile network connections are slow.

Declarative DB Schema

Magento 2.3 has come up with a new approach known as declarative database schema which helps developers to define changes in XML files and database structures. They do not need to define with install scripts. Magento converts XML schema files to SQL statements.

Declarative Schema offers a huge advantage. Also known as Rollback Support, it enables you to roll back the database changes which you might have implemented on a functionality or module of a previous version. With the help of it, you can simplify the installation and upgrade process.

Asynchronous and Bulk Web API

Asynchronous API in Magento 2.3 is a community contribution through which you can process several API requests without having to wait for any response from the server. With the conventional API approaches, Magento used to take time to process the response. Also, it would make the client wait for a particular amount of time.

Asynchronous API, on the other hand, works over message queue and enables you to implement Web API asynchronously by completing the background tasks. Using it, you can enable batch processing easily which becomes beneficial for websites that undergo daily bulk API requests pertaining to order statuses, inventory import etc.

Elasticsearch Updates

Users will finally be able to make the most out of ElasticSearch available to Magento Open Source users which were available only for Magento Commerce before. It enables merchants to integrate robust search facilities to their shops including a faceted search that filters according to attributes. It is a default search engine future. However, Magento 2.3 supports the newest Elasticsearch v5.

PHP 7.2 Support

Magento 2.3 comes with PHP 7.2 support. Due to it, Magento 2 stores keep updated on supported technologies. It also has several innovative development features along with better security and performance. As PHP 7.2 gets rid of PHP encryption module named ‘Mcrypt’, Magento 2.3 is likely to migrate from Mcrypt to libsodium when it comes to password hashing.

Multi-Source Inventory

Multi-Source Inventory is one more significant enhancement which is a part of Magento 2.3. Using it, merchants can handle different inventory sources with without third-party extensions. Also, it helps them to undertake stock management in multiple locations and reflects the physical warehouses in Magento system.

MSI has integrated a new reservation system which helps to enhance the checkout performance of customers. Through this system, you can keep the inventory amount up to date, keep reindexing and performance issues at bay. It has also brought along a better import and export inventory process so that it speeds up integration using an external ERP system.

Upgrade of WYSIWYG Editor

You will find the 4th version of WYSIWYG editor – TinyMCE in Magento 2.3. It comes with different improvements for customizable WYSIWYG. You can define variables, widgets, and media gallery as plugins and define them on per shop instance.

Page Builder

Page Builder functionality helps the Magento merchants to craft customized pages without coding. It comes with a drag and drop interface which depends on the revised Bluefoot CMS extension that Magento had introduced some years ago. It will be a part of the core code when it comes to Magento Commerce. Magento Open Source provides with a purchase option whose price is unknown.

Cache-Management ACL

Granular Cache Management ACL is a significant enhancement in Magento 2.3. Using it, it is possible for you to control user roles including viewing and deletion of Magento caches. If/whenever you have new team members wanting to interact with the system cache, this feature comes of great help. During such times, you can also control the amount of cache management that a particular team member can perform.

Google reCAPTCHA and Two Factor Authentication

Magento 2.3 comes with reCAPTCHA – which is a free service of Google that offers protection to your website as well as register, login, and contact form pages from vulnerabilities. It just doesn’t prompt shoppers to check a box and prove that they are not robots but offers progressive risk analysis by evaluating different cues that make humans different from bots.

It also comes with two-factor authentication which protects your website from malicious attempts of accessing your admin panel.

Do you have any other questions on the updates? Feel free to ask us!

Author Bio:

Maulik Shah is the Founder and CEO of Biztech IT Consulting and Solutions. You can hire Magento developer from them for finest Magento Development Services. Maulik is a tech enthusiast and writes about the various Aspects of e-commerce technology.