...

• Provide support for non-CSV files (e.g. tab-delimited, fixed-width, or XML)
• Provide support for database connections via ODBC
• Enable reshaping of the row grain of the file (one row becomes multiple or vice-versa)
• Enable exclusion of rows (e.g. student assessment rows that indicate the student was not tested)
• Enable invocation of the ODS API from preprocessor scripts (dynamically selecting the API used by the executing agent)
• Improve the management and sharing capabilities of PowerShell scripts used by preprocessors
  • Maintain scripts in the database instead of the file system and provide a UI for managing
  • Include script dependencies in template sharing and import/export templates

...

Understanding ODS API Invocation

Security Note: The method for invoking the ODS API will change from what is described below since Invoke-WebRequest will not be an allowed cmdlet. Instead of exposing $ODS variables directly, we will expose a pre-defined cmdlet that explicitly supports accessing the ODS API. 

In the context of preprocessing a file, it can be useful to read data from the ODS via the API. This is supported by exposing the agent connection details at run-time via the following PowerShell variables:

• $ODS.BaseUrl - The URL for the ODS API (including the path, e.g. /data/v3[/year])
• $ODS.AccessToken - A valid bearer token to authorize access to the ODS API

...

Is it sufficient to say that by convention any usage related information should will be included described in the template description?

It is also proposed that Custom File Processing is the only preprocessor supported by template sharing. 

User Interface Changes

Menu

...