Salesforce has been widely promoting Lightning components since its introduction. There has been confusion among existing and new customers regarding the use of visual force components and lightening components. As a framework that includes tag-based mark-up language and server-side controllers, Visualforce helps in building tailored user interfaces with native hosting. Lightening is an advanced UI framework that aids in building dynamic web apps for both mobile and desktop devices. Since both of them offer methods to develop customized UI for salesforce, which one would you choose? It is crucial to have the guidance of an experienced and reliable Salesforce consulting services in Salt Lake City like Adaptid.
Comparing Visualforce Components and lightning components:
Visualforce components:
It offers a wide range of tags that are fixed at the server-side. They operate along with custom or standard controllers and help in DB and other processes to be implemented easily. Being a page-centric web application model, it is the best option for basic functionality but lacks in providing the latest and dynamic user experience. This is because it is dependent every time on the server to develop a new page each time. Below is the classification of the Visualforce page:
Visualforce Page– It is a mark-up language similar to HTML and is employed in designing page layouts.
Custom Controller– Server-side implementations at the Visualforce page is handled by Apex code.
JavaScript– It helps manage client-side processes and can be used with CSS for customizing the UI.
Apex Extensions– It helps in carrying out certain optional logical operations that are not accessible using standard controllers.
Visualforce framework is a proven model that is much easier to implement and can divide large applications into tiny pages. But it has a high latency rate and restricted interactivity.
Lightning components:
They are the more advanced components of the Salesforce UI framework for building dynamic web applications for desktop and mobile devices. It uses JavaScript at the client-side and Apex at the server-side to offer the business and data logic. JavaScript is employed to develop, modify, animate, and transform the UI instead of replacing every page at a time. Both models have their advantages and combining these two models helps the applications to provide the best user experience. Lightning Components and Applications make use of “bundles” to accumulate essential files and make sure that UI gets fluid motion.
Below are the features of Lightning Component Bundle:
- Component– It is a mark-up language that is employed for shaping the component layout
- Controller– It is a JavaScript Controller that is employed for managing client-side processing and an apex controller is used for server-side processing.
- Design File– It is used for elaborating on the design-time actions of the component that is employed in Lightening pages or app builder.
- Documentation File– It is employed in offering reference documents to users who have acknowledged the component.
- Helper – It targets to store reusable JavaScript functions that are handled by the controller.
- SVG file: This provides an option to involve tailored icons that could be used for future reference.
Below are certain factors that will illustrate the use cases of both:
Visualforce:
To develop a page-centric experience with restricted client-side logic.
Continue using it if you are already using JavaScript frameworks like Angular JS or React JS.
It can be used as a container in a third-party framework for building a unique experience with JavaScript.
Partner community: Developing a community for partners could be done using Salesforce classic.
Lightning:
For building salesforce mobile applications, Lightning components should be used. Visualforce with page-centric characteristics will be a bad option for mobile apps with restricted and high latency networks. Lightning was developed to handle such issues.
Interactive user experience with JavaScript development to match user experience necessities must make use of Lightning components.
- The lightning app builder is helpful for non-developers to build apps by accumulating standard or custom components.
- Lightening app builders provide certain easy and simple features for adding user interface elements. You could add any UI element just by drag and drop method using a lightning app builder.
- A community for Customer: If you are developing a Community for Customers you must employ Community Builder to generate a Lightning-based community site using Lightning components.
- If you have decided to invest in modern technology, you must start using or switch to this form from visual force.
- If you are beginning with a new development venture, you must go for Lightning Components. You could learn to use them or take help from an experienced and reliable firm.
Lightning is an advanced and stimulating technology and lines up with a Salesforce user interface strategy to sanction users with extremely involved and collaborative experience. But it requires a sharp learning curve when compared to Visualforce. Since application building is an essential part of Lightning, it is a bit more intricate than Visualforce. It will demand the expertise of a skillful firm to guide you in the complete process.
Bottom-line:
Salesforce provides numerous software solutions with a basis for users/engineers to make customized software. Taking the business from one stage to another demands certain intelligent and smart moves that will make you lead the competition. You will constantly succeed in this approach only if you have an organized and penetrative way of using advanced resources. It will surely help you in reaching more customers and retain their trust for longer periods. Salesforce consulting services in Salt Lake City, by Adaptid, have a pool of experienced and tech-smart individuals who provide you reliable software services and solutions for your specific needs. We can guide you to migrate into the new Lightning experience by our approach to implement a long-term solution. We have had many successful projects building Lightning Apps/Components and transforming existing Visualforce Pages into Lightning Components. We can simplify the changeover and also minimize your development costs with our exclusive Lightning libraries and practices. Associate with us to migrate from Visualforce in Salt Lake City, UT to Lightning and from Salesforce Classic to Lightning.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]