Visualforce Vs. Lightning: Which is Better?

The question of which one out of Salesforce Visualforce and Lightning is better has confused the new and existing customers of Salesforce considerably. Salesforce is a CRM giant that has been extensively promoting the use of Lightning since its inception. However, this does not mean that Visualforce has been replaced.

As a framework that comprises a tag-based markup language along with a set of server-side controllers, Visualforce pages in Salesforce allows the developers to build custom user interfaces with native hosting. On the other hand, lightning is a modern UI framework that is used in the development of dynamic web pages for desktop and mobile devices. Both of these offer ways to create custom user interfaces for Salesforce.

However, which one should the customers choose if they had to go for one? We will see the answer to this question below. However, we will start with understanding Visualforce and Lightning in detail first.

Visualforce

Visualforce framework is known as a page-centric web application model that has a robust set of tags resolved at the server-side. The VF relies on the server for generating a new page when a user interacts with the application. For this reason, it can be pretty challenging to offer a new experience as expected by the users.

That said, Visualforce is considered one of the best choices for the basic functionalities that it brings to the table. It uses a markup language similar to HTML for designing pages and Apex code for handling the database operations. Below is the classification of the Visualforce pages:

• Visualforce Page: A markup language such as HTML is used for the purpose of designing the layout of pages.
• Custom Controller: The Apex code is used for handling the backend processing implemented at the Visualforce pages in Salesforce.
• Java Script: Javascript is completely optional and helps in the maintenance of client-side processing. It can be coupled with CSS for revamping the interface.
• Apex Extensions: The logical operations can be done using the Apex extensions that are not available in the standard controllers. However, this is also optional.

The framework of Visualforce is a tried and tested model that is simple to implement and can split huge applications into small pages for easy management. However, it has limited interactivity and an increased latency rate.

Lightning

The lightning framework is known as the new app-centric model that offers businesses and data logic to develop dynamic web applications meant for desktop and mobile devices. Salesforce Lightning web components have involvement of JavaScript at the client-side and Apex on the server-side.  

This is a framework that does not completely replace a page at one time, rather it leverages JavaScript for the creation, transformation, and animation of the user interface. The Lightning Components and Applications use Bundles for storing important files while ensuring the fluid motion of the user interface.

The Lightning Component Bundle includes:

• Component: A markup language that is used for configuring the layout of the component.
• Controller: This is a JavaScript Controller that is used for handling the client-side processing or an apex controller is preferred for server-side processing.
• Design File: A design file is also used for describing the design-time behavior of the component that is being used in the lightning pages or in the lightning app builder.
• Documentation File: A documentation file is commonly used for providing reference documents or the sample code to the users who have received the component.
• Helper: A helper is supposed to store the reusable JavaScript functions that are handled by the controller.
• SVG File: The SVG file allows the users to include custom icons that can further be used for reference.

The lightning framework is also used for aligning with the Salesforce user interface strategy. It empowers the users with impressive and interactive experiences and also includes a steep learning curve as compared to Visualforce. Application building is an inherent part of lightning and for this reason, it is somewhat more complex than Visualforce.

Features of Visualforce and Lightning

Visualforce

1. The Visualforce pages in Salesforce help in the quick development of the simple or complex UIs. This is for both mobile and desktop applications.
2. Visualforce makes use of diverse development technologies such as JavaScript, CSS, HTML5, and many others that can help the users.
3. Visualforce can be used to secure the display of third-party images.
4. The Salesforce Visualforce can be used for accessing metrics such as LogDate, MetricsDate, ProfileID, and many others.

Lightning

1. The Salesforce lightning web components use the latest technology to help businesses reach out to a wide number of customers. In addition, it also allows the ability to do almost everything on the cloud so that positive relations can be maintained with the customer.
2. The Salesforce Lightning component also enables customized dashboards for the customers. This is done as per the requirements of the customers.
3. The Salesforce Lightning assistance can offer a comprehensive insight to the user about all new updates that come on a daily basis.
4. Work performance charts can be displayed to the users and customers while helping them track the business growth.
5. The Salesforce Lightning voice enables the business owners to connect with the customers over voice calls within the Sales Cloud server.
6. There is an Outlook Alliance feature in Salesforce Lightning that helps in improving the CRM aspect. As a partner of Microsoft, transitioning from management programs has become comfortable now. The users can synchronize logbooks in addition to the contact in the Office 365 application for easy management.
7. The application builder by Salesforce Lightning enables the non-coders to create applications without the implementation of code.
8. The steel brick feature of the lightning components handles all trading aspects of the business for the owners that are represented as CPQ.

Differences Between Visualforce and Lightning

1. UI Generation Aspect

Visualforce

The users are requested for a web page under the UI generation aspect of the Visualforce. In addition, the server also processes requests by executing the page code. Moving ahead with the process, the server sends the HTML output to the browser and then the browser proceeds the displaying of HTML to the user on his/her interaction on the webpage.

Lightning Components

Under the UI Generation aspect of the Salesforce Lightning Web Components, the users make a request for a component or an application. After this, the bundle returns to the clients and starts loading in the browser. Moving ahead, JavaScript implements the UI with respect to the user’s interaction on the page. Under the lightning components, JavaScript is also supposed to modify or improvise the user interface for the convenience of the user.

2. Usability Cases

Visualforce

Visualforce is implemented for many usability cases or the needs of customers. It is used for offering a page-centric experience to the users with all important information without making any use of the client-side logic. It works best with the implementation of a JavaScript framework such as React, Angular JS, and others.

Visualforce also acts as the third-party framework for developing an interactive page with the use of JavaScript. Under the Salesforce Classic, Visualforce is perfect for building a community for partners and also proves to be more productive when blending with the lightning measures. It helps in rendering pages in PDF format while they are in the application.

Lightning Components

The lightning components have a design that is used to eradicate the limitations of the page-centric approach for giving a high network connection that runs seamlessly with more resources. Integrating the Salesforce Lightning Components with JavaScript derives a fruitful and interactive user experience.

The app-building feature of the Salesforce lightning components enables even non-developers to assemble the components for framing an application. The many functions of the lightning app builder are comfortable and simple to use. Integrating new tabs and other such attributes into the application can be done using easy methods without extra developer knowledge.

The community builder of Salesforce Lightning enables the users to create a community for the customers with all possible components in it. To get successful outcomes with the implementation of the latest technologies, the Salesforce Lightning Web Components are the best decision.

3. Advantages

Visualforce

The Salesforce Visualforce is a tested model that offers efficient results without fail. Any two-way binding is not experienced in it because the users need to wait until the pages are loaded completely from the server to see the updates.

In addition, Visualforce is also very easy to implement and has a higher productivity ratio. The bigger the applications are broken down into small web pages, the more chances are for the users to manage things efficiently. The metadata integration is also available in the Salesforce Visualforce.

Lightning

The user experience of the applications is very interactive which further enhances convenience for the customers. Two-way binding is possible in Lightning and it displays content on the UI after each of it is updated. Lightning Salesforce measures use the user interface strategy of Salesforce for deriving better outcomes.

Here, the metadata is available in the foundation for enhancing the developer’s experience. The console that is available for the developers is also compatible with the lightning Salesforce Components and enhances the developer experience.

 

Will Visualforce Be Going Away Because of Lightning?

There are multiple things that can be done by Visualforce but Lightning cannot handle them at the present time. Even though this will change in the coming future as the new releases of Lightning come into being, for the time being, Visualforce can do a lot.

There has not been any major benefit for building and designing the Lightning Components as compared to the Visualforce Components other than the fact that it is a new technology that Salesforce is going to develop in the future. With the use of Lightning for Desktop, many people are really starting to see the process of creating and designing modular components that can be used both in mobile and desktop experience that can change the design structure of things.

Salesforce Lightning web components also bring a rather native approach while allowing people to drag and drop components onto a canvas for quickly creating a new page or application. In case someone wants to do this with Visualforce then there will be a need to use a platform such as SkyVisualEditor for getting this done because there will be a lot of code to handle. This also brings a new level of design to the independent software vendor community so that they can package and distribute small and reusable components to the customers.

Lightning will eventually replace Visualforce but it will take many years for that to happen. The thing is that lightning is rolled out in phases and it will take many years for lightning to become accessible in all locations that Visualforce is in at the moment. In addition, we will also have to factor in the time taken by people to actively rework their Visualforce code into the Lightning code for supporting the architectural changes.

We are not talking about just taking the Visualforce Page and inserting it into the lightning component, but actually reworking the Visualforce Page for utilizing the component methodology that lightning brings to the table. Hence, Visualforce will go but it will take some time until people really start using Lightning and replacing Visualforce.

Conclusion

We hope that you have a better understanding of the differences in functionality and features that are there between Salesforce Lightning and Visualforce. Business professionals from across the world are implementing the above-mentioned techniques for improving their customer and business data management.

The option that you choose depends completely on your needs. Both of them are good enough and solve many problems and give them a positive boost to businesses. 

For deciding which one suits your business the best, you can have a Salesforce consultant from Encaptechno help you. They will guide you in the right direction while offering you the best Salesforce Solution according to your business needs.