Visualforce & Lightning Experience - Share Visualforce Pages Between Classic and Lightning Experience

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Questions and Answers

What does the variable $User.UIThemeDisplayed represent?

The default theme set by the administrator

The look and feel the user actually sees (correct)

The look and feel the user is supposed to see

The current user interface context the user prefers

When should you generally use $User.UIThemeDisplayed in your code?

To reflect the look the user has selected, regardless of browser support

To adapt pages according to user permissions only

To provide a consistent experience across all browsers

To ensure you are accounting for the actual user experience (correct)

What is the primary difference between $User.UITheme and $User.UIThemeDisplayed?

$User.UITheme is the user’s actual experience and $User.UIThemeDisplayed is not

$User.UITheme is for Salesforce Classic only

$User.UITheme is based on user settings while $User.UIThemeDisplayed is based on current browser compatibility (correct)

$User.UIThemeDisplayed is only applicable in Lightning Experience

In what scenario might $User.UIThemeDisplayed return a value different from $User.UITheme?

When the user is using a browser version that does not support the intended look and feel Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is incorrect regarding the use of $User.UITheme and $User.UIThemeDisplayed?

$User.UIThemeDisplayed is only relevant for admins Signup and view all the answers

What should you generally use to check which UI theme a user is currently seeing?

$User.UIThemeDisplayed Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following themes is obsolete?

Theme1 Signup and view all the answers

What method can be used in Apex to determine the current user experience context?

UserInfo.getUiTheme() Signup and view all the answers

Why should larger chunks of markup be wrapped into a block-level component?

To increase efficiency in performance Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the UITheme.getUITheme() method in JavaScript?

To identify the current user interface theme Signup and view all the answers

In JavaScript, which function checks if the current user experience context is the Lightning Experience theme?

function isLightningDesktop() Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the $User.UITheme variable?

It returns the assigned UI theme preference Signup and view all the answers

Which strategy is more complicated when managing stylesheets for different themes?

Dynamically selecting stylesheets based on UI theme Signup and view all the answers

What kind of behavior should be avoided when using UITheme variables?

Assuming the value will be consistent Signup and view all the answers

Which theme is specifically identified as the Salesforce mobile app theme?

Theme4t Signup and view all the answers

What is one benefit of sharing Visualforce pages between Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience?

Reduced complexity in code and configuration Signup and view all the answers

Which variable can be used to identify the current user interface context in Visualforce?

$User.UITheme Signup and view all the answers

What is a scenario in which an action override always uses the same page?

When running in any of the user experiences Signup and view all the answers

How can you adapt Visualforce pages to different user experience contexts?

By using the $User.UITheme global variable Signup and view all the answers

Which method is NOT mentioned for determining the current user's user interface context?

Inspecting browser information Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between the user interface context requested by the user and the one they are actually in?

The user could be redirected to a different context. Signup and view all the answers

What type of pages are recommended to behave correctly regardless of the user experience?

Visualforce pages Signup and view all the answers

What do the global variables $User.UITheme and $User.UIThemeDisplayed return?

Strings identifying the UI context Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct approach when using Apex methods to obtain UI theme information?

Use front-end code to handle user interface differences. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following themes is classified as obsolete?

Theme1 Signup and view all the answers

What does the method UserInfo.getUiThemeDisplayed() return?

A string that identifies the current user interface context. Signup and view all the answers

Why is querying a user's Lightning Experience preference directly discouraged?

It does not reflect the actual user experience on the screen. Signup and view all the answers

In which scenario is it advised to use Visualforce markup or JavaScript over server-side Apex methods?

When handling user interface variations is necessary. Signup and view all the answers

Which SOQL query correctly retrieves the current user's Lightning Experience preference?

SELECT UserPreferencesLightningExperiencePreferred FROM User WHERE Id = 'CurrentUserId' Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about the UI theme identifiers is true?

Webstore is used for the Salesforce AppExchange theme. Signup and view all the answers

What type of user interface themes can the methods return?

All pre-defined user interface themes in Salesforce. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of the constructor in the ForceUIExtension class?

It is essential for creating a Visualforce controller extension. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

User Interface Theme Variables

$User.UITheme and $User.UIThemeDisplayed are global variables used to identify user experience context in Salesforce.
Both variables return a string that signifies the current user interface context.
Possible values for these variables include contexts for Lightning Experience, Salesforce Classic, and the Salesforce app.

Distinction Between Variables

$User.UITheme indicates the intended look and feel that a user is supposed to experience.
$User.UIThemeDisplayed reveals the actual look and feel that a user sees at a given moment.

Practical Implications

A user may have settings for Lightning Experience but encounter restrictions due to incompatible browsers, such as older versions of Internet Explorer.
In cases of discrepancies between expected and displayed themes, $User.UIThemeDisplayed provides the relevant information for coding purposes.
It is advisable to utilize $User.UIThemeDisplayed primarily for adaptive coding in Visualforce pages to ensure accurate representation of the user interface.

Reduces code and configuration complexity within the organization.
Allows for greater flexibility in behavior based on user experience context.

User Interface Context

User interface context can differ from what the user expects versus what they actually see.
Example: A user may be set to Lightning Experience, but an unsupported browser might display a different theme.

Testing User Interface Context

Use $User.UITheme and $User.UIThemeDisplayed global variables in Visualforce markup to determine current context.
$User.UITheme indicates intended display theme; $User.UIThemeDisplayed reflects the theme currently shown to the user.
Variables can return multiple theme values such as Theme1, Theme2, Theme3, Theme4d, Theme4t, Theme4u, PortalDefault, and Webstore.

Usage in Visualforce Markup

Best practice involves wrapping markup blocks with a rendered attribute based on user interface context.
Wrap a <uiTheme> component to dynamically load different stylesheets suitable for various themes.

JavaScript Context Detection

Use UITheme.getUITheme() in JavaScript for checking active user interface context.
Allows navigation and element visibility management according to theme.

Apex Context Determination

Use UserInfo.getUiTheme() and UserInfo.getUiThemeDisplayed() methods in Apex to adapt backend behavior based on user experience.
Implement these in controller extensions to facilitate theme-specific logic.

SOQL Queries for User Preferences

Querying UserPreferencesLightningExperiencePreferred via SOQL to check user preferences directly is not recommended, as it may not accurately represent the user’s actual experience.
Preferred method is to use $User.UIThemeDisplayed for a reliable indication of the current user experience context.

General Best Practices

Strive for UX-neutral controller and extension code; user interface variations should be handled in front-end code like Visualforce or JavaScript.
Aim to create flexible pages that can behave properly across all experiences for a seamless user experience.

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Description

This quiz explores the global variables used in Salesforce to identify user experience context, namely $User.UITheme and $User.UIThemeDisplayed. It highlights the differences between these variables and discusses their implications for various Salesforce environments such as Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic.