Last Updated on April 15, 2019 by Rakesh Gupta
The Lightning Component modern framework is a User Interface framework to develop dynamic web apps for mobile and desktop devices. As is the case with each release, the latest Winter ‘18 release is packed with rich features including, the newly added Lightning Component features!
Currently, Winter’18 release is available under the pre-release program. On the 8th and 9th of September, Sandboxes will be upgraded; as a result, your organization will get the look and feel of Winter’18 release.
If you have not read the entire 559 pages of Salesforce Winter’18 release notes yet, check out Winter’18 release quick summary and, the Top 10 Lightning Experience Gems of Salesforce Winter’18 Release! written by me.
I combed through the release notes and highlighted the added capabilities to the Lightning Component features. Believe me, it was hard to stop at just five! To kick things off, here is my take on the coolest Lightning Component features from Winter’18 release.
1) Build Exciting User Interfaces with New Base Lightning Components:- Now you can accelerate your development with a fresh medley of 30 new built-in Lightning components. The new components cover a broad range of user interface elements and give you a whole new tool bag for your development. Following are few of the new component features. Please note that these features require API version 41.0 or later.
a) lightning:datatable: – It will display a table with columns of data, formatted according to type.
b) lightning:checkboxGroup: – It will display a checkbox group that enables selection of single or multiple checkboxes.
c) lightning:dualListbox: – It will display two side-by-side list boxes. Select one or more options in the list on the left. Move selected options to the list on the right.
d) lightning:fileUpload (Beta): – It allows users to upload multiple files to a record. The file uploader includes drag-and-drop functionality and filtering by file types.
e) lightning:flow: – Now you can add your flows to your custom components and apps by using the lightning:flow Lightning component.
f) lightning:progressIndicator (Beta): – Now it is possible to create a visual indication on the progress of a particular process. You can create two types of indicators: base (default) or path.
2) Meet the Refreshed LockerService API Viewer:- The LockerService API Viewer has a streamlined user interface and visual design based on the Salesforce Lightning Design System. The API viewer lets you explore properties available on the secure versions of essential JavaScript DOM APIs, such as a window. Use the API viewer to compare browser-supported objects to their secure versions—for example, window and SecureWindow—to uncover compatibility considerations.
3) Create Custom Page Templates with Lightning Components:- Now you are no longer limited to the standard templates available for Lightning records, apps, and Home pages. Take your existing business needs, and create a custom page template of your own that has the structure and components that you define. Add as many regions as you need including custom styling. For instructions on creating a custom page template component, plus complete sample code, see the Lightning Components Developer Guide.
4) Use Lightning Data Service to Perform Record Operations Without Apex Code:- Use Lightning Data Service (LDS) to load, create, edit, or delete a record in your component, without using Apex code. LDS is the Lightning Components’ counterpart to the Visualforce standard controller, providing access to the data displayed on a page. It improves performance and data consistency across your components.
Without LDS, each component, within an app, makes independent server calls to perform CRUD operations on a record – even if all the components app pull from the same record data. As we all know, each redundant server call reduces performance and potentially leads to inconsistencies, creating situations where a server call refreshes one component, leaving the other components out of date.
LDS identifies and eliminates requests that involve the same record data, by sending a single shared data request that updates all relevant components. Not only does this eliminate situations where components can have inconsistent data, but it also acts as a publisher hub that notifies components of data changes.
5) Translate Lightning Component Tabs:- Translation Workbench now supports translating the names of Lightning component tabs just like other tabs. Translate the names of your Lightning component tabs for all languages that – your org or component – supports; so that, your users and customers can work in their preferred language. If a translated version is available, Lightning component tab names display in the language of the current user.
To translate individual tabs, use Translation Workbench | Translate. First, select a language, and then choose Web Tab for the Setup Component. Lightning component tabs available to translate are displayed in a list.
Note: – You can download release notes in HTML format! , or as a PDF file.
What are your favorite Winter’18 release note gems?
Technical Editor and Proofreader: - Munira Majmundar
Thanks a lot Rakesh for this full of knowledge article !!!
🙂
Excellent Rakesh. It helps without reading all.
Thank you, Anil! I am glad if it was helpful 🙂