Salesforce Lightning Interview Questions

This section focuses on Salesforce Lightning, a key component of the Salesforce platform.

1. What is Salesforce Lightning?

Salesforce Lightning is a modern, component-based framework for building applications on the Salesforce platform. It's designed for both developers and business users, offering a user-friendly interface and efficient development tools.

2. Key Components of Salesforce Lightning.

  • Lightning Experience: The modern, redesigned user interface for Salesforce.
  • Lightning Component Framework: A JavaScript framework for building reusable UI components.
  • Lightning App Builder: A drag-and-drop tool for creating and customizing applications.
  • Lightning Design System: Style guides and best practices for consistent UI design.

3. Developing Salesforce Lightning Components.

You can develop Lightning components using two primary models:

  • Native Aura Components: The original Lightning component model.
  • Lightning Web Components: A newer, more modern model based on web standards.

4. Is Salesforce Lightning an MVC Framework?

No, it's a component-based framework.

5. What is Lightning Experience?

Lightning Experience is Salesforce's enhanced user interface, offering improved speed, performance, and a more modern look and feel.

6. Important Tools in Salesforce Lightning.

  • Lightning Component Framework: For building custom components.
  • Lightning App Builder: For visually designing applications.
  • Lightning Process Builder: For automating business processes.
  • Lightning Schema Builder: For managing Salesforce objects and fields.
  • Lightning Connect: For integrating with external data sources.

7. What is Aura, and the aura: Namespace?

Aura is the framework underlying the original Lightning Components. The aura: namespace contains the core components and building blocks for Aura development.

8. Aura Application Bundle.

An Aura application bundle groups together the various files that define a Lightning component (markup, controller logic, styles, etc.). It's a folder containing multiple files, not a single file like other metadata components.

9. Visualforce Components vs. Lightning Components.

Visualforce components primarily perform server-side rendering. Lightning components are client-side, making them more dynamic and responsive, especially for mobile.

10. Coexistence of Aura and Lightning Web Components.

Aura components can contain Lightning web components, but not vice-versa. You can share code between them using ES modules.

11. Types of Events in Salesforce Lightning Components.

  • System Events: Fired by the Lightning framework during the component lifecycle.
  • Application Events: Broadcast across the entire application.
  • Component Events: Used for communication between parent and child components.

12. Lightning Component Bundles.

A Lightning component bundle includes various files for a single component:

  • Component: Markup (HTML).
  • Controller: Client-side JavaScript logic.
  • Style: CSS styling.
  • Helper: Reusable JavaScript functions.
  • Document: Component documentation.
  • Renderer: Custom rendering logic.
  • SVG: Custom icons.
  • Design: Design files for app builders.

13. Use of Lightning Data Service.

Lightning Data Service simplifies data access in Lightning components. It handles data loading, CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, and security, reducing the need for Apex code.

14. Lightning Design System.

The Lightning Design System (LDS) provides UI style guides and best practices to create consistent and visually appealing Salesforce applications.

15. Events in Salesforce Lightning Components (Repeated from earlier).

Application, Component, and System Events, each with different scopes.

16. Aura Definition Bundle.

An Aura definition bundle is a container for an Aura definition (application, component, event, etc.) and its associated resources.

17. What is Lightning Out?

Lightning Out allows you to embed Lightning components into external websites or applications.

18. Component Events vs. Application Events.

Feature Component Event Application Event
Scope Parent-child communication Application-wide communication
Communication Bubbling and capturing Broadcasting

19. Types of Lightning Record Pages.

Three main types of Lightning record pages:

  • Record Page: Displays a single record's details.
  • App Page: Provides a home screen for an app.
  • Home Page: A user's main landing page within the application.

These are created and customized using the Lightning App Builder.

20. Implementing Interfaces in Lightning Components.

The implements keyword in Lightning components specifies interfaces. Interfaces provide access to additional context data and functionality. A component can implement multiple interfaces.

(A table listing the interfaces and their namespaces would be inserted here.)

21. Lightning Components vs. Visualforce Components.

Lightning components are client-side, providing a more dynamic and responsive user experience, especially on mobile devices. Visualforce components are primarily server-side, which results in a less responsive application.

22. Attributes in Lightning Components.

Attributes store values within a component. When defining an attribute, you specify its name, data type, access modifier, default value, and description. name and type are the required parameters.

23. Locker Service in Salesforce Lightning.

Locker Service enhances security in Lightning components by isolating components from each other. It prevents components from accessing or interfering with each other's data, protecting data integrity and overall security.

24. Using a Lightning Component in a Visualforce Page.

Use Lightning Out to embed Lightning components within Visualforce pages. This involves including the Lightning Out JavaScript library in the Visualforce page and using JavaScript to create and render the Lightning component.

25. What is FlexiPage?

A FlexiPage is the metadata representation of a Lightning page. It defines the layout and components of a customizable page in the Lightning Experience. These pages are stored as XML and deployed using deployment tools or the Metadata API.

26. Lightning Components and Mobile Apps.

Lightning components are designed with a mobile-first approach. Their responsive design ensures they adapt well to various screen sizes without requiring separate code for desktop and mobile.

27. lightning:navigation.

lightning:navigation is used for navigation within a Salesforce application. It allows you to navigate to different pages (record pages, object home pages, etc.) programmatically.

28. Server-Side vs. Client-Side in Lightning Components.

The component's JavaScript controller runs client-side. Apex controllers run server-side and handle data interactions.

29. Attribute Data Types in Lightning Components.

Lightning component attributes can store various data types:

  • Boolean
  • Number (Decimal, Integer)
  • String
  • Date
  • DateTime
  • Object (Map, Set)

30. Integrating Lightning Components with Other Frameworks.

Yes, it's possible to integrate Lightning components with other frameworks (like Angular) using appropriate techniques.

31. Phases of Application Event Propagation.

  1. Capture Phase
  2. Target Phase
  3. Bubble Phase

32. lightning:recordEditForm.

lightning:recordEditForm provides a form for editing or creating Salesforce records. It uses lightning:inputField for editable fields and lightning:outputField for read-only fields.

33. Lightning Components for Mobile and Desktop.

Lightning components are responsive and work seamlessly across mobile and desktop interfaces.

34. Adding Aura Components to Visualforce.

Use Lightning Out. This involves including the Lightning Out JavaScript library in your Visualforce page and using JavaScript to create and render the Aura components.

35. ui:message vs. lightning:message.

lightning:message includes the Lightning Design System's styling, while ui:message does not.

36. aura:method Tag.

The aura:method tag defines methods that can be called from other components (client-side). This provides a cleaner alternative to using component events for communication.

37. Inheriting Styles in Lightning Components.

Yes, Lightning components can inherit styles from their parent components.

38. Action Providers and Value Providers.

Action providers manage events and actions. Value providers supply values for component attributes.

39. Including External Libraries in Lightning Components.

You can include external JavaScript and CSS libraries using static resources.

40. Getting the Current Record ID.

Use the force:hasRecordId interface to access the current record ID. This is mainly relevant when the component is used within a record page context.

41. What is a Scratch Org?

A scratch org is a temporary, disposable Salesforce org used for development and testing. It's automatically created and can be easily discarded when finished.

42. Popups (Modals) in Lightning Components.

Popups or modal boxes overlay the main application UI. They're commonly used for displaying forms, messages, wizards, or any content that needs to be presented in a separate, focused context.

43. force:appHostable Interface.

The force:appHostable interface enables a Lightning component to be used as a custom tab within the Salesforce application or mobile app.

44. Defining Field-Level Security in Lightning Components.

Use components like lightning:recordEditForm and the force:recordData provider to control which fields are visible and editable in a form based on the user's permissions.

45. Global Value Providers in Salesforce Lightning.

Global value providers supply context information to Lightning components:

  • $globalId: Provides access to the current user's ID.
  • $Label: Accesses custom labels defined in your Salesforce org.
  • $Locale: Provides the user's locale settings.
  • $Browser: Provides information about the user's browser.
  • $Resource: Allows access to static resources.

46. Displaying Loading Spinners.

Use the lightning:spinner component to visually indicate loading or processing activity in your Lightning components.

47. Capture Phase vs. Bubble Phase Event Propagation.

Event propagation refers to how events flow through the component hierarchy. The capture phase starts at the root and moves down to the target element, while the bubble phase starts at the target element and moves up to the root.