UI Update Based on Data Changes

Context

You use Salesforce to manage customer cases. A customer service rep is on the phone with a customer working on a case. The customer makes a payment, and the customer service rep needs to see a real-time update in Salesforce from the payment processing application, indicating that the customer has successfully paid the order’s outstanding amount.

Problem

When an event occurs in Salesforce, how can the user be notified in the Salesforce user interface without having to refresh their screen and potentially losing work?

Forces

There are various forces to consider when applying solutions based on this pattern:

Does the data being acted on need to be stored in Salesforce?
Can a custom user interface layer be built for viewing this data?
Will the user have access for invoking the custom user interface?

Solution

The recommended solution to this integration problem is to use the Salesforce Streaming API. This solution is composed of the following components:

A PushTopic with a query definition that allows you to:
- Specify what events trigger an update
- Select what data to include in the notification
A JavaScript-based implementation of the Bayeux protocol (currently CometD) that can be used by the user interface
A Visualforce page or Lightning component
A JavaScript library included as a static resource

Sketch

The following diagram illustrates how Streaming API can be implemented to stream notifications to the Salesforce user interface. These notifications are triggered by record changes in Salesforce.

UI Update in Salesforce Triggered by a Data Change UI Update Based on Data Changes Pattern

Results

Benefits

The application of the solution related to this pattern has the following benefits:

Eliminates the need for writing custom polling mechanisms
Eliminates the need for a user-initiated feedback loop

Unsupported Requirements

The solution has the following limitations:

Delivery of notifications isn’t guaranteed.
Order of notifications isn’t guaranteed.
Notifications aren’t generated from record changes made by Bulk API.

Security Considerations

Standard Salesforce org-level security is adhered to. It’s recommended that you use the HTTPS protocol to connect to Streaming API. See Security Considerations.

Sidebars

The optimal solution involves creating a custom user interface in Salesforce. It’s imperative that you account for an appropriate user interface container that can be used for rendering the custom user interface. Supported browsers are listed in the Streaming API Developer Guide.

Example

A telecommunications company uses Salesforce to manage customer cases. The customer service managers want to be notified when a case is successfully closed by one of their customer service reps.

Implementing the solution prescribed by this pattern, the customer should:

Create a PushTopic that sends a notification when a case is saved with a Status of “Closed” and Resolution of “Successful.”
Create a custom user interface available to customer service managers. This user interface subscribes to the PushTopic channel.
Implement logic in the custom user interface that shows alerts generated by that manager’s customer service reps.