3 Components

[JodieM]

We've got the main Indicators Component up and running... we need some additional features, but it does the job.
We had thought about two additional components that fit within the paradigm of the way we set up the Custom Metadata. The first one is an Exceptions Grid and the second is a Highlights Panel.

• The Exceptions Grid is a way to quickly see at a glance which key data has not been entered in your record, or entered incorrectly. This is helpful for when you have an Integration or a Document Generation or even a Flow that creates new records from that record, and you can help users ensure that the record is all filled in correctly before they "press the button".
• The Highlights panel is a way to get around the limitations of the existing highlights panel where it can not show different fields for different users or different Record Types. This is not going to solve ALL the issues (eg we can't fix lookup Hovers, and we can't replace the existing Highlights Panel), but it will be really helpful regardless.

The fields on the CMDT that run the Indicators component are almost enough to also run the Grid and Highlights components too.
So, how about if we just have 3 components, that you can use interchangeably? One displays the data as an Indicator, one displays the data in a Grid, and another displays the data in a Panel.

So one Indicator can be set up as both a True / False Indicator, an Exception in case of False, or a Value to return in a Panel, and depending which component you drag onto the page will determine how it will look. This may be a lofty goal, and it may have to be done in conjunction with our Setup LWCs to make more sense, but let's see if we can do it, and if it adds value to our Admins and their users.

The reasons for the additional components are:

• I want to quickly see at a glance the values that will be merged into my Contract document before I click the button.
• I want to quickly see at a glance if there are any fields that I have not entered that are needed for my Contract document to generate correctly.
• My Contract document generates differently depending on the values in 4 key fields. I would like to see those fields right next to the button so that I can see which type of document it will generate before I click the button.
• I have so many fields on my record, I would love a summary of the main fields I use "above the fold" so I don't have to scroll.
• The Integration with our external system relies on so many fields being filled in and it is time consuming to go back and fix the issues if the integration fails. I would like to see which fields I've missed before sending the record to the integration.
• If a donor is deceased I still need to keep their details to know how much they have donated. But I need a clear visual indicator on the page that they are deceased. I would like to see the word DECEASED directly below their name, and preferably in RED.
• I have both Donors and Constituents. If the Contact is a Donor I would like to see their latest donation details in the highlights panel. If they are a constituent I would like to see their location details in the highlights panel.

Now, there are a few ways these problems can be resolved with standard Salesforce functionality but none quite hit the spot:

• Validation Rules are a "blunt instrument" and are annoying to users who don't read the message - it's just a big red error to them.
• Validation Rules lead to users typing XXX in to get past the rule, then the Contract document is generated with XXX in it, and that's just embarrassing for us.
• If a field is updated by a Flow that then triggers a Validation Rule the users get a red Exception Message rather than a useful Validation message.
• The idea of a "soft validation rule" has been floated but nothing is even on the roadmaps yet.
• Dynamic Forms may be able to be used to display "summary fields" or fields in different locations, but we can't use Dynamic Forms in so many cases yet and the roadmap is still years out to make Dynamic Forms useable.
• I could build a Flow but that then takes a lot of work (Dynamic Forms for Flows don't work well enough yet), and flows are a bit slow to load on the page, and take ongoing maintenance.
• And there is no way to make Flows look like regular fields on the page... so it's always going to be disruptive to the user

Examples:

• Is Deceased - Field: IsDeceased__c, Value: True, Display Text: "DECEASED", Text Style: "color:red", Hover Text: "This Contact is Deceased", Icon: "standard:first_non_empty", Exception Message: The Contact is Deceased -Integration will error"
  • Icon: Show Icon Only: Redish coloured X with the hover text shown on hover
  • Exception: Show Exceptions: Field Name: Is Deceased, Value: DECEASED, Exception: The Contact is Deceased - Integration will error.
  • Panel: Show Field Names: Field Name: Is Deceased, Value: DECEASED in red font.