In Salesforce Flows, creating a seamless and interactive user experience often involves making your screen elements work together dynamically. Imagine this: you have multiple Avonni Data Components on a single Flow screen – perhaps a Picklist, a Lookup, and a Data Table. Wouldn't it be great if interacting with one component (e.g., selecting a value from the Picklist) instantly updated the others to display only relevant information? This is the power of reactive filtering and component communication, and when you're using Avonni Components in Flow Builder, building such dynamic interactions is easier than you might think.

This post will guide you through a streamlined approach to implementing reactive filtering using Text Templates, a powerful feature that simplifies query logic and enhances maintainability within your Flows.

Why Reactive Filtering Matters for Data Tables

Reactive filtering allows your Flow's data tables to communicate with each other dynamically. When a user interacts with one table (e.g., selects a row), other tables on the screen can automatically update based on that interaction. This creates a more intuitive and efficient experience, eliminating the need for manual filtering or refreshing.

Implementing Dynamic Filtering: The Traditional Approach

Traditionally, achieving reactive filtering in Salesforce Flows often involved crafting complex formula text variables. These formulas act like SOQL WHERE clauses, defining the filter criteria that determine which records to display.

For instance, to filter a Contacts table based on a selected Account, you might have used a formula like this:

"Account.Id = '" & {!AccountDataTable.firstSelectedRow.Id} & "'"

While this works, it quickly becomes unwieldy. The need to concatenate strings and variables using double quotes (" ") and ampersands (&) makes the formulas hard to read, debug, and maintain, especially as filter logic grows more complex.

The Simpler Solution: Text Templates

Text Templates offer a more elegant and efficient way to manage filter logic in your Flows. They provide a dedicated space to define your filter criteria, keeping your formulas clean and organized. Here's how they work:

How to Use Text Templates for Reactive Filtering

• Create a Text Template: In Flow Builder, create a new resource and select "Text Template." Set the "View As" option to "Plain Text". Give your template a descriptive name (e.g., AccountContactFilter).
• Define Your Filter Logic: Inside the Text Template, write your filter criteria directly, as if you were writing a SOQL WHERE clause. The beauty is: you don't need the extra quotes and ampersands!

Account.Id = {!AccountDataTable.firstSelectedRow.Id}


• Use the Text Template in Your Avonni Data Table: In the Avonni Data Table component where you want to apply the filter, reference the Text Template you created in the Filter field.

Example: Filtering Opportunities by Selected Accounts and Stage

Let's say you have a Data Table displaying Opportunities and you want to filter them based on a list of selected Accounts from another Data Table, excluding Opportunities in the 'Closed Won' or 'Closed Lost' stages.

Formula (Traditional Approach):

"AccountId IN ("&{!dataTable.selectedRowsKeyValueCommaSeparated}&") AND StageName NOT IN ('Closed Won','Closed Lost')"

Text Template (Simplified Approach):

AccountId IN ({!dataTable.selectedRowsKeyValueCommaSeparated}) AND StageName NOT IN ('Closed Won', 'Closed Lost')


Then you simply refer this text template in the filter attribute of your Data Table component.

Benefits of Using Text Templates with Avonni Components

• Improved Readability: Your filter logic is now clean and easy to understand, resembling standard SOQL.
• Simplified Maintenance:  Updating filter criteria is as simple as editing the Text Template. No more wrestling with complex string concatenation!
• Reduced Errors:  The straightforward syntax minimizes the risk of errors that can occur with intricate formulas.
• Reusable Logic: Text Templates can be reused across multiple Data Tables or even different Flows, promoting consistency and saving you time.
• Works Great with Avonni Components: The Avonni Data Table component is designed to work seamlessly with Text Templates, allowing you to directly reference them in the filter field.

A Note on Syntax Validation

While Text Templates offer significant advantages, it's important to remember that they don't have a built-in syntax checker like formula variables. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure your filter logic is syntactically correct. Thoroughly testing your Flows in a sandbox environment before deploying them to production is always recommended.

Conclusion

Text Templates are a game-changer for building reactive data tables in Salesforce Flows, especially when using the powerful features of Avonni Components. They simplify the process of creating dynamic filters, making your Flows more readable, maintainable, and user-friendly. Embrace this approach to unlock a new level of efficiency and create truly interactive experiences for your users