Mastering State Management in Titan Web: A Senior Implementer’s Guide to Global & Page Variables
Category: Titan Web / Technical Implementation
Read Time: 6 Minutes
Introduction
If you have taken the Web Essentials course at the Titan Academy, you know that variables are containers for data. But in the real world of enterprise implementation, variables are much more than that, they are the nervous system of your application.
As a Senior Implementer, I often see projects that “work” but are slow or buggy because of how data is handled. The difference between a clunky form and a seamless application often comes down to one thing: State Management.
In this guide, I will expand on the concepts from my Titan – Global & Page Variables article to show you how to architect scalable solutions.
The Hierarchy: When to Use What?
The first step in any complex build is deciding where your data lives.
1. Page Variables: The Local Worker
Page variables exist only as long as the user is on that specific page.
- The Academy Basic: Create a variable to hold a calculated value.
- The Senior Strategy: Use Page Variables for UI Logic, not just data.
- Scenario: You have a 5-step wizard on a single page. Instead of using 5 different URLs, use a Page Variable called currentStep.
- Logic: When currentStep equals 2, show Group B and hide Group A. This makes the experience instant for the user because you aren’t reloading the browser; you are just toggling visibility based on a local variable.
2. Global Variables: The Red Thread
Global variables persist across the entire session, regardless of page navigation.
- The Academy Basic: Use them to store the User ID.
- The Senior Strategy: Use Global Variables to reduce API calls.
- Scenario: A client portal where the user’s Company Name appears in the header on every page.
- The Mistake: Doing a Salesforce “Get” on every page load to fetch the Company Name.
- The Fix: Fetch the Company Name once upon login, store it in a Global Variable, and reference that variable on every header. This reduces Salesforce API consumption by 80% on high-traffic portals.
The “Silent Listener” Pattern
This is an advanced technique I use for complex clients. Instead of tying Salesforce Pushes directly to a button click (which can be hard to debug), I tie them to a variable change.
- Create a Global Variable called v_ActionTrigger.
- Set a Condition on this variable: “If value equals ‘SAVE_CASE’, then execute Salesforce Push.”
- On the Button: You simply set the variable to ‘SAVE_CASE’.
Why do this? It decouples your UI from your logic. You can trigger that save from a button, a timer, or another automated process simply by changing the variable’s value. It creates a cleaner, more modular architecture.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Variable Pollution: Don’t create a new variable for every field. If you are mapping a Contact, map the fields directly to the elements. Only use variables for data manipulation or hidden logic.
- Security Risks: Never store sensitive data (like Social Security Numbers or Passwords) in Project Variables that are mapped to the URL parameters. Always use System or Global variables that are hidden from the browser address bar.
Conclusion
Variables allow you to move from building “forms” to building “applications.” By mastering the scope of your data, you ensure your Titan Web project is fast, secure, and scalable.
Need help architecting a complex Titan Web flow?
At Titanixforce, we specialize in turning complex requirements into elegant variable logic.
Contact us today for a Variable Logic Audit
