Universal Containers (UC) has several custom Visualforce applications have been developed in which users are able to edit Opportunity records. UC struggles with data completeness on their Opportunity records and has decided to make certain fields required that have not been in the past. The newly required fields are dependent on the Stage of the Opportunity, such that certain fields are only required once an Opportunity advances to later stages. There are two fields. What is the simplest approach to handle this new requirement?
A.
Update the Opportunity page layout to mark these fields as required.
B.
Use a validation rule for each field that takes the Stage into consideration.
C.
Update these Opportunity field definitions in Setup to be required.
D.
Write an Apex trigger that checks each field when records are saved.
B.
Use a validation rule for each field that takes the Stage into consideration.
Explanation:
Validation rules provide the simplest, most maintainable solution for stage-dependent field requirements because they: 1) Can incorporate complex logic checking both field values and Stage; 2) Are declarative (no code maintenance); 3) Work across all interfaces (UI, API); and 4) Provide immediate user feedback. Page layout requirements (A) can't vary by Stage. Making fields universally required (C) is too rigid. Apex triggers (D) add unnecessary complexity for this straightforward requirement. The validation rule approach allows different fields to be required at different stages through conditions like: "AND(ISPICKVAL(Stage, 'Proposal'), ISBLANK(Proposal_Date__c))". Multiple rules can be created for different stage transitions, with clear error messages guiding users. This solution works seamlessly with existing Visualforce pages since validation rules execute regardless of how the record is saved. It's also easier to modify as business processes change compared to code solutions. The declarative nature reduces long-term maintenance costs while providing robust enforcement of the new data completeness requirements.