Action function in salesforce

• With action function you can directly invoke the controller method from javascript function using ajax request.

• Action function  must be called from javascript function or from a client side event such as onclick.

Syntax:

<apex:actionFunction name="somename" action="{!callControllerMethod}" reRender="someid"/>

Let's take an example for creating contact,

Visualforce page:

<apex:page controller="createcontact">

<script>

  

  function javascriptmethod()      // javascript method

  {

  

  createcon();                                       //  calling action function

  alert('contact created');

  

  }

  </script>

  

  <apex:form id="test">

  

  <apex:inputText value="{!contactname}"/>

  <apex:commandButton value="Create contact" onclick="javascriptmethod()"/>

  

  

  <apex:actionFunction name="createcon" action="{!callControllerMethod}" reRender="test"/>   //Action attribute for calling controller method

  

  </apex:form>

</apex:page>

Controller:

public class createcontact{

public string contactname{get;set;}

public void callControllerMethod()

{

contact obj=new contact();

obj.lastname=contactname;

insert obj;

}

}

Do, we visit action support function as well.