Lightning leverages namespaces to segregate layers and functionality. Namespaces are used in the same way as other parts of the platform, with a prefix ahead of the artifact you wish to reference, such as a component. The following table lists some of the core namespaces provided with the platform and what framework can use them:
|
Namespace |
Framework |
Purpose |
|
lightning |
LWC and Aura |
Also known as base Lightning components, these are discussed in further detail in the following section. |
|
aura |
Aura only |
Based on the core framework used to build Lightning, Aura, this remains an open source framework managed by Salesforce. Core components and markup are defined in this namespace. Aspects of this namespace are designed to be agnostic of the hosting platform. You can run Aura on a Java stack if you want to! |
|
force |
Aura only |
Contains aspects that relate to the Force.com platform, such as knowledge of SObjects and components that replicate the Custom Object layout UI in Lightning. The force:inputField and force:ouptutField components mimic those found in Visualforce under the apex namespace. It contains interfaces that are used when integrating into Lightning Experience and Salesforce Mobile containers. |
|
forceCommunity |
Aura only |
Represents interfaces used to integrate components into the Lightning Community container. |
|
ui |
Aura only |
Includes reusable UI components for basic form-based user experiences. These components predate the SLDS and, thus, are not styled with it by default. You can apply SLDS styles yourself. In terms of the roadmap, Salesforce is focusing on the lightning namespace going forward. |
The following screenshot shows the Lightning Web Component documentation page:
As you can see, going to this page is a good way to discover all of the supported namespaces and components within them, including those exposed from packages installed in the org.