Visualforce Developer Guide

Introducing Visualforce
Tools for Visualforce Development
Getting a Quick Start with Visualforce
Customizing the Appearance and Output of Visualforce Pages
Standard Controllers
Standard List Controllers
Custom Controllers and Controller Extensions
What are Custom Controllers and Controller Extensions?
Build a Custom Controller
Building a Controller Extension
Building a Custom List Controller
Controller Methods
Controller Class Security
Working with Large Sets of Data
Considerations for Creating Custom Controllers and Controller Extensions
Order of Execution in a Visualforce Page
Testing Custom Controllers and Controller Extensions
Validation Rules and Custom Controllers
Using the transient Keyword
Live Controller (Pilot)
Advanced Examples
Overriding Buttons, Links, and Tabs with Visualforce
Using Static Resources
Creating and Using Custom Components
Dynamic Visualforce Bindings
Dynamic Visualforce Components
Integrating Email with Visualforce
Visualforce Charting
Creating Maps with Visualforce
Render Flows with Visualforce
Templating with Visualforce
Developing Salesforce Apps with Visualforce
Adding Visualforce to a Salesforce AppExchange App
Using JavaScript in Visualforce Pages
Communicating Across the DOM with Lightning Message Service
Best Practices
Standard Component Reference
Appendices
Glossary
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Custom Controllers and Controller Extensions

Standard controllers can provide all the functionality you need for a Visualforce page because they include the same logic that is used for a standard page. For example, if you use the standard Accounts controller, clicking a Save button in a Visualforce page results in the same behavior as clicking Save on a standard Account edit page.

However, if you want to override existing functionality, customize the navigation through an application, use callouts or Web services, or if you need finer control for how information is accessed for your page, you can write a custom controller or a controller extension using Apex: