Schema object name check results differ between managed package and a non-packaged code

Question

I've created a function that determines if an object is real and (in this case) setting a variable to true/false based in that result. That value is then used to set a vf variable that will later be used to show or hide an html element:

VF page section

<apex:variable var="hideRecurring" value="{!IF(!showRecurring,'hide-content','')}" />

VF Controller

this.showRecurring = Helper.isRealObjectName('npe03__Recurring_Donation__c');

Helper.isRealObjectName

public static Boolean isRealObjectName(String objName) {
    Boolean isReal = false;

    // Call global describe to get the map of string to token.
    Map<String, Schema.SObjectType> gd = Schema.getGlobalDescribe();

    // Get the token for the sobject based on the type.
    Schema.SObjectType st = gd.get(objName);

    if(null != st) {
        isReal = true;
    }

    return isReal;
}

This works fine in a development environment (showRecurring = true), however in a managed package it does not (showRecurring = false). npe03__Recurring_Donation__c exists in both places.

If I run the isRealObjectName logic in the Developer Console on the server with the managed package, "isReal" = true;

Is there anything in a managed package that would cause this behavior?

Answer 1

As per the comments, the details in About API and Dynamic Apex Access in Packages had the answer.

In particular, with the managed package API Access setting:

The developer of an AppExchange package can restrict API access for a package before uploading it to Force.com AppExchange. Once restricted, the package components receive Apex and API sessions that are restricted to the custom objects in the package. The developer can also enable access to specific standard objects, and any custom objects in other packages that this package depends on.

To access the custom object defined outside of the managed package it needed either unrestricted API access or explicit permissions to the custom object.