Salesforce has become the most sought-after CRM solution in the world. It has single-handedly streamlined the sales, marketing, and customer service processes.
Salesforce offers customers the much-needed flexibility of developing and marketing their applications without thinking about building the entire infrastructure.
Salesforce offers a much more convenient software as a service (SAAS) procedure, which enables organizations to manage their customer journey lifecycle without any additional expense.
Salesforce has launched Apex, an on-demand and multitenant programming language, which helps developers build next-generation business applications.
Apex has transformed the way on-demand apps are developed. In this Salesforce Apex Guide, we will help you learn about Apex, its concept, features, syntax, use cases, and more.
It is a strongly typed and object-oriented programming language available on the Salesforce platform. It is stored, compiled, and run entirely on the multi-tenant Force.com platform.
It acts like stored procedures and its syntax is very much like Java. It enables developers to associate business logic with the record-saving process. It offers in-built support for test creation and execution.
Apex enables developers to leverage Salesforce client-server interfaces and database access to build 3rd-party SaaS applications. Salesforce Apex’s development process allows you to customize pre-built applications to cater the complex business requirements.
Apex is completely operated via on-demand lighting platforms. The app data code is saved in the cloud, which assures easy storage and maintenance.
Apex is end-to-end compiled, stored, and run on the Lightning Platform. It allows developers to write code and store it on the platform, the end-users can utilize the interface to execute the Apex code.
Apex enables developers to write the code and save it on the app server. The app server then compiles the code using a set of instructions, which could be interpreted and acted upon by a runtime interpreter.
The end-users can execute the Apex code by clicking on buttons or accessing the Visualforce page. Once the application receives user actions, it responds by retrieving the compiled instructions and saving them as metadata.
The Apex platform is consisting of 3 tools:
It is an on-demand component, which offers limited features but still enables easy drag-and-drop customization. Apex Builder apps are very easy to build but must draw on business logic algorithms and predefined interface elements.
It is a full-fledged programming language used on Salesforce’s servers. Apex Code offers built-in methods to access the user data. It was launched and made available to the developers in Salesforce’s Winter 2007 edition.
It is a method of retrieving data from Salesforce’s servers. It is used by external programs, such as Java apps or other 3rd party apps, that require access to data on a client’s salesforce account.
You can build Apex code in the Sandbox or the developer edition in Salesforce. However, it is recommended to develop the code in the sandbox environment and then deploy it to the production environment.
Following are the three basic tools to build the Apex code in every Salesforce edition.
Apex applications do not require installation on a local PC, as they are hosted and function promptly from Salesforce’s servers.
End users can purchase required Apex apps from Salesforce AppExchange and integrate them as add-ons to their CRM solution.
The end-user can access the applications via the standard user interface. Once created, an APEX app could be published for private or public usage or could be treated as a proprietary add-on.
Here we have some important features offered by Apex for Salesforce developers and users:
Apex comes with java-like syntax, which is easy to understand. The learning curve for the developers is quite easy as variable declaration, loop syntax, array annotation, and conditional statement syntax are very similar to Java.
It is a strongly typed language, which assures well-handled data types and user requirements. It ensures a detailed and thorough code compilation process and prevents any sort of confusion at the runtime.
It offers strong support for DML exceptions and DML operations such as Insert, Delete, and Update. It can perform looping and process multiple records at one given time. All SOSL and SOQL queries could be handled with ease.
Apex is an integrated part of Salesforce; hence it is not required to upgrade it manually and separately. It upgrades automatically as a part of Salesforce. It prevents most of the upgrade-specific challenges for the developers and app owners.
Apex can function in a Multitenant Environment. The Apex runtime engine is developed to safeguard it from runaway code and control the shared resources. Any code that breaks the limits returns adequate error notifications.
It offers an easy method to execute the unit testing. The testing process confirms complete code execution before the integration of any code changes into the platform. It provides a comprehensive test report to the developers.
You can avail the following benefits by using employing the Salesforce Apex development process :
Apex works in a multitenant environment, which is a capability where a single instance of code can serve multiple tenants from a server. It enables a provider to make changes once and share them with all the tenants. It reduces the overall operating and maintenance costs.
Triggers are essential to maintain the functionality of your platform. In Apex, the Triggers can be used to perform Insert, Delete, and Update operations, or restrict operations if a certain condition is passed. Triggers can also be used for SOQL, DML, and customized Apex methods.
Apex enjoys the benefits of the Salesforce ecosystem, which is known for offering numerous support features. Apex comes with plenty of features and built-in support functions that make it easy for inexperienced users to write, debug, and deploy the Apex code easily.
Integrating new code poses a risk of making the app unproductive if it is not validated and deployed with accuracy. Apex offers better integrating methods to test the code before deployment to mitigate any potential errors.
Salesforce is famous for the strong security levels it maintains for its platform. Apex inherits the protective shield from the platform and ensures adequate security for applications you may develop. It also ensures your Metadata is protected from all sorts of security risks.
Apex let you customize and improve the overall functionality of your applications and processes by leveraging the capabilities of Salesforce’s backend.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Investment in infrastructure is not needed and Salesforce offers them all. | Unlike other programming languages, it is impossible to create threads in Apex. |
| App development is easier as developers can make changes to existing ones to suit their business requirements. | Developers must always keep in mind that the app they are building should handle multiple records, as apex requests usually return many records from the database. |
| Offers a strong security mechanism, complete Authentication, and Authorization to ensure secured access to the apps. | It cannot show the elements on the user interface. |
| It enables developers to access the Salesforce.com database and various other 3rd party SaaS apps. | It does not allow the developers to make changes to the standard function if needed. |
| It offers a cost-effective solution, with fewer licensing requirements. The overall cost and effort required for app maintenance are very low. | It is not possible to create temporary files in Apex. |
The following Apex Development Process is generally recommended:
Apex offers developers the interactive methods to build exceptional CRM apps that provide seamless access to the Salesforce database and client-server interfaces.
It comes with numerous pre-built features and lets you incorporate 3rd party SaaS apps to enhance the level of customization.
Apex is very handy in the following business use cases :
We hope this comprehensive Salesforce Apex Guide must have got most of your doubts cleared. You can use Apex Development services to incorporate specialized business logic into your Salesforce CRM platform. It will certainly help you expand the customer management capabilities of your enterprise.
If you are planning to venture into Apex development, then you can get in touch with our Salesforce Apex Consultants today. Arka Softwares is a certified Salesforce development services partner.
Our expert developers are competent in implementing the Apex methods, building business processes, and custom workflows that will enhance the capabilities of your business.
Apex Data types are the classification that indicates which type of data could be stored in a variable.
Below are the most common data types supported by Apex :
1. Collections
2. Primitive Data Type
3. sObjects
4. Enums
An Apex object is an instance of a class, which holds the behavior and state of a specific class. The moment you create an object, the memory for the data members is allocated automatically
Syntax:
Classname objectname = new Classname();
For example:
Class example {
\\code
}
Example e = new Example();
Here are some best practices you must adopt while coding in Apex.
• Always bulkify Your Code
• Always utilize SOQL for Loops
• Evade DML/SOQL Queries in Loops
• Avoid Hard-coded IDs
• Unequivocally declare Sharing Model
• Always use a Single Trigger per SObject Type
Sharing is a method of permitting a user or group of users to perform a set of actions on a set of records. Sharing access could be easily granted via the Lightning Platform, Salesforce user interface, or Apex programming.
You can call an Apex method with given parameters. In the object, you can pass the parameter’s value to an Apex method. Here you must ensure that object’s properties must be similar to the parameters of the Apex method.
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