Published on

What is Salesforce Apex?

Authors

Salesforce Apex is the backend, business logic engine of Salesforce.

It is a strongly typed, object-oriented programming language designed for developing applications and functionalities within the Salesforce platform.

Similar to Java, tt allows developers to write custom business logic that runs on Salesforce servers.

Key Features of Apex

  1. Object-Oriented: Apex uses classes, objects, and inheritance, similar to Java or C#.
  2. Strongly Typed: Variables and method return types are explicitly defined.
  3. Cloud-Based: Apex code runs on Salesforce’s multi-tenant, on-demand cloud infrastructure.
  4. Tightly Integrated with Salesforce: Apex provides built-in support for Salesforce objects (like Account, Contact, Lead, etc.) and platform events.
  5. Database Integration: Developers can execute SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) and DML (Data Manipulation Language) statements directly in Apex.
  6. Governor Limits: Salesforce imposes limits (like CPU time, heap size, and SOQL query limits) to ensure fair use of resources in the multi-tenant environment.
  7. Bulk Processing: Apex supports bulk data processing with batch jobs, making it ideal for working with large datasets.

When to Use Apex

  1. Custom Business Logic: Create triggers and workflows to automate business processes.
  2. Custom APIs: Expose Salesforce functionality to external applications using REST/SOAP web services.
  3. Batch Processing: Handle large data sets efficiently using batch jobs or scheduled jobs.
  4. Custom Controllers for Visualforce or Lightning Components: Build dynamic, interactive user interfaces for Salesforce users.

Examples of Apex Usage

  1. Triggers: Automatically update a related record when a change occurs.
  2. Batch Jobs: Process thousands of records asynchronously, ideal for large data updates.
  3. Custom Web Services: Build endpoints for external apps to interact with Salesforce.
  4. Custom Validations: Write custom logic to validate inputs beyond standard validation rules.

Simple Apex Trigger Example

trigger AccountTrigger on Account (before insert, before update) {
    for(Account acc : Trigger.new) {
        if(acc.Industry == 'Technology') {
            acc.Description = 'This is a tech company.';
        }
    }
}

This trigger updates the Description field for Accounts that are part of the Technology industry.

Learn More

As always, please refer to the official Salesforce documentation here.

Discuss on X...