Build Applications Programmatically on the Salesforce Platform

Are you a programmer who wants to understand how to customize applications programmatically on the Salesforce platform? In this course, you will learn the core of the Apex programming language and Visualforce markup in order to customize your Salesforce applications.

You will get hands-on experience retrieving, manipulating, and storing data programmatically into data objects (sObjects). You will write custom logic using Apex triggers and classes, and test that logic using the built-in testing framework.

You will explore how Apex code interacts with declarative customizations on the platform, and the nuances of working on a multi-tenant platform. You’ll then examine common techniques for designing solutions in Apex. These activities will culminate in an exercise building a complex trigger that takes advantage of the declarative aspects of the platform.
You will get hands-on experience writing Visualforce pages to customize your user interface as well as a brief introduction to the Lightning Component framework.

Who should take this course?

This course is designed for programmatic developers, with a good understanding of core object-oriented programming concepts, who additionally have experience building declarative solutions on the Salesforce platform, and need to be able to write programmatic customizations to both the business logic and user interface layers using Apex and Visualforce. The course is also designed to help you prepare for the Salesforce Platform Developer I certification.

Prework

Prepare for the course with this Trailmix.

To prepare for this class, if you do not have experience building declarative solutions on the Salesforce platform, consider completing one of the following:

Trailhead Academy Course: DEX403 Declarative Development for Platform App Builders in Lightning Experience OR
Recommended minimum Pre-Work: Programmatic Development with Apex and Visualforce pre-work

To prepare for this class, if you are not programmatic developer, consider completing the following class to get an introduction to Object-Oriented Programming using Apex on the Lightning Platform

Trailhead Academy Course: Introduction to Object Orientated Programming using Apex on the Lightning Platform.

When you complete this course, you will be able to:

• Learn modern tools for developing on the Salesforce Platform using Visual Studio Code, the Salesforce Extension Pack and the Salesforce CLI
• Write business logic customizations using Apex triggers and classes. Those customizations will use SOQL and DML.
• Design programmatic solutions that take advantage of declarative customizations
• Describe how your trigger code works within the basics of the Save Order of Execution
• Describe some of the fundamental aspects of designing programs on a multi-tenant platform
• Write Visualforce markup and code to customize the user interface
• Use the built-in testing framework to test Apex and Visualforce

Lessons & Topics

No-Code Automation

• Create Formula Fields
• Create Roll-Up Summary Fields
• Understand Record Types and Dynamic Forms
• Review Additional Automation Tools

Apex Coding

• Define Apex
• Identify Key Characteristics of Apex and Other Coding Languages
• Examine the Role of Transactions and Governor Limits in Writing Apex
• Build a Simple Apex
• Discover sObjects, Primitive Data Types, and Basic Control Statements

Org Data Retrieval Using SOQL & SOSL

• Define SOQL
• Write a Basic SOQL Query
• Process Query Results with Apex
• Create a Query Dynamically at Run-Time
• Define a Relationship Query
• Query Parent-Child Relationships Using SOQL
• Write Child-to-Parent and Parent-to-Child Relationship Queries
• Define SOSL
• Search Data Using SOSL

Org Data Manipulation Using DML

• Define DML
• Identify Different Methods for Invoking DML Operations
• Use Apex to Invoke DML Operations and Handle DML Errors

Deployment

• Define Deployment
• Deploy Code Using Change Sets
• Examine Managed, Unmanaged, and Unlocked Packages
• Explore Salesforce DX
• Discover the Salesforce DevOps Center

Apex Trigger Essentials

• Define Apex Triggers
• Review Apex Trigger Use Cases
• Examine Trigger Definition Syntax
• Use Trigger Context Variables

Apex Class Essentials

• Define Apex Classes
• Review Apex Class Use Cases
• Identify Apex Class Data Access Capabilities

Order of Execution, Apex Transactions, & Platform Events

• Define the Salesforce Order of Execution
• Discover How Triggers May be Used and Impacted by the Order of Execution
• Examine the Apex Transaction Lifecycle
• Learn Static Attributes of Memory Lifecycles
• Implement Error Logging Using Platform Events

Apex Testing

• Define the Apex Testing Framework
• Create Apex Test Data
• Write and Run an Apex Test
• Review Apex Testing Best Practices

Design Strategies for Efficient Apex Solutions

• Identify Apex Code Writing Best Practices
• Use Input Data Batches to Write Apex Triggers and Classes
• Write Efficient Database Querying and DML Code

Apex Trigger Design Strategies

• Define No-Code Solutions to Implement Complex Business Logic
• Improve Pro-Code Solutions Using No-Code Functionality

Visualforce

• Create a Basic Visualforce Page
• Reference Standard Controllers
• Display Record Data in a Visualforce Page
• Reference Custom Controllers and Controller Extensions
• Utilize List Controllers
• Identify Fundamental Considerations for Visualforce Development

Lightning Web Components

• Review the Lightning Component Framework
• Examine Aura and Lightning Web Component Structure
• Create Custom Lightning Web Components
• Create a Custom Lightning Application
• Utilize Lightning Web Component Properties and Events
• Display and Modify Record Data
• Reference Base Lightning Web Components
• Reference the Salesforce Lightning Design System
• Surface Custom Lightning Web Components