Overview
In the Salesforce ecosystem, being comfortable with both configurations and customizations is essential for developers and administrators alike. Configurations refer to the process of adapting Salesforce to business needs using the platform's built-in capabilities without writing code. Customizations, on the other hand, involve coding to extend functionality beyond what's possible with configurations alone. Understanding the balance and application of both is crucial for efficient Salesforce development and deployment.
Key Concepts
- Declarative vs. Programmatic Solutions: Knowing when to use built-in configuration options versus custom Apex or Visualforce code.
- Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) and Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL): Essential for querying data within Salesforce.
- Apex Triggers and Classes: Writing custom business logic and handling data operations programmatically.
Common Interview Questions
Basic Level
- What is the difference between Salesforce configuration and customization?
- Can you explain what SOQL is and give a basic example?
Intermediate Level
- How would you decide whether to use a validation rule or an Apex trigger for a specific business requirement?
Advanced Level
- Describe an optimization strategy for bulkifying an Apex trigger in Salesforce.
Detailed Answers
1. What is the difference between Salesforce configuration and customization?
Answer: Configuration in Salesforce involves adjusting the platform's settings and options to meet business requirements without writing code. This includes creating custom objects, fields, workflows, and rules using the Salesforce setup menu. Customization, however, involves extending or altering the default Salesforce functionality using custom code, such as Apex, Visualforce, LWC, or integrating external systems via APIs. Configurations are generally easier to implement and maintain, while customizations offer more flexibility and power but require more technical expertise.
Key Points:
- Configurations are point-and-click solutions within Salesforce's setup menu.
- Customizations involve coding in Apex, Visualforce, or using APIs.
- Choosing between configuration and customization depends on the complexity and specific requirements of the business needs.
2. Can you explain what SOQL is and give a basic example?
Answer: SOQL, or Salesforce Object Query Language, is a query language used to search your organization’s Salesforce data for specific information. It is similar to SQL but is specifically designed for querying Salesforce data. SOQL allows developers to construct simple but powerful query strings to specify the records to return from a single object or to relate records from multiple objects.
Key Points:
- SOQL is used to query Salesforce data.
- It is similar to SQL but tailored for Salesforce.
- SOQL can retrieve records from one or more objects based on specific criteria.
Example:
// SOQL query to find the names of all Accounts in Salesforce
String soqlQuery = "SELECT Name FROM Account";
List<Account> accounts = Database.query(soqlQuery);
// Iterate through the list of accounts and print their names
for(Account acc : accounts) {
System.debug('Account Name: ' + acc.Name);
}
3. How would you decide whether to use a validation rule or an Apex trigger for a specific business requirement?
Answer: The choice between using a validation rule or an Apex trigger depends on the complexity and nature of the business logic you want to enforce. Validation rules are declarative and best suited for straightforward data validation that does not depend on complex logic or data from related records outside of basic parent-child relationships. Apex triggers should be used for more complex scenarios requiring conditional logic, calculations that span across multiple objects, or when data manipulation is needed before records are saved.
Key Points:
- Validation rules are simpler and easier to implement for basic data validation.
- Apex triggers offer more flexibility and are suited for complex business logic.
- Consider maintainability and performance impact when choosing between the two.
4. Describe an optimization strategy for bulkifying an Apex trigger in Salesforce.
Answer: Bulkifying an Apex trigger involves ensuring it can efficiently process large volumes of records in a single transaction. A common strategy is to use collections (e.g., Lists, Sets, Maps) to gather data within loops without performing DML operations or queries inside those loops. This approach minimizes the number of SOQL queries and DML operations, adhering to Salesforce governor limits and improving overall performance.
Key Points:
- Use collections to aggregate data before performing DML operations.
- Avoid SOQL queries or DML statements inside for loops.
- Test triggers with large data volumes to ensure they perform optimally under bulk operations.
Example:
trigger AccountTrigger on Account (before insert) {
// Initialize a List to hold new Account names
List<String> accountNames = new List<String>();
// Aggregate Account names into the List
for (Account acc : Trigger.new) {
accountNames.add(acc.Name);
}
// Example SOQL query outside of the for loop
List<Account> existingAccounts = [SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Name IN :accountNames];
// Further logic to process existing accounts
}
This structure ensures that the code is optimized for handling large sets of data efficiently, adhering to Salesforce's best practices for trigger development.
