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Salesforce is one of the most transformative technologies in the modern business world. Not just software; it’s a platform that has revolutionized how companies interact with their customers. What started as a bold idea has blossomed into a world-leading cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that helps companies of all sizes manage relationships, streamline operations, and provide customer service.
In this post, we’ll explore Salesforce’s history, examine the role of developers within the ecosystem, and give an overview of Apex – the language behind its customization.
While writing this, I added link tags to all terms I encountered where an uninitiated reader might appreciate an explanation. In doing so, I realized I’d made myself a handy resource too: one page with all the definitions. One page to bind them, if you’ll allow. I hope you find it useful as well.
From a Great Idea to a Global Leader
Salesforce was founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez. The idea behind it was cloud computing, which was innovative thinking at the time. Before Salesforce, businesses relied on expensive, on-premises CRM solutions that required significant IT resources for setup and maintenance. Benioff envisioned something different – offering CRM software-as-a-service (SaaS) accessible through the cloud.
By 2004, Salesforce went public on the New York Stock Exchange, and its stock has since skyrocketed, reflecting its immense growth and market impact. The company continued to push boundaries from there, introducing new products like Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, and Marketing Cloud, covering all aspects of customer interaction.
Salesforce released Trailhead in 2014, a free online learning platform, further broadening the appeal. Other innovations followed. I’m particularly interested in an artificial intelligence platform launched in September 2016 that supports several of Salesforce’s cloud services called Einstein.
And Salesforce is now much more than just CRM. It’s an ecosystem of tools and platforms, built on a robust and highly customizable infrastructure. Key acquisitions like Tableau (for analytics) and MuleSoft (for API management) have helped Salesforce remain at the forefront of the industry. The company’s AppExchange also became a game-changer, offering thousands of third-party applications that integrate seamlessly with the Salesforce platform.
As companies increasingly turn to digital transformation, Salesforce continues to evolve, helping businesses harness the power of data, automation, and artificial intelligence to enhance customer experiences.
The Role of Developers in Salesforce
While Salesforce offers powerful out-of-the-box features that non-technical users can configure through clicks, there’s often a need for deeper customization and automation. This is where developers come in. Developers play a crucial role in extending the platform’s capabilities, ensuring that Salesforce fits the specific needs of every business.
Writing custom code in Apex is fun. If you’re building workflows, integrating third-party applications, or creating visually stunning user interfaces with Lightning Web Components (LWC), you can tailor Salesforce to virtually any business process.
Customization and Automation
At its core, Salesforce is designed to be customizable. Admins and developers work together to create the optimal Salesforce environment for each business. While admins handle simpler changes like adding fields or adjusting layouts, developers handle more complex tasks like custom Apex triggers to automate business processes or developing Visualforce pages for custom user interfaces.
Developers write code that drives Salesforce functionality beyond what can be accomplished with point-and-click tools. They create custom objects, fields, and validation rules. They also develop the complex logic that drives workflows, ensuring that Salesforce responds dynamically to user actions and business events.
Integrations and API Development
One powerful aspect of Salesforce is its ability to integrate with external systems. Developers use Salesforce API capabilities to connect the platform with third-party applications, data sources, and custom software. This allows businesses to exchange data between systems and build a unified tech ecosystem that leverages Salesforce as a core hub for customer data.
Continuous Deployment and the Development Lifecycle
Salesforce developers operate in a highly iterative environment. With multiple sandboxes and development environments available, developers can work on new features, test their code in isolated environments, and then deploy changes using tools like Change Sets, Salesforce DX, or third-party DevOps solutions like Gearset or Copado.
Salesforce also follows a regular release schedule, with three major releases a year—Winter, Spring, and Summer. Each release brings new features, requiring developers to stay up-to-date and ensure compatibility with existing code. This dynamic cycle keeps developers engaged in continuous learning and improvement, ensuring they keep pace with the platform’s rapid evolution.
An Overview of the Apex Language
Apex is Salesforce’s proprietary programming language, exclusive to the platform. Apex allows developers to add business logic to most system events, including button clicks, record updates, and scheduled jobs. It’s a strongly typed, object-oriented language that resembles Java, making it relatively easy to pick up for developers with a background in Java or C#.
Here’s what makes Apex unique and powerful within the Salesforce environment:
1. Strong Language
Strongly typed means that every variable must have a specific data type (such as String, Integer, Boolean, etc.). This ensures that the code is predictable and consistent. It also helps catch errors at compile-time rather than at runtime, making the development process smoother.
2. Easy Objects
Apex follows the object-oriented programming (OOP) paradigm. Developers can define classes, create objects, and use inheritance, interfaces, and polymorphism. This allows developers to structure their code modular and reusable, making it easier to maintain and extend over time.
3. Built for Multitenancy
One of the key challenges Salesforce developers face is working in a multitenant environment, where resources are shared across multiple users. No single tenant monopolizes resources because Apex has built-in governor limits. These limits prevent excessive CPU, memory, and database abuse. While governor limits can be frustrating, they force developers to write highly efficient code.
4. Seamless Integration
Apex is deeply integrated with Salesforce’s data model. Developers can query Salesforce data directly using SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language), which is similar to SQL. With SOQL, developers can retrieve and manipulate records from the Salesforce database in just a few lines of code.
Apex also supports DML (Data Manipulation Language) operations, allowing developers to create, update, delete, or undelete records. These operations trigger events in Salesforce, such as workflow rules, processes, and triggers, providing the foundation for powerful automation.
5. Asynchronous Operations
Asynchronous Apex supports asynchronous processing, enabling developers to run long-running operations apart from the request-response cycle. Features like @future methods, Batch Apex, Queueable Apex, and Scheduled Apex let developers process large datasets, schedule jobs, and improve performance without hitting governor limits.
6. Best on Test
All Apex code requires unit tests. Code cannot be deployed to production without at least 75% test coverage. This ensures that any code changes are thoroughly tested, reducing the risk of bugs and system failures. Apex provides built-in support for unit testing, allowing developers to write tests that cover every possible scenario.
Snappy Trails
I was introduced to Salesforce in June 2024. My experience has been both challenging and rewarding. I started exploring the platform through Trailhead, which has been a reliable resource guiding me through the ins and outs.
I’ve acquired 82 badges, over 55,000 points, and completed 12 trails. I also attained the rank of Expeditioner along the way and am now working on the Apex Specialist Superbadge. The trouble-free learning arc offered by Trailhead sped the process up immensely.
The Apex Specialist Superbadge has been an enlightening experience. It’s designed to test your knowledge of Apex in real-world scenarios. The badge has pushed me to refine my skills in writing efficient Apex code, handling bulk operations, and adhering to Salesforce best practices.
In addition, I tackled a plethora of Apex practice problems to improve my problem-solving skills and deepen my understanding. See my solutions here on my GitHub if you’re interested. Lastly, I’m preparing for the Platform App Builder and Platform Developer I certifications, which will mark significant milestones along the trail.
Salesforce has empowered me to bring ideas to life, whether automating tedious tasks, integrating Salesforce with external applications, or building custom solutions tailored to specific business needs. I’ve learned that Salesforce is more than just a CRM; it’s a platform for innovation, and as a developer, the possibilities are endless.
The Road Goes On
Salesforce’s rise from a small cloud-based CRM company to a global leader in customer relationship management is a testament to its innovation and adaptability. Developers are at the heart of this ecosystem, using tools like Apex to customize and extend the platform’s functionality.
It’s been a journey of learning, experimentation, and growth. As I continue to build my skills and work toward certification, I’m excited to see how far I can push the boundaries of what’s possible with Salesforce. Whether you’re an admin, a developer, or a business user, Salesforce provides the tools you need to succeed in today’s fast-paced, customer-centric world.
Image credit: Photo by Magda Ehlers
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