Separations of concerns in Salesforce development

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The concept of SOC, or Separation of Concerns, is a software design principle that promotes the modularization of code into distinct sections, each handling a specific aspect of the application’s functionality. This separation makes the code more organized, easier to manage, and more scalable. In Salesforce, applying SOC helps to create a cleaner, more efficient codebase that is easier to maintain and debug.

Key Components in Salesforce Where SOC is Applied

  1. Triggers and Handler Classes: Salesforce best practices suggest using triggers primarily as a point of entry to delegate logic to handler classes. This separation allows the triggers to stay clean and only direct traffic, while the logic handling is offloaded to the handlers.

    Example:

    • Trigger: A trigger on the Account object that fires on updates.
    • Handler Class: An AccountTriggerHandler class that processes the logic needed when an Account is updated, such as validating field values or updating related records.

    Use Case: When an account’s address changes, related contacts may need their addresses updated. The trigger detects the change, and the handler class processes the bulk of the logic to update the contacts.

  2. Service and Domain Layers: These layers abstract business logic and database operations, respectively, which helps in managing large applications with complex business rules.
    • Service Layer: Encapsulates the business logic specific to the application. It’s an intermediary between the presentation layer (like Visualforce pages or Lightning components) and the data access layer.
    • Domain Layer: Contains logic that directly interacts with the database (CRUD operations).

    Example: A service class might handle the complex calculations and business rules for processing a sales order, while a domain class ensures that all data manipulations follow the organizational data policies.

    Use Case: Processing a sales order where the service layer calculates discounts based on the order quantity and customer segment, and the domain layer ensures all data is correctly saved to the database.

  3. Visualforce Pages and Controllers: In the context of MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture, keeping the business logic out of Visualforce pages and inside controllers or Apex classes adheres to SOC.

    Example: A Visualforce page is designed to display information, while an Apex controller handles data retrieval and manipulation.

    Use Case: A Visualforce page showing a custom report of sales data where the page itself only handles presentation, and the controller processes the data to be displayed, such as aggregating sales by region.

  4. Batch Apex and Queueable Jobs: For handling large data or asynchronous processing, separating these operations from synchronous transaction logic is crucial.

    Example: Using Batch Apex for data migration tasks and Queueable Apex for chaining asynchronous jobs.

    Use Case: Migrating historical data where a Batch Apex job processes records in batches, ensuring large datasets do not exceed governor limits, and using Queueable Apex to handle follow-up tasks once batches complete.

Benefits of Applying SOC in Salesforce

  • Easier Maintenance: Changes in one part of the application do not affect others, reducing the risk of introducing bugs.
  • Enhanced Scalability: Each component can be scaled independently, allowing for more efficient resource management.
  • Improved Testability: Isolated components can be tested separately, making unit tests simpler and more reliable.

Implementing SOC in Salesforce development practices leads to a robust, scalable, and maintainable codebase, helping organizations adapt quickly to changing business requirements while keeping their Salesforce environment stable and efficient.

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