Apex is a powerful and strongly typed programming language used in Salesforce development. Here are some best practices to follow when working with Apex:
- Bulkify Your Code: Ensure your Apex code can handle multiple records at once to avoid hitting governor limits. Use loops to process data in bulk and avoid SOQL queries or DML statements inside loops.
- Avoid Hardcoding IDs: Never hardcode IDs in your Apex code. Instead, use Custom Settings or Custom Metadata to store such values, making your code more flexible and easier to manage across different environments.
- Use Proper Exception Handling: Implement try-catch blocks to handle exceptions gracefully. This prevents your code from failing silently and helps in debugging issues effectively.
- Optimize SOQL Queries: Make sure to write efficient SOQL queries. Avoid using unnecessary fields and rows by using selective queries, and always filter using WHERE clauses, particularly with limits.
- Apply Governor Limits Best Practices: Be aware of and code with Salesforce governor limits in mind. Use methods like
Limits.getLimitQueries()to monitor and control resource consumption in real-time. - Use Collections Wisely: Utilize lists, sets, and maps effectively to manage data and avoid duplicates. Maps are particularly useful for quick searches and avoiding nested loops.
- Testing and Code Coverage: Write comprehensive unit tests that cover various scenarios and aim for at least 75% code coverage as required by Salesforce, although aiming for 90%+ is ideal for robust testing.
- Follow Security Best Practices: Use
with sharingorwithout sharingkeywords appropriately to respect the organization’s sharing settings. Always sanitize inputs to avoid SOQL injection attacks. - Apply Asynchronous Processing: Use asynchronous Apex (like Future methods, Queueable, Batch, and Scheduled Apex) to handle long-running processes and operations that are resource-intensive.
- Modular and Reusable Code: Structure your code into reusable methods and classes that can be easily maintained and updated. This approach promotes cleaner and more organized coding.
- Documentation and Comments: Document your code thoroughly with comments that explain the “why” behind the code, not just the “what”. This makes it easier for other developers to understand and maintain.
- Utilize the Developer Console and Debugging Tools: Make extensive use of the Salesforce Developer Console, debug logs, and checkpoints for troubleshooting and optimizing your Apex code.
Implementing these best practices will help you develop more efficient, scalable, and maintainable Apex code within your Salesforce environment.