Cloud Application Development with Apex

🎯 Aim

To set up a Salesforce Developer Environment, create a custom Apex Class, compile it on the Salesforce Cloud, and execute it using the Developer Console’s Anonymous Execution Window to view debug logs.

📖 Theoretical Background

Salesforce.com Platform & Apex

Salesforce is a leading cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. It provides Platform as a Service (PaaS) capabilities through its proprietary programming language, Apex.

Key Characteristics of Apex:

• Cloud-based: Apex is compiled and executed entirely on Salesforce’s multitenant cloud servers. It is not run locally.
• Object-Oriented: The syntax is highly similar to Java or C#.
• Strongly-typed & Database-integrated: Apex integrates directly with the Salesforce database (SOQL/SOSL queries and DML operations can be written directly within the language).
• Governor Limits: Because Apex runs in a shared multitenant environment, Salesforce enforces strict “Governor Limits” (e.g., maximum CPU time, maximum SOQL queries) to prevent a single user’s script from hogging shared system resources.

🛠️ Requirements & Setup

• An active Salesforce Developer Org. If you do not have one, refer to the Salesforce Developer Org Setup Guide.

🚶 Step-by-Step Procedure

Phase A: Setting up and Accessing the Console

1. Sign In: Navigate to login.salesforce.com and enter your Developer Org credentials.
2. Launch Developer Console:
   • In the Lightning Experience interface, click the Gear Icon (Setup) in the top-right corner.
   • Select Developer Console from the dropdown menu. A separate IDE window will open.

Phase B: Writing the Apex Class

1. Create Class: In the Developer Console, go to File ➔ New ➔ Apex Class.
2. Name Class: In the prompt box, enter the class name HelloWorldApp and click OK.
3. Write Code: Replace the default generated code structure with the following:

   public class HelloWorldApp {
       public static void sayHello() {
           System.debug('WELCOME TO APEX PROGRAMMING');
       }
   }

4. Save and Compile: Go to File ➔ Save (or press Ctrl + S). The Developer Console will compile the code on the cloud. Check the Problems tab at the bottom to ensure there are no compilation errors.

Phase C: Executing the Class

1. Open Anonymous Window: In the Developer Console, click on the Debug menu at the top, then select Open Execute Anonymous Window (or press Ctrl + E).
2. Write execution script: In the dialog box, type the following Apex statement to invoke the static method:

   HelloWorldApp.sayHello();

3. Execute: Ensure the Open Log checkbox is checked at the bottom right, and click the Execute button.

🧪 Expected Output & Verification

• The Log Inspector window will load automatically showing details of the execution.
• Check the Debug Only checkbox in the bottom filter panel.
• The log list will filter down to display your output statement:

  |USER_DEBUG|[3]|DEBUG|WELCOME TO APEX PROGRAMMING