I Built a Simple Project in 2 Hours (and so can you!)

Sometimes the simplest ideas can make the biggest difference. One of the most common questions I hear from individuals looking to flex their Salesforce muscles is, "What should I build?" My answer to that is always, "Look around you, what problem can you solve?"

It may sound too easy, but the truth is, our daily life is filled with minor inconveniences that can be solved with the right application. That’s exactly what I did recently on a particularly chilly day, when the temperature had dipped to a bone-chilling 12 degrees Celsius. As I shivered and pulled my coat tighter, I thought, "Wait! What is Celsius in Fahrenheit?"

This temperature conversion issue has been a perennial problem for me, especially when communicating with my colleagues in the US who use the Fahrenheit scale. And then it hit me - this was the perfect 'Story' for a Salesforce project! So, I set about building a Salesforce project I call "Thermometer Conversion."

The objective was simple: create a tool that could quickly and efficiently convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice versa, saving time for anyone needing to make this conversion. It may seem minor, but solving this daily annoyance could make a significant difference in our day-to-day communications, especially in global companies where team members are spread across different geographies.

To create an application that can swiftly convert temperatures between Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin. An effortless solution to enhance everyday conversations, especially within globally dispersed teams.

To make the 'Thermometer Conversion' a reality, I created a custom object 'Temperature__c' and custom fields for each unit of measurement:

• Celsius__c (real number with 1 decimal)
• Fahrenheit__c (real number with 1 decimal)
• Kelvin__c (real number with 1 decimal)

By using real numbers with one decimal, I ensured flexibility in converting any unit to any other unit.

I used Salesforce's screen flow feature to build a user-friendly interface that accepts temperature input and the desired unit conversion. The conversion is achieved using the following formulas:

• Celsius to Kelvin: K = °C + 273.15
• Kelvin to Celsius: °C = K - 273.15
• Celsius to Fahrenheit: °F = °C * (9/5) + 32
• Fahrenheit to Celsius: °C = (°F - 32) * 5/9
• Kelvin to Fahrenheit: °F = (K - 273.15) * 9/5 + 32
• Fahrenheit to Kelvin: K = (°F - 32) * 5/9 + 273.15

After the application calculates the equivalent value in the other temperature units, it displays the result on the screen and saves the record for future reference.

The 'Thermometer Conversion' project is a simple yet practical demonstration of how Salesforce can be used to solve everyday challenges. The next time you're stuck on what to build with Salesforce, remember to look around and consider the minor inconveniences you could address. The key is to create solutions that improve efficiency and streamline everyday processes. After all, Salesforce gives you the toolkit - it's up to you to build the solution.

So, keep innovating, keep building, and keep exploring the world of Salesforce. Your next project could be just around the corner, or in this case, just a thermometer away!

Happy building!