REST API in Salesforce
Sudhanshu Jain ?
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REST API (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface) is a popular way to access and manipulate data in Salesforce. It allows developers to interact with the Salesforce platform using simple HTTP methods and return data in the form of JSON or XML. By using REST API, developers can build web, mobile, and integration applications that interact with Salesforce using standard HTTP methods.
To start using REST API in Salesforce, you will first need to create a connected app in Salesforce. This will provide you with a consumer key and consumer secret that you will use to authenticate and authorize your requests. You will also need to grant access to the connected app for the users that will be using the REST API.
Once you have your connected app set up, you can start making requests to the Salesforce REST API. You can use any programming language that can send HTTP requests to make these requests. The Salesforce REST API supports the following methods: GET, POST, PATCH, DELETE, and PUT.
GET requests are used to retrieve data from Salesforce, for example, you want to retrieve all the Account records in your Salesforce org, you can use the following URL:
https://yourinstance.salesforce.com/services/data/vXX.X/query/?q=SELECT+Name+FROM+Account
POST requests are used to create new records, for example, you want to create a new Contact record in your Salesforce org, you can use the following URL:?
https://yourinstance.salesforce.com/services/data/vXX.X/sobjects/Contact/
PATCH requests are used to update existing records, for example, you want to update the Phone number of an existing Contact record, you can use the following URL:
https://yourinstance.salesforce.com/services/data/vXX.X/sobjects/Contact/{Contact_ID}
DELETE requests are used to delete records, for example, you want to delete an existing Contact record, you can use the following URL:
https://yourinstance.salesforce.com/services/data/vXX.X/sobjects/Contact/{Contact_ID}
PUT requests are used to update the value of a field for a specific record.
To make a request to the Salesforce REST API, you will need to construct the URL using the base URL for your Salesforce instance and the endpoint for the specific resource you are trying to access. You will also need to include the access token in the headers of your request.
It's important to note that in order to use the REST API, you will need to have a good understanding of Salesforce data model and also be mindful of Salesforce Governor limits.
In conclusion, REST API is a powerful tool that allows developers to interact with Salesforce data in a simple and efficient way. By using REST API, developers can build web, mobile, and integration applications that interact with Salesforce using standard HTTP methods, making it easier to integrate Salesforce with other systems and platforms.