Salesforce Training - Apex - Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Salesforce and Apex

• Overview of Salesforce Ecosystem Introduction to Salesforce CRM and its Cloud Services The Role of Developers in the Salesforce Ecosystem Key Components: Salesforce Lightning, Visualforce, Apex, and Lightning Web Components
• What is Apex? Definition and Purpose of Apex Apex vs. Other Programming Languages (e.g., Java, JavaScript) Benefits of Apex for Salesforce Development
• Apex Execution Context Understanding Governor Limits Platform Events and Transaction Boundaries The Importance of Efficient Apex Code

Module 2: Setting Up Salesforce Developer Environment

• Salesforce Developer Org Setup Creating a Salesforce Developer Org Enabling Developer Mode and Apex Settings Understanding Salesforce Sandboxes vs. Production Environments
• Salesforce Developer Tools Using Salesforce CLI for Development Setting Up Visual Studio Code with Salesforce Extensions Working with Developer Console and Workbench
• Deploying Apex Code Deployment Strategies (Metadata API, Change Sets, and Salesforce CLI) Writing Test Classes and Deploying Code via Salesforce CLI

Module 3: Apex Basics

• Apex Syntax and Structure Introduction to Apex Classes, Methods, and Variables Working with Data Types (Primitive and Non-Primitive) Control Statements: Loops, Conditionals, and Exception Handling Writing Simple Apex Methods and Classes
• Apex Variables and Collections Variables: Local, Instance, and Static Variables Collections in Apex: Lists, Sets, Maps Iterating through Collections

Module 4: Working with Salesforce Data in Apex

• SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) Writing Basic SOQL Queries Understanding SOQL Syntax and Best Practices Using SOQL in Apex to Query Data SOQL Relationship Queries (Parent-to-Child, Child-to-Parent) Querying Multiple Objects in a Single SOQL Query
• DML (Data Manipulation Language) Operations in Apex Performing Insert, Update, Delete, and Undelete Operations Handling Bulk Data with DML Statements Managing DML Exceptions and Errors
• Data Query Optimization in Apex Bulkifying Apex Code to Avoid Governor Limits Querying Large Data Sets Efficiently Best Practices for SOQL and DML Performance

Module 5: Apex Triggers

• Introduction to Apex Triggers What is an Apex Trigger? Trigger Context Variables: Understanding Trigger.new, Trigger.old, Trigger.isInsert, Trigger.isUpdate, etc. Types of Triggers: Before Insert, After Insert, Before Update, After Update, and After Delete
• Writing Triggers Creating and Deploying Triggers in Salesforce Trigger Best Practices: Bulkifying Triggers, Handling Recursive Triggers Managing Trigger Logic with Helper Classes Trigger Frameworks for Scalability and Maintainability
• Advanced Trigger Techniques Trigger Order of Execution Handling Complex Business Logic in Triggers Using Custom Metadata Types with Triggers

Module 6: Working with Apex Classes and Visualforce Pages

• Apex Classes Defining Apex Classes and Methods Access Modifiers in Apex: Public, Private, Protected, and Global Creating Helper Classes for Reusable Logic Using Static and Instance Variables in Apex Classes Constructor Methods in Apex
• Visualforce Pages and Apex Introduction to Visualforce and its Integration with Apex Using Apex Controllers in Visualforce Pages Understanding Visualforce Standard Controllers vs. Custom Controllers Passing Data Between Apex and Visualforce

Module 7: Asynchronous Apex

• Introduction to Asynchronous Apex Why and When to Use Asynchronous Apex Governor Limits and Asynchronous Processing
• Batch Apex Writing and Executing Batch Apex Jobs Understanding the Batch Apex Interface (Database.Batchable) Monitoring Batch Jobs and Handling Failures Handling Large Data Sets and Performance Considerations
• Queueable Apex Introduction to Queueable Apex and its Use Cases Implementing Queueable Jobs Monitoring and Chaining Queueable Jobs
• Scheduled Apex Using Scheduled Apex to Run Apex Jobs at Specified Intervals Writing and Deploying Scheduled Apex Jobs Monitoring Scheduled Jobs in Salesforce

Module 8: Apex Integration with External Systems

• Calling External Web Services from Apex Introduction to Web Services and RESTful APIs Making HTTP Callouts from Apex (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) Handling JSON and XML Responses Authentication Methods: Basic Authentication, OAuth
• Outbound Messages and Named Credentials Setting Up Outbound Messages Using Named Credentials for Authentication Best Practices for Handling Callouts

Module 9: Testing Apex Code

• Apex Testing Framework Introduction to Apex Test Classes and Test Methods Understanding @isTest Annotation and Test Data Setup Writing Unit Tests for Apex Code
• Mocking Data in Test Methods Using Test.startTest() and Test.stopTest() Mocking HTTP Callouts in Test Classes Asserting Test Results and Code Coverage
• Best Practices for Apex Testing Ensuring High Code Coverage in Apex Writing Maintainable and Reliable Test Methods Using Test Data Factories for Reusable Test Data

Module 10: Apex Security and Best Practices

• Apex Security Considerations Avoiding SOQL Injection and Protecting Against XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) Implementing Field-Level Security in Apex Enforcing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) Permissions in Apex
• Governor Limits in Apex Understanding Salesforce Governor Limits (SOQL, DML, CPU Time, etc.) Optimizing Apex Code to Avoid Hitting Limits Best Practices for Efficient Data Handling
• Apex Code Optimization Bulkification Techniques for Avoiding Limits Handling Large Data Sets and Recursive Triggers Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Apex Development

Module 11: Advanced Apex Features

• Dynamic Apex Using SObject and Schema Classes for Dynamic Queries Creating Dynamic SOQL and SOSL Queries Using Type and InstanceOf for Runtime Type Information
• Custom Metadata Types and Custom Settings Introduction to Custom Metadata Types Using Custom Metadata for Configuration and Reusability Managing Custom Settings in Apex
• Apex Scheduler Setting Up Scheduled Jobs Programmatically Using the System.schedule() Method for Recurring Jobs Managing and Monitoring Scheduled Jobs

Module 12: Capstone Project and Final Assessment

• Capstone Project Designing a Complete Application Using Apex, Triggers, and Visualforce Building a Real-World Use Case with Apex Classes and Triggers Deploying the Solution and Demonstrating It
• Final Assessment Review of Key Concepts and Practices Practical Exam (Writing Apex Code for a Given Scenario) Feedback and Code Review

Module 13: Conclusion and Next Steps

• Final Thoughts on Apex Development The Future of Apex with Salesforce Development Career Opportunities for Salesforce Developers
• Preparing for Salesforce Certification Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I Preparation Useful Resources for Apex Development
• Q&A Session Open Discussion on Challenges Faced During the Course Career Advice and Networking in Salesforce Ecosystem

Appendices

• Resources Salesforce Documentation for Apex GitHub Repositories for Apex Best Practices Online Communities and Salesforce Developer Forums
• Glossary of Terms Key Terminology in Apex Development
• FAQ Common Issues and Solutions in Apex Programming

This comprehensive course will help participants gain hands-on experience with Apex development, from the basics to advanced topics, and prepare them for real-world Salesforce development challenges.