What is Salesforce Flows? | Infogen Labs

Flows enable you to create complicated business automation using clicks rather than coding. Flows will be your greatest friend as an administrator since you will be able to handle the bulk of difficult business needs without the assistance of a Salesforce developer!

Salesforce Flow has the advantage of being simple to maintain because anyone (assuming they know Flows) should be able to follow along with what you developed.

Flows may be accessed via the Setup menu. To get started, type 'Flows' into the Quick Find box and create a new Flow.

There are 3 main “building blocks” of any Flow:

1. Elements are the Flow's individual building pieces. These carry out logical tasks such as assignments, choices, and loops. Data components can also query the database or commit record updates.

2. Connectors specify which element connects to which. Winter '21 activates Auto-Layout, which automatically joins the Elements.

3. Resources are the specific data variables that will be utilised in a Flow - they might be text strings, integers, records, equations, or collections.

These may be seen in action on the Flow Canvas below. This Flow example is a declarative alternative for a 'before' trigger. The trigger occurs when a record is created or edited, as shown in the 'Start' element at the top, and it should execute before the record is stored.

?What Are the Basic Flow Features?

Manager Tab:

The picture below shows the Manager tab, which displays the Flow's existing elements and resources (this is from an Auto-Launched Flow):

• Variables are placeholders for data that will be used in the Flow. To mention a few, they can be Text, Number, Record, Dates, Currency, Boolean, or Picklists.
• Collections are groups (or 'lists') of Variables that are stored together. Collections enable you to process several records at the same time, or 'bulkify' your Flows.
• Constants are values that you define once and never change. They are handy when you wish to refer to a single value numerous times throughout your Flow - if you ever need to alter that value, you just need to modify it once and the change is mirrored across the Flow.
• Formulae show a dynamic value based on other variables in your Flow. A Formula will be useful if you need to determine a future date depending on when the Flow was performed. A Formula can be used to determine and establish a currency based on an interest rate.
• Choices are utilised inside Screen Elements to present a user with a choice

Elements – Interaction, Logic, Data Elements

The Elements screen comes next. In the Flow, this is where you may add new Resources and Elements. You can see a 'Screen' element in the screenshot below (since I captured it in a Screen Flow, which will not display in a Flow type that doesn't allow Screens, such as an Autolaunched Flow). Depending on the sort of Flow you're dealing with, a variety of different components will appear dynamically.

Interaction elements include Screen, Action, or Subflow.

• A Screen element, which is only available in a Screen Flow, allows you to show the user a screen. This page can either display information from the data your Flow is working with or collect information from the user.
• An Action element allows you to route data to a pre-existing standard or custom action, such as Send Email, Quick Create, or custom Apex action.
• A Subflow element allows you to call another Flow from within your current Flow, which means you don't have to duplicate the logic in your new Flow if you have another sophisticated Flow set up. This also simplifies maintenance because you only need to change your logic once if you design your Flows correctly!

Logic elements include Decisions, Assignments, and Loops

• Decisions enable you to divide your Flow based on the data passing through it.
• You may assign a value to a variable using assignments.
• Using collections, loops allow you to manage numerous variables at once.

Can Flows Be the ‘One Tool to Rule Them All’?

This is a subject I've been thinking about as Salesforce announces massive amounts of Flow modifications in each release. But my suspicions were validated. Salesforce stated at Dreamforce '21 that Workflow Rules and Process Builders would be phased down, leaving Flow as the platform's sole declarative automation offering.

Overall, I believe this is unavoidable. Salesforce has not improved the capability of other automation solutions in many years, and Flow is by far the most powerful automation tool owing to its "Apex code"-like capabilities.

By understanding and using Flow, you can support your business in ways that a declarative Salesforce Admin could not before. This means you can add value to your business more quickly, without the need for pricey developers.

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