GET READY FOR CHANGES TO APEX TESTING - Spring'16 Release

The Salesforce Spring'16 released with a long list of changes. As a developer, the changes that most excite me are generally those that are covered in the Development and Deployment categories of the Salesforce release notes.

Test Suites for Apex Test Classes

Salesforce has now added the option Suite to group unit test classes into test suites.you have test classes which you run every time while you preparing for deployment. Now, with this new feature, you can create test suite which contains those set of classes. Also, you can create or modify test suites that contain up to 200 test classes using the Developer console.

To create a Test Suite using Developer console : Select Test | New Suite.

Enter a name for your Test Suite.

To choose which classes are in a test suite, select Test | Suite Manager | Your Test Suite | Edit Suite.

Once you select your test classes(it will we more than one also), click on save button. After this to run your test class which you have selected, click on Test | New Suite Run.

Select the Test Suite you want to run and then click on your right corner button "Run Suite".

After clicking on Run Suite, you can see you result here:

Now you have created the test suite and executed your test classes. Isn't that easy..!!

Set and Modify CreatedDate field of the Tests Records

There is a new method has been introduced System.Test.setCreatedDate. You can change your records created date in the test class. This method we can utilize to test the scenarios where we are using created dates of a record.

Here is the example of how to use this method.

1:  Account a = new Account(name='myAccount');  
2:  insert a;  
3:  Test.setCreatedDate(a.Id, DateTime.newInstance(2012,12,12));  

APEX- Collections

Collections:   

Collections somewhat works like arrays, except their size can change dynamically. In other way, you can say that it is much more advanced than arrays.

In simple words, these are type of variables which can store multiple number of records.

We often use collections because they go hand-in-hand with SOQL.

Apex has the following types of collections:

• List
• Set
• Map

List:

• List is an ordered collection of elements
• It will allow duplicates.
• These are zero-based so the first element in the List is always 0.   
• Datatype allows both Primitive datatype and non-primitive datatypes.
• Size of the List increased dynamically.

     Syntax:  Basic Syntax of List are:

                       List <datatype> list_name = new List<datatype>();

                       List <datatype> list_name = new List<datatype>{value [, value2. . .]};

                        

Set:

• Set is an unordered collection of elements.
• It will not allow duplicates.
• It is typically used to store collection IDs that you want to use in SOQL query.
• Datatype allows only Primitive datatype and sObjects.

Syntax:  Basic Syntax of Set are:

                    Set<datatype> set_name = new Set<datatype>(); 

                    Set<datatype> set_name = new Set<datatype>{value [, value2. . .] }; 
  

Map:

• Map is a collection of Key –values pairs.
• Key must be unique but values are duplicates.
• Use a map when you quickly find something by a key.
• Keys allows only Primitive datatypes and are unique only.
• Values allows both Primitive and Non-Primitive datatypes.

    Syntax:  Basic syntax for Map are:

               Map<key_datatype, value_datatype> map_name = new map<key_datatype, value_datatype>();

               Map<key_datatype, value_datatype> map_name = new map<key_datatype, value_datatype>{key1_value =>  value1_value [, key2_value =>  value2_value. . .]};

Hope this helps you. 

Cleared #Salesforce Platform App Builder- Sharing Experience

Hi everyone. I have cleared the Platform App Builder transition exam and want to share my experience with you all.

If you are preparing for Platform App Builder exam and you have experience in Salesforce configurations then I think  2 weeks are enough to prepare for this certification exam. I have DEV401, so for me its 30 minutes exam, having 20 questions. For those who don't have DEV401, they have 90 minutes exam, having 60 questions. You can get all the details from App Builder Study Guide provided by Salesforce.

Before going for the Platform App Builder certification exam, you must know about the following topics:

1. Lightning App Builder and its components.
2. Relationships and their properties.
3. Order of execution.
4. Types of Sandboxes.
5. Managed vs Unmanaged Packages
6. Overview of Salesforce Automation.
7. Record Types
8. External Objects.
9. App Exchange
10. Social Accounts and Person Accounts.

Last but not the least, you must practice these things in Trailhead. Its the best way for preparation of this certification exams. While practicing in Trailhead, you get the pdf & videos related to these topics. So keep trailing.

All the best for those who are going for the certification. Keep learning Salesforce !!

Cleared Salesforce Developer Certification DEV401 - Sharing Experience

Hi everyone, this is my first blog on Salesforce, I just love Salesforce, just now cleared DEV401 certification, this is my first certification so felt like to share my sharing my experience.

I have been preparing for it since last 2 months, when I was looking for salesforce study guide or something to study and learn about salesforce, so I got the Salesforce Recruiter App , it is one of the important study material anyone shoud go through before appearing in the certification.
I got hands-on in Salesforce from the recruiter app only, it have great explanation about most of the basic thing of salesforce like Objects ( Standard and Custom), Workflow, Validation rule, Approval Process, Roles, Profiles and Reports and Dashboards etc.

Few things I didn't get in the book was about the "Encrypted field" of Salesforce and I got few question in the exam about this field, so please look into this field how it works and permissions to access the encrypted field.

Few months ago recruitment app was the only rigid material that anybody would recommend for the developer certification, but I will recomment you all a latest thing for the salesforce learner and that is #trailhead. 

 Yes  #trailhead, trailhead is right now the only place where you will love learning the Salesforce, it is so amazing that you can't stop yourself for trailing.
When I started on the trailhead right on the same day I ended up having 3-4 badges. Now I have more than 60 badges :)

And now you know how many badges I have, take a look

So please start trailing asap, few thing I did before going for the certification was

• Look into the Study guide of DEV401 ceritifcation provided by the salesforce
• Understanding the data model of salesforce
• Few feature of the salesforce like workflow and approval process.
• Relationships is also one of the important thing need to cover which you will get in recruiter app.
• Deep dive in Validaton rules and type of fields, roles and profile ( permissions )

All the best for those who are going for the certification, start feeling lucky because you have trailhead now.

Hope I have motivated someone, keep learning Salesforce !!