How to write highly generic and dynamic code and utilize the Salesforce Tooling API, from Punta Dreamin' 17!

1. @puntadreamin #PD17

2. Writing Highly Genericized Code Using
Dynamic Apex and the Tooling API
Adam Olshansky
Salesforce Developer, Contractor at YouTube
Salesforce MVP, 13X Certified
AdamToArchitect.com
@adam17amo

3. ¡Estoy feliz de estar en
Punta del Este!

4. Agenda
• Overview of generic code for Apex
• Dynamic Code in Salesforce
• Tooling API

5. Generic Programming in Apex

6. What problems are we solving for?
• Rigid or fragile code
• Poor Reusability
• Lots of patches/quick fixes
• Duplicate code
• Overly complicated data structures
• Maps of maps of maps…

7. Who are we talking to today?
• ISV developers
• Don’t know all conditions of customer orgs
• Individual app developers
• May need to accept input from clients/customers
• Any developer accepting user input
• Tailor your queries and results based on user conditions

8. Different Ways of Writing Code: Static vs. Dynamic
Static
• Generated at compile time
• Hard coded
• Doesn’t usually have dependencies
• Works well if you know what’s in the
org
• Most commonly used by developers at
a company developing for their own
org
Dynamic/Generic
• Generated at run time
• Dependent on user input
• May have org-specific dependencies
• Works well if you DON’T know what’s in the
org
• Most commonly used by developers whose
code needs to run in customized orgs

9. 2 Different Ways of Writing Code

10. Tradeoffs
​ Positives
• More detailed information
• Less chance of an error down the road
• Endless possibilities
​ Negatives
• More code to write
• More code to test
• Less readability

11. Tools of the Trade

12. Several Ways in Salesforce
• Custom Settings/Metadata
• Dynamic Apex
• Dynamic Visualforce
• Dynamic SOQL
• Limits class
• Schema class

13. Dynamic Apex

14. Dynamic Controller

15. Dynamic Visualforce

16. Dynamic SOQL
• Don’t always know what parameters are available in a user’s org
• In your org this will work
• What if your customer doesn’t have record types defined for Lead?

17. Limits Class
• Limits.getDMLRows();
• Limits.getDMLStatements();
• Limits.getHeapSize();
• Limits.getQueries();
• Limits.getQueryRows();
• bit.ly/apexlimitsclass (Apex Limits Class)

18. Tooling API
An API for building…Tools

19. Tooling API Highlights
• Gather finely grained metadata about Apex classes, triggers, and tests in an org
- Classes, triggers, construction of symbol tables
- Query for code coverage, logs, SOQL results
• Query metadata about setup objects
- Business processes, flows, custom items, workflow components
• Can be utilized for source control/continuous integration
- Metadata containers, deployment details, code file metadata
• Can be queried through REST or SOAP
• Similar to Metadata API but with a ton of additional functionality
​ Great for building…tools!

20. Our Scenario
​ UTILIZE DYNAMIC APEX TO WRITE APEX USING
APEX!
​ APEX-CEPTION!!!

21. Additional Tooling API Use Cases
• Show all objects that can be analyzed
/services/data/v37.0/tooling/sobjects/
• Show list of all classes
/services/data/v37.0/tooling/apexManifest
• Show all metadata about a class
/services/data/v37.0/tooling/sobjects/ApexClass/01po0000004SL5b

22. Tools To Be Built
• UML Diagram Tool
• Symbol Table Visualizer
• Automated Testing Tools
• Tools to identify unused code
• Customize managed packages based on
org’s config
• Use your imagination!

23. Summary
Next Steps from Here

24. Summary and Next Steps
• Be thinking about the right type of code for the app you’re building
• Write dynamic code
• Gather granular details to build any app
• Get out there and build!

25. Where to Learn More
• Follow @andyinthecloud (Andy Fawcett, CTO Financial Force)
• Andy Fawcett’s Blog https://andyinthecloud.com/category/tooling-api/
• Andy and James Loghry’s Apex Tooling API Wrapper:
https://github.com/afawcett/apex-toolingapi/
• Pat Patterson’s Java Tooling API Wrapper: https://github.com/metadaddy/force-tooling-demo
https://developer.salesforce.com/blogs/developer-relations/2013/01/new-in-spring-13-the-
tooling-api.html
• Tom Patros VF page Utilizing Symbol Tables:
https://github.com/tompatros/df13-tooling-api-demo and
http://www.redargyle.com/blog/tooling-around-tooling-api/

26. Thank Y u

27. Q&A