Table of Contents

Foreword     xvi

Preface      xix

Acknowledgments      xxi

About the Author      xxii

 

Chapter 1 Introducing Force.com     1

Force.com in the Cloud Computing Landscape     1

    Platform as a Service (PaaS)     2

    Force.com as a Platform     4

    Force.com Services     7

Inside a Force.com Project     9

    Project Selection     9

    Team Selection     11

    Lifecycle     12

    Tools and Resources     15

Sample Application: Services Manager     17

    Background     17

    User Roles     18

    Development Plan     18

Summary     19

 

Chapter 2 Database Essentials     21

Overview of Force.com’s Database     21

    Objects     21

    Fields     23

    Relationships     25

    Query Language     25

    Data Integration     28

Working with Custom Objects     31

    Force.com Developer Edition     31

    Tools for Custom Objects     31

    Object Creation     33

    Field Creation     36

    Entering and Browsing Data     38

Sample Application: Data Model     41

    Logical Data Model     41

    Force.com Data Model     47

    Implementing the Data Model     50

    Importing Data     55

Summary     60

 

Chapter 3 Database Security     63

Overview of Database Security     63

Object-Level Security     65

    Profiles     66

    Field-Level Security     67

Record-Level Security     69

    Record Ownership     69

    User Groups     70

    Sharing Model     70

Sample Application: Securing Data     73

    Designing the Security Model     74

    Implementing the Security Model     78

    Testing the Security Model     83

Summary     88

 

Chapter 4 Additional Database Features     89

Dependent Fields     90

Record Types     90

    Defining Record Types     91

    Securing Record Types     92

    Using Record Types     93

Roll-Up Summary Fields     95

Field History Tracking     97

Tags     98

    Enabling Tags     99

    Using Tags     99

Force.com Connect Offline     100

    Administration of Force.com Connect Offline     100

    Using Force.com Connect Offline     102

Sample Application: Applying the Features     103

    Dependent Fields for Skill Types     104

    Roll-Up Summary Fields for Project Reporting     104

    Force.com Connect Offline for Staffing     107

Summary     109

 

Chapter 5 Business Logic     111

Introduction to Apex     112

Introducing the Force.com IDE     113

    Installation     113

    Force.com Perspective     113

    Force.com Projects     114

    Problems View     115

    Schema Explorer     115

    Apex Test Runner View     116

    Execute Anonymous View     116

Apex Language Basics     116

    Variables     117

    Operators     121

    Arrays and Collections     122

    Control Logic     124

    Understanding Governor Limits     129

Database Integration in Apex     130

    Database Records as Objects     130

    Database Queries     132

    Persisting Database Records     137

    Database Triggers     139

    Database Security in Apex     142

Object-Oriented Apex     143

    Encapsulation     143

    Information Hiding     147

    Modularity     148

    Inheritance     149

    Polymorphism     150

Debugging and Testing     151

    Debugging     151

    Testing     154

Sample Application: Validating Timecards     155

    Force.com IDE Setup     156

    Creating the Trigger     156

    Unit Testing     157

Summary     159

 

Chapter 6 Advanced Business Logic     161

Additional SOQL Features     161

    Inner Join and Outer Join     162

    Semi-Join and Anti-Join     163

    Multi-Select Picklists     166

Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL)     167

    SOSL Basics     167

    SOSL in Apex     168

Transaction Processing     170

    Data Manipulation Language (DML) Database Methods     170

    Savepoints     171

    Record Locking     173

Apex Managed Sharing     174

    Sharing Objects      175

    Creating Sharing Rules in Apex     176

Sending and Receiving Email     180

    Sending Email     181

    Receiving Email     185

Dynamic Apex     187

    Dynamic Database Queries     188

    Schema Metadata     189

Sample Application: Adding Email Notifications     192

Summary     193

 

Chapter 7 User Interfaces     195

Introduction to Visualforce     196

    Overview of Visualforce     196

    Getting Started with Visualforce     198

Visualforce Controllers     201

    Standard Controllers     201

    Custom Controllers     203

    Controller Extensions     206

View Components     207

    View Component Basics     208

    Data Components     210

    Action Components     213

    Primitive Components     214

    Force.com-Styled Components     215

    Force.com User Interface Components     218

Visualforce and the Native User Interface     222

    Standard Pages     222

    Standard Buttons     224

    Page Layouts     225

    Custom Buttons and Links     226

    Custom Tabs     227

Visualforce in Production     227

    Security     228

    Error Handling     230

    Governor Limits     232

    Unit Tests     232

Sample Application: Skills Matrix     233

    Basic Implementation     234

    Full Implementation     235

    Implementation Walkthrough     236

Summary     242

 

Chapter 8 Advanced User Interfaces     245

Asynchronous Actions     245

    Partial Page Refresh     246

    Action as JavaScript Function     247

    Action as Timed Event     248

    Action as JavaScript Event     249

    Indicating Action Status     250

Modular Visualforce      252

    Static Resources     252

    Inclusion     253

    Composition     253

    Custom Visualforce Components     255

Extending Visualforce     257

    Using JavaScript Libraries     257

    Adobe Flex and Visualforce     258

    Force.com Sites     264

Sample Application: Enhanced Skills Matrix     268

Summary     272

 

Chapter 9 Integration     273

Force.com Integration Solutions     273

    Outbound Messaging     274

    Salesforce-to-Salesforce (S2S)     279

Developing Custom Integrations     288

    Calling Web Services from Apex Code     289

    Using HTTP Integration     290

Sample Application: Anonymous Benchmarking     293

    Visualforce Page Design     294

    Visualforce Controller Design     295

    Integrating the Web Service     296

    Sample Implementation     299

Summary     302

 

Chapter 10 Advanced Integration     303

Understanding Force.com Web Services     304

    Basics of Force.com Web Services     304

    Generating the Web Service Client     306

    Logging In     310

    Force.com Data Types in SOAP     313

    Error Handling     314

Using the Enterprise API     314

    Retrieving Records     315

    Writing Records     317

Building Custom Web Services in Apex     319

    Understanding Custom Web Services     320

    Service Definition     321

    Calling a Custom Web Service     322

Introduction to the Metadata API     323

    Overview     323

    Getting Started with the Metadata API     324

Sample Application: Database Integration     326

    Integration Scenario     326

    Implementation Strategy     326

    Sample Implementation     327

Summary     330

 

Chapter 11 Additional Platform Features     333

Workflow and Approvals     333

    Introduction to Workflow     334

    Getting Started with Approval Processes     335

Introduction to Analytics     342

    Working with Reports     343

    Configuring Dashboards     345

    Using Analytic Snapshots     346

Force.com for International Organizations     347

    Multilingual Support     348

    Using Multiple Currencies     350

    Advanced Currency Management (ACM)     353

Using Single Sign-On     354

    Federated Single Sign-On     354

    Delegated Single Sign-On     359

Sample Application: Project Map Dashboard     362

Summary     368

 

Index     369

 

About the Author

Jason Ouellette has been working with Force.com since 2004. He developed three of the ten most popular applications on AppExchange, the official Force.com application marketplace, including the #1 most installed application, Appirio Calendar Sync for Salesforce and Google Apps. He is Chief Architect for Appirio, a leading Force.com Independent Software Vendor and Salesforce Consulting partner. He has been inventing cutting-edge enterprise software for more than 13 years. Prior to joining Appirio, he served as a director of R&D for application products at Composite Software, where he led development of data services for Siebel, SAP, and salesforce.com. At webMethods, he helped architect the industry’s first XML-based B2B server.

 

He lives with his wife and two geriatric cats in San Francisco, California.