Cooking with Code: A Sweet Intro to SOQL (Part Three)

I LIKE SOQLWelcome back to another episode of “Cooking with Code” where I introduce delectable bite-sized topics related to coding in Salesforce.

Today, we are concluding our satisfying sampler of Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) with Part Three of this three part series.

My first post introduced the basics of SOQL statements, including the following concepts and keywords: SELECT, FROM, LIMIT, ORDER BY, basic WHERE conditions, and basic operators. My second post showed how to pull data from related standard and custom objects. Continue Reading

Cooking with Code: A Sweet Intro to SOQL (Part Two)

Working with Related Objects in SOQL.Welcome back to another episode of “Cooking with Code” where I introduce delectable bite-sized topics related to coding in Salesforce.

Today, we are continuing our satisfying sampler of SOQL with Part Two of this three part series.

My first post introduced the basics of SOQL statements, including these concepts and keywords: SELECT, FROM, LIMIT, ORDER BY, basic WHERE conditions, and basic operators. Continue Reading

Cooking With Code: A Sweet Intro to SOQL (Part One)

SOQL is used to query Salesforce objects and return record setsWelcome back to another episode of “Cooking with Code” where I introduce delectable bite-sized topics related to coding in Salesforce.

Today we are getting into a sweet subject that I can’t wait to share with you! This is the first of three posts where together we’ll tackle the basics of SOQL, or Salesforce Object Query Language. SOQL is used to pull data sets from Salesforce and can be used in both Apex and Visualforce. Fantastic stuff for Salesforce Admins to learn, because we’re all Data Geeks at heart. (Data Nerds Unite!) Continue Reading

Cooking with Code: A Satisfying Introduction to Apex sObjects

Working with sObjects in ApexWelcome back to Cooking with Code (CWC), where today you’ll enter a place that should feel pretty familiar to my fellow Awesome Admins (can I get a “hell yeah!”?).

I’m talking about working with records in Salesforce objects (e.g., Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities). When we work with these in Apex, we have a fancy new way to talk about them, as sObjects. Continue Reading

Cooking with Code: Mix until combined (or using While and Do-While loops in Apex & Java)

Loops are like a recipe instruction of "Mix until combined."

Welcome back to another episode of Cooking With Code, where I tempt you with food-inspired introductions to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts.

In previous posts, you’ve learned that Apex and Java, like other OOP languages, have basic building blocks or tools to help us program. Examples include: classes, objects, methods, and variables (both primitive and collections). Continue Reading

Two Great New Salesforce Trailhead Modules: Data Security and Change Management

New Trailhead Modules! Data Security and Change Management

I’m taking a short break from the Cooking with Code program for a quick Trailhead Public Service Announcement.

If you’ve been following my posts for a while, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of Salesforce Trailhead, the online learning platform for all things Force.com. I’ve written a few blog posts on my experience with Trailhead including a comprehensive review “Elevation Gain: A review of Salesforce Trailhead Continue Reading

Cooking with Code: Amuse-bouche* of Apex Collections (Lists, Sets, and Maps)

Orchard with apples

In my last blog post, I wrote about variables, and in particular, primitives. Today I’m going to expand on variables and talk about the oh-so-powerful idea of “collections.”

Unlike Java, which only has one type of collection (Arrays, also know as a Lists), Apex has three to choose from: Lists, Sets, and Maps. Together, we’ll go into each of these types of collections and show you what they are best used for, and how to use them when you start coding. Continue Reading

Cooking with Code: Primitive Data Types in Apex and Java

Cooking with Code: Introducing primitive data types in Apex and JavaThinking about variables makes me hungry. That might be taking things a little far, but I’ve been preoccupied with cooking and coding recently, so they seem to be merging in my mind.  I think this stuff can be fun, and for me, silly analogies make it all easier to understand. Hopefully by the end of this post you’ll agree! Continue Reading

How buying a major appliance can help you understand Object-Oriented Programming

I’m working with a couple of different groups on various projects to learn and teach two related Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) languages: Apex and Java.

One of the big stumbling blocks for beginners is understanding OOP terminology and concepts. In this blog post, I’m taking the opportunity to gain better understanding of the terminology, by explaining it to you. Continue Reading

Elevation Gain: A review of Salesforce Trailhead

12,120 Trailhead PointsI completed the available Salesforce Trailhead modules last Friday with mixed feelings. I’m really pleased to have checked all the boxes and gained all the badges, but I’m more than a little sad that I’m done (for now).

I wanted to give back some love to the Salesforce Developer Relations group by writing a review.  You can probably guess that I loved it, but I hope to say more on why, and better yet, get you to check it out for yourself. Plus some tips on how to best use the tool, and advice on what you might want to skip over if you’re short on time. Continue Reading