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Introduction

Apex is a powerful programming language used in Salesforce development. However, like any programming language, it has its own set of challenges and pitfalls. In this blog post, we will explore 30 common Apex development issues and provide code examples along with their solutions to help you write efficient, optimized, and scalable Apex code.

① SOQL Queries in Loops

⚠️ Issue: Executing SOQL queries within loops can quickly consume governor limits and impact performance.

Example:

✅ Solution: Use a single query to retrieve all the required data and leverage relationships or collections to access the related records.

② Large DML Operations

⚠️ Issue: Performing DML (Data Manipulation Language) operations in bulk without proper handling can lead to governor limit exceptions.

Example:

✅ Solution: Use a single query to retrieve all the required data and leverage relationships or collections to access the related records.

③ Null Pointer Exceptions

⚠️ Issue: Uninitialized variables or unchecked null values can cause Null Pointer Exceptions.

Example:

✅ Solution: Initialize variables with default values or check for null values before accessing them.

④ Querying Large Data Sets

⚠️ Issue: Querying large data sets without proper optimization can result in performance issues

Example:

✅ Solution: Use query optimization techniques like selective filtering, indexing, and limiting the number of returned records.

⑤ Unhandled Exceptions

⚠️ Issue: Not handling exceptions properly can result in unexpected behavior or system failures.

Example:

✅ Solution: Implement appropriate exception handling mechanisms to catch and handle exceptions gracefully.

⑥ Governor Limit Exceedance

⚠️ Issue: Apex has various governor limits, and exceeding them can cause runtime exceptions or failures

Example: In synchronous apex a query can return only 50K records.

✅ Solution: Monitor and analyze the governor limits using system methods like Limits.getQueries() and optimize code accordingly.

⑦ Inefficient Code Logic

⚠️ Issue: Inefficient code logic can lead to performance bottlenecks and suboptimal execution

Example:

✅ Solution: Refactor the code logic to reduce unnecessary iterations or avoid complex operations within loops.

⑧ Incomplete or Incorrect Data Validation

⚠️ Issue: Lack of proper data validation can lead to data integrity issues or unexpected behaviors.

Example:

✅ Solution: Implement comprehensive data validation checks to ensure data consistency and integrity.

⑨ Long-Running Processes

⚠️ Issue: Long-running processes can impact system performance and cause timeouts or delays

Example:

public void performLongRunningOperation() {
    // Perform a complex and time-consuming task
}

✅ Solution: Break down long-running processes into smaller, manageable tasks and leverage asynchronous processing, such as queueable Apex or batch Apex.

⑨ Data Skew

⚠️ Issue: Data skew occurs when records are unevenly distributed across a lookup or master-detail relationship, leading to performance degradation and locking issues.

Example:

List<Contact> contacts = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Contact WHERE AccountId = :accountId];

✅ Solution: Implement data skew mitigation techniques such as using a custom indexing strategy or introducing a helper object to distribute the records evenly.

①⓪ Inefficient Use of Collections

⚠️ Issue : Inefficient use of collections, such as lists or sets, can result in unnecessary iterations or duplicate entries.

Examples:

✅ Solution: Utilize appropriate collection methods and constructors to remove duplicates or perform set operations directly.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we explored 10 common Apex development issues and their solutions. By addressing these issues and adopting best practices, you can write more efficient, scalable, and maintainable Apex code. Remember to analyze governor limits, optimize queries and loops, handle exceptions gracefully, and appropriate collection. With these techniques, you’ll be on your way to becoming a proficient Apex developer.