Notes from the May-2018 Dev User Group

Composite APIs

• Intro to APIs
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNyEt15VPNw it's a bit old but it covers the basics.
• Resources
• https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_rest.meta/api_rest/resources_composite_composite.htm
• Technical video https://youtu.be/R6eVlc3Dwco?t=2416
• Full technical documentation https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_rest.meta/api_rest/requests_composite.htm
• Really good video by Doug Ayers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILRGWlo6SeU
• In Spring 18 you can use Collections to post updates to 200 records at a time. https://youtu.be/mWm4bHenuWQ?t=400
• My Notes https://tddprojects.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SF/pages/451477505/Composite+APIs
• Notes about using the Composite API
• This is a new feature from Salesforce, and it saves a significant number of API calls into Salesforce
• You can have up to 25 REST API statements in one block of JSON.
• NOTE: The API code can not have any conditional statements in it - it’s just one block with all of the records you want to query / create or update structured as a block of JSON then sent over to Salesforce.
• So for example for multiple Order Line Items, you will loop through the list of Line Items in your code, and produce the JSON that has the 2 (+) Invoice Line Item POST statements
• If any one of the items fails the whole lot will fail if allOrNone is set

Mass Operations API

• Announced at TrailheadX
• https://youtu.be/mWm4bHenuWQ?t=465
• Like doing DML via the API

Salesforce Connect

• Was Lightning Connect, then Salesforce Connect, now Connect - Data.
• Plug and Play
• Uses OData 2 or 4 with new specific Azure and SAP connectors in Summer18
• Show data in Salesforce
• Very expensive licencing costs
• Now able to do triggers https://releasenotes.docs.salesforce.com/en-us/summer18/release-notes/rn_forcecom_external_data_triggers.htm and send custom headers.
• Still no formulas

Custom Apex Connector

• Build your own Salesforce Connect
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEpY-AIX0SU&index=104&list=PLgIMQe2PKPSKN08-rnP2jnP5RDlzgMjQR
• You build everything from scratch including the Auth. Provider.

External Services

• Been around for a while, GA In Summer 18, but not ready for prime time, IMHO.
• It's like SOAPiness for REST
• Replacement for SOAP based Outbound Messaging
• Uses Swagger or Interagent
• Examples are a bit useless - no authentication https://andyinthecloud.com/2017/09/30/swagger-open-api-salesforce-like/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdp8_TErWnk&feature=youtu.be
• Setup is only in Lightning - External Services menu item in Summer 18
• Does not do a LOT right now.
• Simple data sources only - eg the API MUST return text values only
• No JSON
• No Number IDs (KI). https://success.salesforce.com/issues_view?id=a1p3A000000ne3EQAQ
• Apparently will be able to be visible in and used directly in Apex soon - no known timeline though https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAYKkvsbjxQ&index=106&list=PLgIMQe2PKPSKN08-rnP2jnP5RDlzgMjQR

Platform Events

• Use it to create an Inbound simple API
• Then use Process builder to process it
• So NO CODE
• However no complex data structures yet
• eg Webhook from WordPress or Zapier

Lightning Flows

• Salesforce has doubled down on Flows
• Now with the Flow Debugger it's much nicer to use.
• As a dev you need to know about Flows now
• Lightning Flows - add Lightning components to Flows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8BJ4yRBga0&index=56&list=PLgIMQe2PKPSKN08-rnP2jnP5RDlzgMjQR
• Flow Actions Lists https://youtu.be/ZP5q1EjCEC4?t=897https://releasenotes.docs.salesforce.com/en-us/summer18/release-notes/rn_salesforce_console_for_service_flows.htm
• Direct Data Queries - eg call an AWS Lambda function direct from the Flow
• BUT! None of the examples include authentication.
• https://sites.google.com/view/flowunofficial/direct-data-queries?authuser=0
• See http://lightningflow.net for all the new things, but remember most of these components are “community built” and are NOT supported by Salesforce (yet).