App Development and Deployment

App Development and Deployment Introduction

  • There are several different tools and choices for deploying apps across Salesforce orgs
  • You cannot connect Salesforce Sandboxes to Trailhead orgs
    • Good to know what is not a valid type of Sandbox.
    • Valid sandbox types: Full copy, Partial, Developer, Developer Pro, etc.
  • Change Sets are ways of moving metadata from one org to another
    • Need to know proper sequence: Validation, Deploying, Uploading
  • Another way of deploying metadata is to create an unmanaged package and add it to AppExchange
    • Even if two orgs are not connected, they can still use the same unmanaged package
  • Other Tools:
    • Force.com IDE
      • Plugin that sits on top of Eclipse (may be familiar for people with a development background, especially Java)
    • Force.com Migration Tool
    • Workbench

Salesforce Sandboxes

  • Help Article linked by MW
    • Sandbox Types:
      • Developer Sandbox
      • Developer Pro Sandbox
      • Partial Copy Sandbox
      • Full Sandbox
        • All data and metadata

Using Change Sets

  • Change Sets are a way of moving metadata between Sandboxes from a Sandbox to Production
  • Access Change Sets via: Setup > Quick Find > “Change” > Outbound Change Sets
    • Click new to create
  • Need to remember to always add profile settings for included components so you don’t have to go back and update after the fact
  • Steps to deploy a change set:
    1. In Source org (usually Sandbox), Upload
    2. In Destination org (usually Production), access Inbound Change Sets in Setup, then Validate
    3. In Destination org (usually Production), Deploy

Unmanaged Packages

  • Per MW, setting up Unmanaged Packages can currently only be done in Salesforce Classic
    • Setup > Quick Find > “Pack” > Create > Packages
  • Packages are a way of sharing metadata between orgs that are not connected
    • Adding components is just like a Change Set

Managing the Application Lifecycle and Deployment Plans

  • Easy to forget steps:
    • Change custom objects to “Development Status” = “Deployed”
      • Check this field on any custom object
    • Activate any workflow rules/process builders
  • Easy way to see the metadata changes users have made:
    • Setup > Quick Find > “Audit” > View Setup Audit Trail
  • MW referenced the Development Lifecycle Guide which has since been retired. The preceding link references modules and links on trailhead including the following as the replacement content.

Other Deployment Tools - Force.com Migration Tool & ANT, Workbench & More

  • Access this page which has various tools for use in Salesforce development via: Setup > Quick Find > “tools” > Tools
    • MW pointed out the following, but some of them are no longer on the page as of my writing these notes:
      • Force.com IDE
      • Force.com Migration Tool
      • Salesforce Lightning CLI
      • Salesforce Lightning Inspector
      • Workbench (workbench.developerforce.com) - can actually deploy changes