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Salesforce Concepts and Definitions

What is a User?

• A user is anyone who logs into Salesforce.
• Users are typically employees (e.g., sales reps, managers, IT specialists) who need access to company records.
• Each user has a user account with the following details:
• Username
• Email Address
• First and Last Name
• License
• Profile
• Role (optional)

What is a Profile?

• Profiles determine what users can do in Salesforce.
• They come with a set of permissions that grant access to specific objects, fields, tabs, and records.
• Each user can have only one profile.
• Profiles are assigned based on job functions (e.g., Standard User profile for most users).
• Additional permissions can be granted using Permission Sets.

What are Roles?

• Roles determine what users can see based on their position in the role hierarchy.
• Users at the top of the hierarchy can see data owned by users below them.
• Users at lower levels cannot see data owned by users above them unless sharing rules grant access.
• Roles are optional but recommended for organizations with many users.

What does Salesforce do?

• Salesforce provides CRM software and cloud-based solutions to help businesses manage customer data and track activities efficiently.

Salesforce Functionality

Can two users have the same profile? Can two profiles be assigned to the same user?

• Yes, multiple users can have the same profile (e.g., all sales reps share a “Sales Profile”).
• No, each user can have only one profile.

What are Governor Limits in Salesforce?

• Governor Limits control how much data or how many records can be stored or processed in Salesforce.
• They ensure no single client monopolizes shared resources in Salesforce’s multi-tenant architecture.
• Types of Governor Limits:
• Per-Transaction Apex Limits
• Force.com Platform Apex Limits
• Static Apex Limits
• Size-Specific Apex Limits
• Email Limits
• Push Notification Limits

What is a Sandbox Org?

• A Sandbox is a copy of the production environment used for testing and development.
• Types of Sandboxes:
• Developer
• Developer Pro
• Partial Copy
• Full

Can you edit an Apex Trigger/Class in the Production Environment?

• No, Apex Triggers and Classes cannot be edited directly in production. They must be developed in a Sandbox or Developer Org and deployed using tools like Change Sets or ANT.

Data Management and Reporting

What are the different data types for a standard field record name?

• A standard field record name can have the following data types:
• Auto Number: Automatically generates a unique number for each record.
• Text: Limited to 80 characters.

What is WhoId and WhatId in Activities?

• WhoId: Refers to people (e.g., LeadID, ContactID).
• WhatId: Refers to objects (e.g., AccountID, OpportunityID).

What is the use of Sharing Rules?

• Sharing Rules are used to extend access to records for users in public groups or roles.
• They cannot be used to restrict data access.

What are the different types of Email Templates?

• Text
• HTML with Letterhead
• Custom HTML
• Visualforce

Reports and Dashboards

What is a Bucket Field in Reports?

• A Bucket Field groups related records into categories without complex formulas or custom fields.
• It simplifies filtering and arranging report data.

What are Dynamic Dashboards?

• Dynamic Dashboards display user-specific data (e.g., personal sales quotas).
• They cannot be scheduled as they show real-time data.

What are the different types of Reports?

• Tabular
• Summary
• Matrix
• Joined

Data Modeling and Relationships

What are the different types of Object Relationships?

1. Master-Detail Relationship (1:n):

• Parent controls child behavior.
• Deleting the parent deletes the child (cascade delete).

1. Lookup Relationship (1:n):

• No dependency between parent and child.
• Deleting the parent does not delete the child.

1. Junction Relationship (Many-to-Many):

• Created using two Master-Detail relationships.

What happens to child records when a parent record is deleted?

• In a Master-Detail Relationship, child records are deleted.
• In a Lookup Relationship, child records remain unaffected.

What is Data Skew?

• Data Skew occurs when a single user or role owns most records for an object, causing performance issues during updates.

Apex and Coding

What is Apex?

• Apex is an object-oriented programming language used to add business logic to Salesforce.

What are the types of Collections in Apex?

• List: Ordered collection of elements.
• Set: Unordered collection of unique elements.
• Map: Collection of key-value pairs.

What is a Trigger?

• A Trigger is Apex code that executes before or after DML operations (e.g., insert, update, delete).

What is a Batch Apex Class?

• Batch Apex processes large datasets in chunks.
• Methods:
• start(): Collects records.
• execute(): Processes each batch.
• finish(): Executes post-processing tasks.

What is the @future Annotation?

• The @future annotation marks methods for asynchronous execution.

Visualforce and UI

What is Visualforce?

• Visualforce is a framework for building custom user interfaces in Salesforce.

How to hide the Header and Sidebar in Visualforce?

• Use the following attributes:

  <apex:page showHeader="false" sidebar="false">

How to call a Controller Method from JavaScript?

• Use actionFunction:

  <apex:actionFunction name="callFromJS" action="{!controllerMethod}" />

Integration and APIs

What is an External ID?

• An External ID is a custom field used as a unique identifier for integrating external systems.

What is OAuth?

• OAuth is an open-standard authorization protocol for secure API access.

What is a Connected App?

• A Connected App integrates external applications with Salesforce using OAuth and SAML.

Testing and Deployment

Why do we write Test Classes?

• Test classes ensure code quality and meet Salesforce’s 75% test coverage requirement for deployment.

What are the ways to deploy in Salesforce?

• Change Sets
• Force.com IDE
• ANT Migration Tool
• Salesforce Packages

Advanced Topics

What is a Wrapper Class?

• A Wrapper Class is a custom class that groups multiple objects or fields for display on a Visualforce page.

What is the difference between SOQL and SOSL?

• SOQL: Queries one object at a time.
• SOSL: Searches multiple objects simultaneously.

What is Apex Managed Sharing?

• Apex Managed Sharing allows developers to programmatically share records with users or groups.

Behavioral and Scenario-Based Questions

Q: How would you design a scalable solution to track Sales Reps’ performance?

1. Create a Custom Object for performance metrics.
2. Use Automation (Flow or Apex) to update metrics based on Opportunity changes.
3. Build Dashboards for real-time performance tracking.
4. Ensure Sharing Rules align with organizational hierarchy.

Q: How would you integrate Salesforce with an external Order Management System (OMS)?

1. Use REST/SOAP APIs for data exchange.
2. Implement Platform Events for real-time notifications.
3. Use Middleware (e.g., Mulesoft) for data transformation and error handling.
4. Ensure Security with OAuth 2.0 and encryption.

Salesforce General Questions

1. What is the difference between a Lead and an Opportunity?

• Lead: A potential prospect not yet qualified.
• Opportunity: A qualified sales deal linked to an Account and Contact.

1. How does the Sales Process work in Salesforce?

• Leads → Qualification → Conversion to Account/Contact/Opportunity → Opportunity Stages → Closed-Won/Closed-Lost.

1. What is a Profile in Salesforce?

• Defines user permissions and access to objects, fields, and records.

1. What is a Role in Salesforce?

• Determines data visibility based on the role hierarchy.

1. What is a Permission Set?

• Extends user permissions without modifying their profile.

1. What is a Sandbox?

• A copy of the production environment for testing and development.

1. What are Governor Limits?

• Salesforce-imposed limits to ensure fair resource usage in a multi-tenant environment.

1. What is a Custom Object?

• A database table created to store unique business data.

1. What is a Junction Object?

• Used to create many-to-many relationships between two objects.

1. What is a Roll-Up Summary Field?
   • Aggregates data from child records in a master-detail relationship.

Integration Questions

11. How would you integrate Salesforce with an external system?
    • Use REST/SOAP APIs, Middleware (e.g., Mulesoft), or Platform Events.
12. What are Platform Events?
    • Asynchronous messages for real-time integration between systems.
13. What is OAuth?
    • An open-standard protocol for secure API authentication.
14. What is a Connected App?
    • An external application integrated with Salesforce using OAuth.
15. What is an External ID?
    • A unique identifier for integrating external systems.
16. What is the difference between REST and SOAP APIs?
    • REST: Lightweight, uses HTTP methods (GET, POST).
    • SOAP: More structured, uses XML.
17. How do you handle large data volumes in integrations?
    • Use Bulk API for asynchronous processing of large datasets.
18. What is an Outbound Message?
    • A workflow action that sends data to an external system.
19. What is the difference between Trigger and Process Builder?
    • Trigger: Code-based automation.
    • Process Builder: Declarative automation with a user interface.
20. What is the use of Middleware in integrations?
    • Handles data transformation, error handling, and retries.

Coding Questions

• Write an Apex Trigger to update an Opportunity Stage.
• trigger UpdateOpportunityStage on Task (after update) { Set<Id> oppIds = new Set<Id>(); for (Task t : Trigger.new) { if (t.WhatId != null && t.WhatId.startsWith('006') && t.Subject == 'Final Review' && t.Status == 'Completed') { oppIds.add(t.WhatId); } } if (!oppIds.isEmpty()) { List<Opportunity> opps = [SELECT Id, StageName FROM Opportunity WHERE Id IN :oppIds]; for (Opportunity opp : opps) { opp.StageName = 'Closed-Won'; } update opps; } }
• Write a SOQL query to retrieve Accounts with Opportunities in the ‘Negotiation’ stage. SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT Id, StageName, Amount FROM Opportunities WHERE StageName = 'Negotiation') FROM Account;
• What is the difference between “with sharing” and “without sharing” in Apex?
  • With Sharing: Enforces user-level permissions.
  • Without Sharing: Ignores permissions (system context).
• What is a Batch Apex Class?
  • Processes large datasets in chunks.
  • Methods: start(), execute(), finish().
• What is the @future Annotation?
  • Marks methods for asynchronous execution.
• What is a Wrapper Class?
  • A custom class that groups multiple objects or fields.
• What is a Map in Apex?
  • A collection of key-value pairs.
• What is a Set in Apex?
  • A collection of unique elements.
• What is a List in Apex?
  • An ordered collection of elements.
• What is a Trigger?
  • Apex code that executes before or after DML operations.

Design Questions

31. How would you design a scalable solution to track Sales Reps’ performance?
    • Use a Custom Object, Automation (Flow/Apex), and Dashboards.
32. How would you design a Salesforce-to-Salesforce integration?
    • Use Data Mapping, Platform Events, and Middleware.
33. What is the difference between Page Layout and Record Type?
    • Page Layout: Controls the layout of fields and buttons.
    • Record Type: Defines different business processes for the same object.
34. What is a Dynamic Dashboard?
    • Displays user-specific data in real-time.
35. What is a Bucket Field in Reports?
    • Groups related records into categories.
36. What is a Sharing Rule?
    • Extends record access to users in public groups or roles.
37. What is a Validation Rule?
    • Ensures data integrity by enforcing business rules.
38. What is a Workflow Rule?
    • Automates actions based on record changes.
39. What is a Process Builder?
    • A declarative tool for automating complex business processes.
40. What is a Flow?
    • A declarative tool for building business processes with a visual interface.

Testing and Deployment

41. Why do we write Test Classes?
    • To ensure code quality and meet Salesforce’s 75% test coverage requirement.
42. What is the minimum test coverage required for deployment?
    • 75%.
43. What are the ways to deploy in Salesforce?
    • Change Sets, Force.com IDE, ANT Migration Tool, Salesforce Packages.
44. What is a Change Set?
    • A group of components migrated between Salesforce orgs.
45. What is a Debug Log?
    • Tracks Apex code execution for troubleshooting.
46. What is a Test Method?
    • A method annotated with @isTest to validate Apex code.
47. What is a Test Data Factory?
    • A utility class to create test data for unit tests.
48. What is a Sandbox Refresh?
    • Updating a Sandbox with the latest data from production.
49. What is a Deployment Checklist?
    • A list of steps to ensure a smooth deployment.
50. What is a Rollback in Deployment?
    • Reverting to the previous version if the deployment fails.

Advanced Topics

51. What is Apex Managed Sharing?
    • Programmatically sharing records with users or groups.
52. What is a Visualforce Page?
    • A custom user interface built using HTML and Apex.
53. What is a Lightning Component?
    • A reusable UI component for Lightning Experience.
54. What is a Lightning Web Component (LWC)?
    • A modern framework for building Lightning components.
55. What is the difference between SOQL and SOSL?
    • SOQL: Queries one object.
    • SOSL: Searches multiple objects.
56. What is a Static Resource?
    • Files (e.g., images, CSS) uploaded to Salesforce for use in Visualforce or Lightning.
57. What is a Custom Label?
    • A reusable text value for multilingual applications.
58. What is a Custom Setting?
    • A reusable set of data accessible across the org.
59. What is a Custom Metadata Type?
    • A reusable configuration dataset deployable across environments.
60. What is a Data Skew?
    • Performance issues caused by uneven data distribution (e.g., one user owning most records).