Salesforce1 Platform: Data Model, Relationships and Queries Webinar

Webinar: Data Models,
Relationships and SOQL
April 8, 2014

Rob Woodward
Platform Solution Engineer
@robw116

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Agenda
Data Model & Relationships
Comparing Force.com with Relational DBMS
Relationship Types & the Predefined Join
Relationships & SOQL
SOQL vs SQL
Relationship Queries

Assumptions
 A basic understanding of the Force.com Platform
including:
– Creating Custom Objects
– Adding Custom Fields
– Navigating the UI
 Knowledge of relational database concepts
– Tables
– Primary/Foreign Keys
– Joins

Data Model and Relationships
Relationships and SOQL
Agenda

Data Model and the Force.com Platform
 sObject:
– Table-like data structure
• Records
• Fields
– Extensible
– Queryable/Updatable
– Relationships
 Automatic Features:
– User Interface
– Security
• CRUD
• Field-level
• Record-level (ACL)
– REST & SOAP APIs

Standard Data Model
 Standard Objects
– Account
– Contact
– Lead
– Opportunity
– Case
– …
 Standard Fields
– Id
– Name
– CreatedBy/Date
– LastModifiedBy/Date
– OwnerId
– IsDeleted
– …

Extensible Data Model
 Custom Objects
– Workshop__c
– Room__c
– …
 Custom Fields
– Status__c
– Type__c
– Start_Time__c
– End_Time__c
– …

Relationships: The Predefined Join
 RDBMS
– Join at runtime
with SQL or
view
 Force.com
– Predefined join
at design-time
– Similar to
integrity
constraints

Master-DetailLookup
Relationship Types
NeverOptional
Cascade
Clear
Field/Block/Cascade*
Nullability
Delete Behavior
Child Inherits from ParentIndependent Parent/Child
225
Record Sharing
Access
Max Allowed Fields

Demo Use Case:
– Community Centre
– Workshops and Rooms

SOQL
 Salesforce Object Query Language
 SQL-like syntax
 Queries the Force.com Object Layer
 Used in:
– Apex
– Developer Tools (Developer Console, Eclipse, Workbench, …)
– API (REST, SOAP, Bulk, …)

From SQL to SOQL
 At first may look familiar
 Important differences
 Learn the differences
 Use good data design practices

From SQL to SOQL: The Familiar Bits
 Table-like structure
 Similar query syntax
 Indexed
 Transactional
 Triggers
SELECT Id, Name, Capacity__c
FROM Room__c
WHERE Capacity__c > 10

From SQL to SOQL: Immediate Differences
 No select *
 No views
 SOQL is read-only
 Limited indexes
 Object-relational mapping is automatic
 Schema changes protected

From SQL to SOQL: Differences To Learn
 sObjects are not actually tables – multi-tenant
environment
 Relationship metadata
– Management of referential integrity
– Predefines joins
– Relationship query syntax
 Query usage explicitly metered
– API Batch Limits
– Apex Governor Limits

The __c and __r Suffixes
Room__c
Workshop__c
Id
Id
Room__c
Room__r
Workshops__r Type:
List<Workshop__c>
Type: Id
Type: Room__c
1-M

Relationship Query: Child to Parent
SELECT Id, Name, Room__c,
Room__r.Id,
Room__r.Capacity__c
FROM Workshop__c
WHERE Status__c = ’Open’
[
{
"Id": "a0145000000aBf4AAE",
"Name": "Yoga for Beginners",
"Room__c": "a00vn000000dU3dAAE",
"Room__r": {
"Id": "a00vn000000dU3dAAE",
"Capacity__c": 10
}
},
{
"Id": "a0145000000aBf4AAE",
"Room__c": "",
"Room__r": ""
}, ...
]

Relationship Query: Parent to Child
SELECT Id, Name,
(SELECT Id, Status__c
FROM Workshops__r)
FROM Room__c
WHERE Capacity__c > 10
[
{
"Name": "Salon 1 West",
"Workshops__r": [
{
"Id": "a0145000000aBf4AAE",
"Status__c": "Open"
},
{
"Id": "a0145000000aBd4AAE",
"Status__c": "Full"
}
]
}, ...
]

Querying for Intersection
Select Id, Name,
Room__r.Name,
Room__r.Capacity__c
FROM Workshop__c
WHERE
Room__r.Capacity__c > 8
[
{
"Id": "a0145000000aBf4AAE",
"Room__c": "a00vn000000dU3dAAE",
"Room__r": {
"Capacity__c": 10
}
},
{...},
...
]

Aggregate Queries
SELECT
COUNT(Id) rmCount,
MAX(Capacity__c) maxRmCap,
Configuration__c
FROM Room__c
GROUP BY Configuration__c
[
{
"rmCount": 4,
"maxRmCap": 6,
"Configuration__c": "Classroom"
},
{
"rmCount": 2,
"maxRmCap": 10,
"Configuration__c": "Theatre"
},
...
]

Demo Use Case:
– Find a tally of empty spaces
being held for workshops that
are not actively enrolling
delegates

Recap
 Data Model &
Relationships
– Much that looks similar,
but
– Many important
differences
– Predefined Join
– Relationship Types
 Relationships & SOQL
– SOQL has relations but is
not “relational”
– Limits cannot be ignored
– Good design principles
still apply but check your
assumptions

Read More
 Article: From SQL to SOQL http://bit.ly/sql2soql
 SOQL-SOSL Guide http://bit.ly/soqlsosl
 Sharing http://bit.ly/sharingarch
 Limits http://bit.ly/apexgovlim
 Multi-Tenant Architecture http://bit.ly/sfmultiten

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