Becoming a "pro" Apex developer is a continuous journey of learning, practice, and

deep understanding of the Salesforce platform and its best practices.

Here's a breakdown of crucial areas and specific tips to help you on your path to
becoming a proficient Apex developer:

I. Fundamentals and Best Practices:

1.​ Master the Basics: Ensure a solid understanding of Apex syntax, data types,
control flow statements (if-else, for, while), and operators.
2.​ Understand Governor Limits: Be acutely aware of and design your code to
operate within Salesforce governor limits (CPU time, SOQL queries, DML
statements, heap size, etc.). This is paramount for scalable and robust
applications.
○​ Example: Avoid SOQL queries inside loops.
3.​ Follow Naming Conventions: Use clear, descriptive names for variables,
methods, and classes. This improves code readability and maintainability.
○​ Example: Instead of List<Account> acc, use List<Account> accountsToUpdate.
4.​ Write Clean and Readable Code: Focus on clarity and simplicity. Break down
complex logic into smaller, well-named methods.
5.​ Comment Your Code: Add meaningful comments to explain the purpose of
classes, methods, and complex logic. This helps other developers (and your
future self) understand the code.
6.​ Use SOSL for Text-Based Searches: Leverage SOSL when you need to search
across multiple objects or fields based on keywords.
7.​ Understand the Execution Context: Be aware of whether your code is running
in user mode or system mode, and the implications for object and field-level
security.
8.​ Utilize Collections Effectively: Employ Lists, Sets, and Maps appropriately to
efficiently manage and process data.
○​ Example: Use a Set to ensure unique values. Use a Map for quick lookups
based on an ID or other key.
9.​ Bulkify Your Code: Always design your code to handle multiple records
efficiently using collections for SOQL, DML, and logic. This is crucial for avoiding
governor limit exceptions.
○​ Example: Process a List<Contact> in a single DML update statement instead
of looping through and updating each contact individually.
10.​Follow Separation of Concerns: Structure your code so that different parts of
the application handle distinct responsibilities (e.g., data access, business logic,
presentation).
11.​ Keep Methods Short and Focused: Aim for methods that perform a single,
well-defined task. This improves testability and readability.
12.​Avoid Hardcoding IDs and Values: Use custom settings, custom metadata, or
constants to manage configurable values.
13.​Use Standard Salesforce Features: Leverage standard functionalities like
Workflow Rules, Process Builder, and Flow where possible before writing Apex.
14.​Understand Asynchronous Apex: Know when and how to use Future methods,
Queueable Apex, Batch Apex, and Scheduled Apex for long-running or
resource-intensive operations.
15.​Choose the Right Asynchronous Option: Select the appropriate asynchronous
Apex type based on the specific requirements (e.g., immediate execution with
callouts using @future, processing large datasets using Batch Apex).
16.​Implement Error Handling: Use try-catch blocks to gracefully handle exceptions
and prevent unhandled errors from terminating transactions.
17.​Log Errors and Exceptions: Implement a robust logging mechanism to track
errors and debug issues effectively. Consider using custom objects or platform
events for logging.
18.​Use Debug Logs Effectively: Learn how to use System.debug() statements
strategically to trace code execution and inspect variable values. Be mindful of
debug log limits.
19.​Understand Transaction Management: Be aware of how transactions work in
Salesforce and how to manage them (e.g., using Database.setSavepoint() and
Database.rollback()).
20.​Follow Security Best Practices: Be mindful of SOQL injection, cross-site
scripting (XSS), and other security vulnerabilities when writing Apex and
interacting with user input.
21.​Use the with sharing, without sharing, and inherited sharing Keywords:
Understand the implications of sharing rules and object-level security and use
these keywords appropriately for your classes.
22.​Be Aware of Mixed DML Operations: Understand the restrictions on performing
DML operations on setup objects and non-setup objects in the same transaction.
23.​Consider Performance Implications: Think about the performance impact of
your code, especially when dealing with large datasets or complex logic.
24.​Stay Updated with Salesforce Releases: Keep abreast of new Apex features,
best practices, and platform changes in each Salesforce release.
25.​Leverage Salesforce Developer Tools: Become proficient with tools like the
Developer Console, VS Code with Salesforce Extensions, and Salesforce CLI.
II. Testing:
26.​Write Unit Tests: Create comprehensive unit tests to verify the functionality of
your Apex code. Aim for high code coverage (ideally 100%).
27.​Test Positive and Negative Scenarios: Ensure your tests cover both expected
inputs and edge cases, including invalid data and error conditions.
28.​Isolate Test Data: Create test data within your test methods or use @TestSetup
to avoid dependencies on existing org data.
29.​Use Test Factories: Consider creating utility classes or methods to generate
realistic test data.
30.​Assert Expected Outcomes: Use System.assert() methods to verify that your
code produces the correct results.
31.​Test Governor Limits: Write tests that specifically check how your code behaves
under governor limit constraints (e.g., by processing a large number of records).
Use @future(callout=true) in test methods with callouts.
32.​Test Asynchronous Apex: Learn how to test Future methods, Queueable Apex,
Batch Apex, and Scheduled Apex using techniques like Test.startTest() and
Test.stopTest().
33.​Understand Code Coverage: Analyze your code coverage to identify areas that
are not adequately tested.
34.​Strive for Meaningful Tests: Focus on testing the business logic and critical
paths of your code.
35.​Run Tests Frequently: Integrate testing into your development workflow and run
tests after making changes.

III. SOQL and Data Manipulation:

36.​Write Efficient SOQL Queries: Select only the fields you need and use
appropriate WHERE clauses and filters to minimize the number of records
retrieved.
37.​Use SOQL For Loops for Large Datasets: When querying a large number of
records, use SOQL for loops to process data in smaller batches and avoid heap
size limits.
38.​Understand Relationship Queries: Leverage parent-child and child-parent
relationship queries to efficiently retrieve related data.
39.​Use Aggregate Functions: Utilize aggregate functions (e.g., COUNT, SUM, AVG,
MAX, MIN) in your SOQL queries to perform calculations directly in the database.
40.​Use the WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED Clause: Enforce object and field-level
security in your SOQL queries to ensure users only access data they are
 authorized to see.
41.​Be Mindful of SOQL Query Cost: Understand that complex SOQL queries with
many joins or filters can be more expensive in terms of governor limits. Use the
Query Plan tool in the Developer Console to analyze query performance.
42.​Use DML Operations Efficiently: Perform DML operations (insert, update,
delete, upsert, undelete) on collections of records.
43.​Understand the Order of Execution: Be aware of the Salesforce order of
execution to predict how different triggers, workflows, and other automation will
interact.
44.​Use Database Methods for Partial Success: When performing DML operations
on multiple records, use the Database.insert(), Database.update(), etc., methods
with the allOrNone parameter set to false to allow partial success.
45.​Handle DML Exception Results: When using partial success DML, iterate
through the results to identify and handle any errors.

IV. Triggers:
46.​One Trigger Per Object: Follow the best practice of having at most one trigger
per object to manage the order of execution and avoid conflicts.
47.​Use Helper Classes for Trigger Logic: Move the actual business logic out of the
trigger and into separate, testable helper classes.
48.​Context Variables in Triggers: Understand and use the context variables
available in triggers (e.g., Trigger.new, Trigger.old, Trigger.isInsert,
Trigger.isUpdate).
49.​Avoid Hardcoding in Triggers: Do not hardcode IDs or other values directly in
your triggers. Use custom settings or constants.
50.​Handle Recursive Triggers: Implement logic to prevent infinite loops caused by
triggers updating the same records that fired the trigger.
51.​Consider Trigger Frameworks: Explore and potentially use trigger frameworks
to structure your trigger logic and improve maintainability.
52.​Design Triggers for Bulk Processing: Ensure your trigger logic can efficiently
handle bulk updates and inserts.

V. Integration:
53.​Understand Integration Patterns: Familiarize yourself with different integration
patterns (e.g., REST, SOAP, Platform Events).
54.​Make Callouts Securely: When making external callouts, handle authentication,
 error handling, and potential timeouts. Consider using named credentials.
55.​Parse JSON and XML: Learn how to parse and generate JSON and XML data for
integrations.
56.​Use Platform Events for Decoupled Integrations: Leverage platform events for
real-time event-driven integrations between different parts of Salesforce or
external systems.
57.​Handle Callout Limits: Be aware of the governor limits for callouts and design
your integrations accordingly.
58.​Use Queueable Apex for Callouts: Consider using Queueable Apex for
asynchronous callouts to avoid blocking user interactions and to retry failed
callouts.

VI. Advanced Topics:

59.​Understand Salesforce Limits and Considerations: Go beyond basic governor
limits and understand other platform limitations and best practices.
60.​Learn About Custom Metadata Types: Utilize custom metadata types for
application configuration that can be migrated between environments.
61.​Explore Custom Settings: Understand the different types of custom settings (list
and hierarchy) and when to use them.
62.​Familiarize Yourself with Salesforce DX: Use Salesforce DX for source-driven
development, version control, and continuous integration/continuous delivery
(CI/CD).
63.​Work with Static Resources: Understand how to use static resources to store
and access CSS, JavaScript, images, and other files.
64.​Explore Lightning Web Components (LWC): While not Apex, LWC is the
modern JavaScript framework for building user interfaces on Salesforce and
often interacts with Apex. Understanding LWC is crucial for full-stack Salesforce
development.
65.​Understand Aura Components: While LWC is preferred, having a basic
understanding of Aura components can be helpful for maintaining older
applications.
66.​Learn About Security Review: If you plan to distribute your applications on the
AppExchange, understand the Salesforce Security Review process and how to
write secure code.
67.​Explore Salesforce APIs: Familiarize yourself with various Salesforce APIs (e.g.,
REST API, SOAP API, Bulk API, Metadata API) for programmatic interaction with
the platform.
68.​Understand Batch Apex Chaining: Learn how to chain multiple Batch Apex jobs
 together to process large volumes of data in sequence.
69.​Explore Queueable Apex Chaining: Understand how to chain Queueable Apex
jobs for sequential asynchronous processing.
70.​Learn About Change Data Capture (CDC): Understand how to use CDC to
track changes to Salesforce data in near real-time.
71.​Explore the Salesforce Functions: Investigate Salesforce Functions for writing
serverless functions that can be invoked from Apex or other Salesforce services.
72.​Understand the use of transient Keyword: Use the transient keyword for
variables that do not need to be saved as part of the view state in Visualforce or
during serialization.
73.​Learn about the @ReadOnly Annotation: Use the @ReadOnly annotation for
methods that perform only read operations to potentially improve performance
and bypass certain limits.
74.​Explore the Database.Stateful Interface: Understand how to use the
Database.Stateful interface in Batch Apex and Queueable Apex to maintain state
across different execution contexts.
75.​Familiarize Yourself with Different Salesforce Sandboxes: Understand the
purpose and limitations of Developer, Developer Pro, Partial Copy, and Full
sandboxes.

VII. Continuous Learning and Improvement:

76.​Stay Active in the Salesforce Community: Participate in forums, groups, and
events to learn from other developers and share your knowledge.
77.​Read Salesforce Documentation: Regularly refer to the official Salesforce
documentation for the most up-to-date information and best practices.
78.​Take Salesforce Certifications: Consider pursuing Salesforce certifications
(e.g., Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II) to validate your skills and
knowledge.
79.​Contribute to Open Source Projects: If possible, contribute to open-source
Salesforce projects to gain experience and collaborate with other developers.
80.​Build Personal Projects: Work on personal Salesforce projects to apply your
learning and explore new features.
81.​Seek Mentorship: Find experienced Apex developers who can provide guidance
and support.
82.​Mentor Others: As you gain experience, consider mentoring junior developers to
reinforce your own understanding and contribute to the community.
83.​Continuously Refactor Your Code: Regularly review and refactor your existing
code to improve its readability, maintainability, and performance.
 84.​Learn Design Patterns: Familiarize yourself with common software design
patterns (e.g., Factory, Singleton, Strategy) and how they can be applied in Apex.
85.​Understand Domain-Driven Design (DDD): Explore DDD principles for
modeling complex business domains in your Apex applications.

VIII. Collaboration and Teamwork:

86.​Use Version Control (Git): Utilize Git for managing your codebase, collaborating
with other developers, and track changes.
87.​Follow Branching Strategies: Adopt a consistent branching strategy (e.g.,
Gitflow) for managing different versions of your code.
88.​Participate in Code Reviews: Actively participate in code reviews to provide
feedback and learn from others.
89.​Write Clear Commit Messages: Write descriptive commit messages that explain
the purpose of your changes.
90.​Collaborate Effectively with Admins and Business Analysts: Understand their
requirements and communicate technical solutions clearly.
This list provides a strong foundation for becoming a proficient Apex developer.
Remember that mastery comes with consistent effort, practice, and a passion for
learning. Good luck on your journey!