PDI Questions and Answers

Option A: An External ID field can be used to reference an ID from another external system.

True.

Explanation:

External IDs are custom fields that have the External ID attribute selected.

They are used to store unique identifiers from external systems, allowing Salesforce to match and integrate data based on external IDs.

To calculate the sum of all Order Line item totals on the Order record in a master-detail relationship, the best practice is to use a Roll-up Summary Field.

Roll-up Summary Field: This field type allows you to perform calculations on a set of related records, such as summing up the total price of all Order Line items related to an Order.

"Roll-up summary fields allow you to display a value in a master record based on the values of fields in a detail record."— Salesforce Help: Define Roll-Up Summary Fields

Master-Detail Relationship: Since Order Line items are in a master-detail relationship with Orders, roll-up summary fields can be created on the master object (Order) to summarize data from the detail object (Order Line).

"You can create roll-up summary fields on any custom object that is on the master side of a master-detail relationship."— Salesforce Developer Guide: Roll-Up Summary Fields

Why Not Other Options:

A. Quick Action: Quick actions are used to create records, log calls, send emails, etc., and are not suitable for calculating and displaying aggregate data.

B. Apex Trigger: While triggers can perform the calculation, using them for this purpose is not considered best practice when declarative solutions like roll-up summary fields are available.

"Use declarative functionality (roll-up summary fields) for maintaining aggregates instead of triggers."— Salesforce Developer Guide: Best Practices for Triggers

D. Formula Field: Formula fields cannot aggregate data from child records to parent records unless they are part of a roll-up summary field in a master-detail relationship.

Conclusion: Using a roll-up summary field is the most efficient and recommended approach to sum the total prices of all Order Line items on the Order record.

Scenario:

Universal Containers (UC) wants to allow multiple Accounts to share a default pickup address.

They have created a custom object called Global Address.

Requirement:

Create an efficient model to link multiple Accounts to a single Global Address.

Solution:

To associate multiple Accounts with a single Global Address, we need to create a lookup relationship from Account to Global Address.

Option D: Add a lookup field on the Account object to the Global Address object.

Correct Approach.

Explanation:

Adding a Lookup Field on the Account object that references the Global Address object allows multiple Accounts to reference the same Global Address.

This setup models a many-to-one relationship:

Many Accounts can have the same Global Address as their pickup address.

Benefits:

Data Normalization: Reduces data redundancy by storing the address once.

Ease of Maintenance: Updating the Global Address updates it for all associated Accounts.

In the provided class:

public class myClass {

public void myMethod() { /* implementation */ }

}

The class myClass is declared without any sharing keyword (with sharing, without sharing, or inherited sharing).

Default Sharing Behavior:

Apex classes without an explicit sharing declaration run in system context, meaning they do not enforce sharing rules.

Option B: Sharing rules will not be enforced for the running user.

Explanation: Since myClass does not specify with sharing, methods within it execute without enforcing sharing rules, allowing access to all data irrespective of the running user's sharing rules.

To run a script that deploys to a sandbox:

Option A: VSCode

Explanation: Visual Studio Code with the Salesforce Extensions Pack allows developers to deploy code using scripts and integrates with Salesforce CLI.

Option D: SFDX CLI

Explanation: The Salesforce CLI (SFDX CLI) can be used to script deployments to any org, including sandboxes.

Example Command:

sfdx force:source:deploy -u sandboxAlias -p path/to/source

To address the view state limit error caused by loading over 10,000 records in a Visualforce page, the developer should implement pagination with a StandardSetController.

StandardSetController: This controller allows developers to easily paginate large sets of records in Visualforce pages.

"A StandardSetController object contains a reference to a list of records with pagination support, similar to the display in a list view."— Apex Developer Guide: StandardSetController Class

Benefits:

Efficient Data Handling: It retrieves only a subset of records at a time, reducing the amount of data held in view state.

Built-in Pagination: Provides methods to navigate through pages of records (next, previous, etc.).

View State Limit: Visualforce pages have a view state limit of 170KB. Loading all records at once exceeds this limit.

"To optimize your Visualforce pages, minimize your use of view state. The view state of a Visualforce page is limited to 170KB."— Visualforce Developer Guide: View State in Visualforce Pages

Why Not Other Options:

A. Implement pagination with an OffsetController: There's no standard OffsetController in Visualforce. Implementing custom pagination with offsets is less efficient and can be complex.

B. Use JavaScript remoting with SOQL Offset: While JavaScript remoting can reduce view state size, using SOQL OFFSET is not efficient for large offsets (over 2,000 records).

"When using OFFSET with a large number of records, performance degrades significantly."— SOQL and SOSL Reference: OFFSET Clause

D. Use lazy loading and a transient List variable: Lazy loading can help, but it doesn't solve the issue of handling large datasets efficiently. Transient variables reduce view state but do not manage data retrieval or pagination.

Conclusion: Implementing pagination with a StandardSetController is the recommended solution to handle large datasets efficiently in Visualforce pages and prevent view state limit errors.

When comparing Lightning Web Components (LWC) with Visualforce for the View layer in the MVC paradigm, several advantages stand out.

Option A: Self-contained and reusable units of an application

Correct Advantage.

Explanation:

LWCs are built using modular components that encapsulate their own structure, style, and behavior.

Components can be reused across different parts of the application, promoting consistency and reducing development time.

This modularity allows for better maintainability and scalability.

Option B: Use an Assignment Flow element.

Correct Answer.

Explanation:

Using a record-triggered flow, you can automatically assign new cases based on the case origin.

Flows provide flexibility to set field values, assign records, and automate complex logic without code.

When a Lightning component needs to execute a complex SOQL query that joins two objects, and such queries are not supported directly in Lightning components, the solution is to use an Apex controller method.

Option C: Invoke an Apex class with the method annotated as @AuraEnabled to perform the query.

Correct Approach.

Explanation:

The Lightning component can call an Apex method annotated with @AuraEnabled.

The Apex method can perform the complex SOQL query and return the results to the component.

A SOQL query can return the following data types:

Option A: sObject

Explanation: A SOQL query can return a single sObject when the query returns only one record.

Example:

Account acc = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Id = :accountId];

Option D: List

Explanation: A SOQL query can return a list of sObjects when multiple records are retrieved.

Example:

List contacts = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Contact WHERE AccountId = :accountId];

Option E: Integer

Explanation: When using aggregate functions like COUNT(), SOQL can return an Integer value.

Example:

Integer contactCount = [SELECT COUNT() FROM Contact WHERE AccountId = :accountId];

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

Option B: Double

Aggregate functions like SUM() return Decimal, not Double.

Option D: Use Test.getStandardPricebookId() to get the standard price book ID.

Correct Answer.

Explanation:

The Test.getStandardPricebookId() method returns the ID of the standard price book, which can be used in test classes without using SeeAllData=true.

This allows the test to access and use the standard price book in a controlled manner.

To improve runtime performance by caching Apex call results on the client, the developer should decorate the server-side method with @AuraEnabled(cacheable=true).

@AuraEnabled(cacheable=true) Annotation:

When applied to an Apex method, it enables the method's results to be cached on the client, improving performance for subsequent calls.

This is especially effective in Lightning Web Components (LWC) and can also be used in Aura components.

"To cache method results, annotate the method with @AuraEnabled(cacheable=true). Methods annotated with cacheable=true are called cached methods."— Lightning Web Components Developer Guide: Call Apex Methods

Why Not Other Options:

A. Call the setStorable() method on the action in the JavaScript client-side code: This approach is used in Aura components but is less efficient and not considered best practice compared to using cacheable=true.

"For improved performance, use @AuraEnabled(cacheable=true) instead of action.setStorable()."— Aura Components Developer Guide: Calling Server-Side Actions

B. Set a cookie in the browser for use upon return to the page: Managing cookies for caching Apex results is not efficient and can lead to security and scalability issues.

C. Decorate the server-side method with @AuraEnabled(storable=true): There is no storable=true parameter for @AuraEnabled. The correct parameter is cacheable=true.

Best Practices:

Use @AuraEnabled(cacheable=true): This is the recommended way to cache Apex method results in Lightning components.

"Apex methods annotated with @AuraEnabled(cacheable=true) are cached on the client and shared across components."— Lightning Web Components Developer Guide: Apex Methods Cache

Conclusion: By decorating the Apex method with @AuraEnabled(cacheable=true), the developer enables client-side caching of the method's results, improving runtime performance in an efficient and recommended way.

To retrieve data from an external system in real time during a flow, the developer should use an invocable method.

Option B: An invocable method

Invocable methods can be called from Flow to execute Apex code. By annotating an Apex method with @InvocableMethod, you can expose it to Flows. If the method needs to make a callout to an external system, it must be annotated with (callout=true).

public with sharing class OrderService {

@InvocableMethod(callout=true)

public static List getOrderData(List inputs) {

// Callout to external system and return data

}

}

Scratch Orgs are disposable Salesforce orgs that can be created quickly and configured with different features and settings. They are ideal for source-driven development and allow developers to work independently.

Option D: Scratch orgs

Correct Answer.

Scratch orgs support source-driven development and can be fully configured through scripts and the Salesforce CLI.

Developers can create and destroy scratch orgs as needed, ensuring they have isolated environments.

Trace Flags in Salesforce are used to set logging levels for various entities to debug and monitor execution. They can be configured for:

Apex Classes (Option C):

You can set a trace flag for a specific Apex class to monitor its execution and debug logs.

To back up all data and attachments in a Salesforce org, the standard approach is to use the Data Export Service.

Option B: Define a Data Export scheduled

Correct Answer.

Explanation:

The Data Export Service allows administrators to schedule a weekly or monthly export of all data and attachments.

The exported data can be downloaded as a set of CSV files and attachments in zip format.

Since Case and Defect__c have Private organization-wide defaults (OWD), users need explicit access to the parent records to access the child records in a master-detail or junction object relationship.

The Case_Defect__c is a junction object between Case and Defect__c.

Option C: Share the parent Case and Defect__c records.

Correct Answer.

Explanation:

To access a record on a junction object (Case_Defect__c), a user must have access to both parent records.

Sharing both the Case and Defect__c records with the user will grant them access to the Case_Defect__c record.

The requirement is to model a many-to-many relationship between Account and Bug__c:

Each Account (company) can report multiple bugs.

Each Bug__c can be reported by multiple accounts.

To represent a many-to-many relationship in Salesforce, we use a junction object.

Option A: Junction object between Bug__c and Account

Correct Answer.

Explanation:

Create a custom junction object, e.g., AccountBug__c, with two master-detail relationships:

One to Account.

One to Bug__c.

This allows linking accounts and bugs in a many-to-many fashion.

Enables reporting on which companies have reported which bugs.

In the provided code snippet:

Boolean isOK;

Integer x;

String theString = 'Hello';

if (isOK == false && theString == 'Hello') {

x = 1;

} else if (isOK == true && theString == 'Hello') {

x = 2;

} else if (isOK != null && theString == 'Hello') {

x = 3;

} else {

x = 4;

}

Variable Initialization:

Boolean isOK; → Declared but not initialized, so isOK is null.

Integer x; → Declared but not initialized.

String theString = 'Hello'; → Initialized to 'Hello'.

Evaluation of Conditions:

First Condition:

if (isOK == false && theString == 'Hello')

isOK == false → Since isOK is null, this evaluates to false.

Overall condition: false && true → false.

Second Condition:

else if (isOK == true && theString == 'Hello')

isOK == true → Since isOK is null, this evaluates to false.

Overall condition: false && true → false.

Third Condition:

else if (isOK != null && theString == 'Hello')

isOK != null → Since isOK is null, this evaluates to false.

Overall condition: false && true → false.

Else Block:

else {

x = 4;

}

Since none of the previous conditions are met, the else block is executed.

x is assigned the value 4.

Conclusion:

The variable x is assigned the value 4.

References:

Variable Initialization:

"Instance variables are initialized to null. Local variables are not initialized, so their value is undefined until you assign a value."— Apex Developer Guide: Variables

Conditional Statements and Null Values:

"In Apex, comparisons with null are straightforward. If you compare null to a value, the result is false."— Apex Developer Guide: Expressions

To update the Timezone__c field on Account based on the Postal Code and values from PostalCodeToTimezone__c:

Option B: Account Trigger

Explanation:

An Apex trigger can query the PostalCodeToTimezone__c object and update the Timezone__c field when the Postal Code is changed.

When deploying Apex code to a production environment, certain requirements must be met regarding test coverage and annotations.

Option B: Apex classes must have at least 75% code coverage org-wide.

Correct Requirement.

Explanation:

Salesforce requires that all Apex classes and triggers have a combined code coverage of at least 75% before deployment to production.

This means that, across all Apex code in the org, at least 75% of the code must be covered by test methods.

When using Salesforce DX, developers need to enable the Dev Hub in their org to create and manage scratch orgs.

Option A: Dev Hub

Correct Answer.

Explanation:

The Dev Hub is a feature that must be enabled in a Salesforce org (usually in a Developer Edition or a production org).

It allows developers to create and manage scratch orgs using Salesforce DX commands.

Dev Hub is the central point for creating and managing your scratch orgs.

Since users can see Accounts they do not own in a private sharing model, the custom Apex code is likely not enforcing sharing rules. To enforce sharing permissions, the developer should use the with sharing keyword on the class declaration.

with sharing Keyword: This enforces the sharing rules of the current user, ensuring that the Apex class respects the user's record-level access permissions.

"Use the with sharing keyword when declaring a class to enforce the sharing rules that apply to the current user."— Apex Developer Guide: Using the with sharing or without sharing Keywords

Private Sharing Model: In a private sharing model, users should only see records they own or have been shared with them.

"Private: Only the record owner and users above that role in the hierarchy can view, edit, and report on those records."— Salesforce Help: Organization-Wide Sharing Defaults

Why Not Other Options:

A. Use the schema describe calls to determine if the logged-in user has access to the Account object: Schema describe calls check for object-level access, not record-level sharing.

"Schema describe information provides metadata about object and field properties, but it doesn't enforce record-level access."— Apex Developer Guide: Schema Namespace

C. Use the without sharing keyword on the class declaration: This runs the class in system context, ignoring sharing rules, which is the opposite of what's needed.

"Classes declared as without sharing or those that do not specify a keyword default to without sharing and don't enforce the sharing rules of the current user."— Apex Developer Guide: Using the with sharing or without sharing Keywords

D. Use the UserInfo Apex class to filter all SOQL queries to return records owned by the logged-in user: Manually filtering queries is error-prone and not a best practice when with sharing can enforce sharing automatically.

"Avoid hardcoding user or profile IDs and using the UserInfo class to enforce security. Instead, use declarative security features."— Apex Developer Guide: Enforcing Security in Apex

Conclusion: By declaring the class with with sharing, the Apex code respects the user's sharing rules, ensuring that users only see Accounts they have access to.

Option A:

String query = 'SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name LIKE \'%' + String.escapeSingleQuotes(name) + '%\'';

List results = Database.query(query);

Explanation: This option uses String.escapeSingleQuotes(name) to sanitize the name variable. This method escapes any single quotes in the input, preventing malicious input from breaking out of the string context in the SOQL query.

The Apex test fails in the Test Runner but succeeds in the Execute Anonymous window because the test method relies on existing data in the sandbox.

Isolation of Test Data: By default, Apex tests do not have access to pre-existing data in the organization. Tests are executed in an isolated context to ensure they are not dependent on external data, promoting reliability and repeatability.

"Apex test methods don’t have access to pre-existing data in the organization. The test methods have access to all data that they create and to changes made by other test methods (unless the @IsTest(Isolated=true) annotation is used)."— Apex Developer Guide: Isolation of Test Data from Organization Data in Unit Tests

Execute Anonymous Window: When code is run in the Execute Anonymous window, it executes in the current user's context and has access to all organization data, including existing records.

"All Apex code runs in system mode. The only exception is anonymous blocks, such as code executed using the Execute Anonymous window or the SOAP API."— Apex Developer Guide: Enforcing Object and Field Permissions

Solution: To fix the failing test, the developer should create the necessary test data within the test method or use the @IsTest(SeeAllData=true) annotation if access to existing data is absolutely necessary (though this is generally discouraged).

"If you specify @IsTest(SeeAllData=true), the test method has access to all data in the organization, but the test can be slower and less reliable because it might depend on data that changes."— Apex Developer Guide: Using the SeeAllData Annotation

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

Option A: While calling an @future method requires special handling in tests, it would not cause the method to pass in Execute Anonymous and fail in tests.

Option C: A syntax error would prevent the code from compiling, so it wouldn't run in either context.

Option D: Using System.runAs is only necessary when testing code that behaves differently for users with different profiles or permissions.

Conclusion: The discrepancy arises because the test method is attempting to access data that isn't available in the test context, leading to its failure in the Test Runner but success in the Execute Anonymous window.

In Lightning Web Components (LWC), custom events are used for communication between components. The two characteristics that are true for LWC custom events are:

Option A: Data may be passed in the payload of a custom event using a property called detail.

Explanation: When dispatching a custom event in LWC, you can pass data using the detail property of the event. This allows the parent component to access any data emitted by the child component.

// Child component JavaScript

const myEvent = new CustomEvent('myevent', {

detail: { data: 'Some data' }

});

this.dispatchEvent(myEvent);

To make a Lightning Web Component (LWC) available in Salesforce Classic, you can embed it in a Visualforce page using Lightning Out.

Option D: Use the Lightning Out JavaScript library to embed the Lightning Web Component in a Visualforce page and add to the page layout.

Lightning Out allows LWCs to be embedded in Visualforce pages.

The Visualforce page can then be included in Salesforce Classic interfaces.

Why Not Other Options:

Option A: Visualforce components cannot directly contain LWCs.

Option B: Wrapping an LWC in an Aura component and surfacing it as a Visualforce tab doesn't make it available on page layouts.

Option C: You cannot invoke an LWC from a Visualforce page using an Apex method call.

References:

Lightning Out for Visualforce:

"Lightning Out is a feature that extends Lightning components to any web page. Use it to embed Lightning web components in a Visualforce page."— Lightning Web Components Dev Guide: Use Lightning Web Components in Visualforce Pages

Option C: Update the PrimaryId__c field definition to mark it as an External Id.

Correct Answer.

Explanation:

Marking PrimaryId__c as an External ID allows data loading tools to match records based on this field.

This facilitates upserting data and ensures that the CSV data correctly maps to existing records.

In an Aura component, JavaScript functions can be included in the following resources:

Controller (.js file):

Handles events triggered by user interaction or component lifecycle.

Contains action handlers defined in the component's markup.

"A client-side controller contains the handler functions that are called in response to events fired by the component or other components."— Aura Components Developer Guide: Client-Side Controller

Helper (.js file):

Contains reusable functions that can be called from the controller or renderer.

Helps to keep the controller lean by abstracting complex logic.

"A helper JavaScript resource can be added to an Aura component bundle and is used to store helper functions that can be reused in the component's client-side code."— Aura Components Developer Guide: Helper Functions

Renderer (.js file):

Allows for custom rendering behavior.

Contains methods that can override default rendering lifecycle events.

"A renderer component bundle resource allows you to customize the rendering behavior of a component."— Aura Components Developer Guide: Custom Renderers

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

C. Style:

The .css file in an Aura component is used for styling and cannot contain JavaScript functions.

"An Aura component or application can have a style (CSS) resource to define its styles."— Aura Components Developer Guide: Style

E. Design:

The .design file is used to define metadata values for the component, especially when used in Lightning App Builder or Community Builder.

"A design resource describes the design-time behavior of an Aura component—information that visual tools need to display the component in a page or app."— Aura Components Developer Guide: Design Files

Conclusion: JavaScript functions in an Aura component can be placed in the Controller, Helper, and Renderer resources. Therefore, the correct answers are A, B, and D.

To script the deployment and unit test execution as part of continuous integration (CI), developers use tools that can be automated and run from the command line or scripts.

Option D: Salesforce CLI

Correct.

Explanation:

The Salesforce CLI (Command-Line Interface) is a powerful command-line tool that allows developers to interact with Salesforce orgs.

It supports scripting of deployments using commands like sfdx force:source:deploy and running unit tests using sfdx force:apex:test:run.

The CLI can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines to automate deployments and testing.

Lightning Web Components (LWC) can access various Salesforce resources.

Option B: SVG resources

Accessible.

Explanation:

LWCs can include SVG files to define custom icons for the component.

The SVG file is placed in the component bundle with the name componentName.svg.

To embed a Flow into an Aura component, you use the lightning:flow component.

Option A: lightning

Correct Answer.

The lightning:flow component allows you to embed a Flow in an Aura component.

Example Usage:

To check the code coverage of a class after running all tests, a developer can use the Developer Console.

Option B: View the code coverage percentage for the class using the Overall Code Coverage panel in the Developer Console Tests tab.

Correct Method.

Explanation:

In the Developer Console, navigate to the Tests tab.

After running tests, the Overall Code Coverage panel displays code coverage statistics.

You can see the coverage percentage for individual classes.

Universal Containers wants to prevent Opportunities from being edited once they reach the Closed/Won stage. To achieve this, the developer can use the following strategies:

Option A: Use a validation rule.

Correct Approach.

Explanation:

A validation rule can be created on the Opportunity object to prevent users from editing records when the Stage is Closed/Won.

The validation rule would evaluate whether the record's StageName is 'Closed Won' and, if so, display an error message when a user attempts to edit and save the record.

Example Validation Rule:

AND(

ISPICKVAL(StageName, 'Closed Won'),

ISCHANGED(ANYFIELD) // Replace ANYFIELD with specific fields if needed

)

Benefits:

Declarative Solution: No code required.

Consistent Enforcement: Applies across all user interfaces and API.

The requirement is for service agents to gather many pieces of information when processing damaged or stolen credit cards.

Option A: Screen-based Flow

Correct Answer.

Explanation:

A Screen Flow allows developers to build guided, interactive forms that collect information from users.

Flows can have multiple screens, validation rules, and branching logic.

They can be created declaratively without code, making them efficient to implement.

Benefits:

Efficient Development: No need for code.

User-Friendly: Provides a step-by-step interface.

Maintainable: Easy to update as requirements change.

Understanding the Scenario:

Trigger Definition:

trigger myTrigger on Contact (before insert) {

MyClass.myStaticMethod(trigger.new);

}

Test Class:

The test method calls MyClass.myStaticMethod directly.

Achieves 81% overall code coverage.

The trigger is not invoked during the test.

Key Points:

Code Coverage Requirements:

Minimum 75% Coverage: To deploy Apex code to production, all Apex classes and triggers must have at least 75% overall code coverage.

Trigger Coverage Requirement: All triggers must have some code coverage, meaning they cannot have 0% coverage.

To integrate Order__c records with the ERP system after their status is set to 'Placed', and considering that orders may be uploaded in bulk, the developer should:

Option D: Callout from a Queueable class called from a trigger

Explanation:

Trigger: Implement an after-update trigger on Order__c to detect when the status changes to 'Placed'.

Queueable Apex: Use Queueable Apex to handle asynchronous processing and callouts. Queueable classes support callouts by implementing the Database.AllowsCallouts interface.

Benefits:

Handles Bulk Data: Queueable Apex can process records in batches and can be chained for processing large volumes.

Supports Callouts: Unlike future methods, Queueable Apex allows for more complex data types and supports callouts with fewer limitations.

Change Sets are a point-and-click tool for migrating metadata between related Salesforce orgs, such as from a sandbox to a production org.

Option C: Deployment is done in a one-way, single transaction.

Correct.

Explanation:

Change sets are deployed in a one-way direction from the source org to the destination org.

The deployment occurs in a single transaction. If any component fails to deploy, the entire deployment is rolled back.

To enforce that only Container__c records with a status of "Decommissioned" can be deleted, we need to prevent deletion of records unless they meet this criteria.

Possible Approaches:

Option A: Apex Trigger

Correct.

Explanation:

An Apex before delete trigger can be written to check the Status__c field of each record being deleted.

If the status is not "Decommissioned," the trigger can add an error to prevent deletion.

trigger PreventContainerDeletion on Container__c (before delete) {

for (Container__c container : Trigger.old) {

if (container.Status__c != 'Decommissioned') {

container.addError('Only decommissioned containers can be deleted.');

}

}

}