Exam objectives: Data Modeling and Management

To pass the Data Modeling and Management section of the Certified Platform App Builder exam, app builders are expected to demonstrate knowledge of the following:

• Given a scenario, determine the appropriate data model.
• Describe the capabilities of the various relationship types and the implications of each on record access, the user interface, and reporting.
• Identify the considerations when changing a field’s type.
• Given a set of requirements, identify the considerations and select the appropriate field type.
• Describe the capabilities and considerations of Schema Builder.
• Describe the options and considerations when importing and exporting data.
• Describe the capabilities of and use cases for external objects.

Reference: Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder Exam Guide

This guide is published by Salesforce and can be referenced at https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Platform-App-Builder-Exam-Guide...

Designing a data model

In this section, we will look at how to determine an appropriate data model when building apps in Salesforce, which is one of the core objectives of the Data Modeling and Management objective in the Certified Platform App Builder exam. In the exam, you can expect to be given a scenario in which you will be asked how to design a data model in the Salesforce Platform that satisfies the requirements set out in the scenario.

To help reinforce the skills and knowledge needed to create the data model, we’ll do some practical work in Salesforce. So, if you do not have a Salesforce environment to carry this out in, create a free developer org as detailed in Chapter 1, Core Capabilities of the Lightning Platform.

Using an example scenario, we will now design a data model and look at the process of identifying the most appropriate design for the entities and relationships.

Relationship types and considerations

Relationships enable the association of data with other objects. Before we start to design and build Salesforce relationships, let’s look at generic relationship types and see how we could use them to associate the entities that we discovered earlier, in Figure 1.1 – Scenario data model entities:

• One-to-one relationship: An example of this type of relationship is where there is a list of prospects and a list of salespeople, but only one salesperson manages the prospect record and hence the prospect record is owned by only one salesperson.
• One-to-many relationship: An example of this type of relationship is where there is a list of prospects and a number of meetings to be set up with the prospects. This association allows there to be one prospect, but many meetings could be attended by the prospect.
• Many-to-many relationship: An example of this type of relationship is where there is a list of locations and a list of regions. A region...

Selecting the appropriate field type

When given a set of requirements to create a data model, we need to identify the data that is to be stored and processed in order to ensure that the most appropriate custom field type is created.

There are many data types that can be chosen to ensure that the appropriate data is able to be stored using custom fields. Custom fields are unique to your business needs and can not only be added and amended but also deleted. Custom fields can be created on standard objects and custom objects.

When creating custom fields, you have the option to specify the field-level security and also, depending upon the type of field, some options to set the user interface and appearance of the field record. The first step when creating custom fields is to select the data type for the field, and the sections that describe the data types that are available are as follows:

• Auto Number: An Auto Number field is used to automatically generate a unique number for saved records...

Considerations when changing the type of a custom field

Occasionally, after you have created custom fields in Salesforce, there is the need to change the field’s type as the type of data that is to be stored needs to be changed. The reason for this change of data type could be because the initial requirements were not clear or because new discoveries about how the solution is used identify a more suitable field to be used.

Before attempting to change the data type of a field, you should carefully consider the effect that the change might have on the existing data and the impacts in general that may be experienced after the field’s type has been changed. There are some situations and types of fields that are fully restricted and changing the data type of the field is not permitted.

There are some situations and types of fields where changes are permitted but have restrictions and have impacts on the stored data. These include the loss of data or system controls for what the...

Data modeling with Schema Builder

Schema Builder is a mechanism that is available out of the box that provides the facility to view the existing data model and create new custom objects, custom fields, and relationship types.

As an alternative to using the Object Manager, which we used earlier in this chapter, we can add objects and fields by dragging and dropping visual elements onto a schema screen. In addition, Schema Builder allows the viewing of standard objects and the creation of custom fields within standard objects.

The features and capabilities of Schema Builder enable the following:

• Creating and deleting custom objects
• Creating and deleting custom lookup and master-detail relationship fields
• Creating and deleting custom fields
• Viewing standard objects
• Viewing standard lookup and master-detail relationship fields
• Viewing standard fields

Custom fields not available

At the time of writing, Schema Builder does not allow the creation of the following custom field types: Geolocation...

Questions to test your knowledge

We’ll now present seven questions to help assess your knowledge of designing a data model in the Lightning Platform. There are questions about the choice of relationship types and appropriate field types when presented with a given scenario.

There are questions about the impacts of changing data types along with questions to test your knowledge of the capabilities of Schema Builder. The answers can be found at the end of the chapter.

Summary

In this chapter, we have looked at how to design and build a data model both conceptually and using features in the Salesforce Lightning Platform.

Learning how to design and build a data model both conceptually and using the features in the Salesforce Lightning Platform is necessary when building apps in the Salesforce Platform. Having gone through this chapter, you will have gained the knowledge to create custom objects and custom fields and looked at the ways to determine an appropriate data model.

This chapter will have equipped you with the skills to design data model relationships and understand the implications of changing field types. In addition, you will have gained the knowledge and skills to use the Object Manager setup option and Schema Builder to create custom objects and fields and understand how Schema Builder can be used in the Lightning Platform to build and view a data model.

Finally, you were presented with a number of questions to help clarify the key concepts...