Bulk API Developer's Guide
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A
- Apex
- Apex is a strongly typed, object-oriented programming language that allows developers to execute flow and transaction control statements on the Force.com platform server in conjunction with calls to the Force.com API. Using syntax that looks like Java and acts like database stored procedures, Apex enables developers to add business logic to most system events, including button clicks, related record updates, and Visualforce pages. Apex code can be initiated by Web service requests and from triggers on objects.
- App
- Short for “application.” A collection of components such as tabs, reports, dashboards, and Visualforce pages that address a specific business need. Salesforce provides standard apps such as Sales and Call Center. You can customize the standard apps to match the way you work. In addition, you can package an app and upload it to the AppExchange along with related components such as custom fields, custom tabs, and custom objects. Then, you can make the app available to other Salesforce users from the AppExchange.
- Application Programming Interface (API)
- The interface that a computer system, library, or application provides to allow other computer programs to request services from it and exchange data.
- Asynchronous Calls
- A call that does not return results immediately because the operation may take a long time. Calls in the Metadata API and Bulk API are asynchronous.
B
- Batch, Bulk API
- A batch is a CSV or XML representation of a set of records in the Bulk API. You process a set of records by creating a job that contains one or more batches. Each batch is processed independently by the server, not necessarily in the order it is received. See Job, Bulk API.
- Boolean Operators
- You can use Boolean operators in report filters to specify the logical relationship between two values. For example, the AND operator between two values yields search results that include both values. Likewise, the OR operator between two values yields search results that include either value.
- Bulk API
- The REST-based Bulk API is optimized for processing large sets of data. It allows you to query, insert, update, upsert, or delete a large number of records asynchronously by submitting a number of batches which are processed in the background by Salesforce. See also SOAP API.
C
- Client App
- An app that runs outside the Salesforce user interface and uses only the Force.com API or Bulk API. It typically runs on a desktop or mobile device. These apps treat the platform as a data source, using the development model of whatever tool and platform for which they are designed.
- CSV (Comma Separated Values)
- A file format that enables the sharing and transportation of structured data. The import wizards, Data Loader and the Bulk API support CSV. Each line in a CSV file represents a record. A comma separates each field value in the record.
- Custom Field
- A field that can be added in addition to the standard fields to customize Salesforce for your organization’s needs.
- Custom Object
- Custom records that allow you to store information unique to your organization.
D
- Data Loader
- A Force.com platform tool used to import and export data from your Salesforce organization.
- Database
- An organized collection of information. The underlying architecture of the Force.com platform includes a database where your data is stored.
- Database Table
- A list of information, presented with rows and columns, about the person, thing, or concept you want to track. See also Object.
- Decimal Places
- Parameter for number, currency, and percent custom fields that indicates the total number of digits you can enter to the right of a decimal point, for example, 4.98 for an entry of 2. Note that the system rounds the decimal numbers you enter, if necessary. For example, if you enter 4.986 in a field with Decimal Places of 2, the number rounds to 4.99. Salesforce uses the round half-up rounding algorithm. Half-way values are always rounded up. For example, 1.45 is rounded to 1.5. –1.45 is rounded to –1.5.
- Dependent Field
- Any custom picklist or multi-select picklist field that displays available values based on the value selected in its corresponding controlling field.
- Developer Edition
- A free, fully-functional Salesforce organization designed for developers to extend, integrate, and develop with the Force.com platform. Developer Edition accounts are available on developer.salesforce.com.
- Salesforce Developers
- The Salesforce Developers website at developer.salesforce.com provides a full range of resources for platform developers, including sample code, toolkits, an online developer community, and the ability to obtain limited Force.com platform environments.
F
- Field
- A part of an object that holds a specific piece of information, such as a text or currency value.
- Field-Level Security
- Settings that determine whether fields are hidden, visible, read only, or editable for users. Available in Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance, and Developer Editions only.
- Force.com
- The Salesforce platform for building applications in the cloud. Force.com combines a powerful user interface, operating system, and database to allow you to customize and deploy applications in the cloud for your entire enterprise.
- Force.com IDE
- An Eclipse plug-in that allows developers to manage, author, debug and deploy Force.com applications in the Eclipse development environment.
- Force.com Migration Tool
- A toolkit that allows you to write an Apache Ant build script for migrating Force.com components between a local file system and a Salesforce organization.
- Foreign Key
- A field whose value is the same as the primary key of another table. You can think of a foreign key as a copy of a primary key from another table. A relationship is made between two tables by matching the values of the foreign key in one table with the values of the primary key in another.
- Formula Field
- A type of custom field. Formula fields automatically calculate their values based on the values of merge fields, expressions, or other values.
- Function
- Built-in formulas that you can customize with input parameters. For example, the DATE function creates a date field type from a given year, month, and day.
I
- ID
- See Salesforce Record ID.
- Instance
- The cluster of software and hardware represented as a single logical server that hosts an organization's data and runs their applications. The Force.com platform runs on multiple instances, but data for any single organization is always stored on a single instance.
- Integration User
- A Salesforce user defined solely for client apps or integrations. Also referred to as the logged-in user in a SOAP API context.
- ISO Code
- The International Organization for Standardization country code, which represents each country by two letters.
L
- Locale
- The country or geographic region in which the user is located. The setting affects the format of date and number fields, for example, dates in the English (United States) locale display as 06/30/2000 and as 30/06/2000 in the English (United Kingdom) locale.
- In Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance, and Developer Edition organizations, a user’s individual Locale setting overrides the organization’s Default Locale setting. In Personal and Group Editions, the organization-level locale field is called Locale, not Default Locale.
- Logged-in User
- In a SOAP API context, the username used to log into Salesforce. Client applications run with the permissions and sharing of the logged-in user. Also referred to as an integration user.
- Lookup Field
- A type of field that contains a linkable value to another record. You can display lookup fields on page layouts where the object has a lookup or master-detail relationship with another object. For example, cases have a lookup relationship with assets that allows users to select an asset using a lookup dialog from the case edit page and click the name of the asset from the case detail page.
M
- Managed Package
- A collection of application components that is posted as a unit on the AppExchange and associated with a namespace and possibly a License Management Organization. To support upgrades, a package must be managed. An organization can create a single managed package that can be downloaded and installed by many different organizations. Managed packages differ from unmanaged packages by having some locked components, allowing the managed package to be upgraded later. Unmanaged packages do not include locked components and cannot be upgraded. In addition, managed packages obfuscate certain components (like Apex) on subscribing organizations to protect the intellectual property of the developer.
- Manual Sharing
- Record-level access rules that allow record owners to give read and edit permissions to other users who might not have access to the record any other way.
- Many-to-Many Relationship
- A relationship where each side of the relationship can have many children on the other side. Many-to-many relationships are implemented through the use of junction objects.
- Master-Detail Relationship
- A relationship between two different types of records that associates the records with each other. For example, accounts have a master-detail relationship with opportunities. This type of relationship affects record deletion, security, and makes the lookup relationship field required on the page layout.
- Metadata
- Information about the structure, appearance, and functionality of an organization and any of its parts. Force.com uses XML to describe metadata.
- Multitenancy
- An application model where all users and apps share a single, common infrastructure and code base.
O
- Object
- An object allows you to store information in your Salesforce organization. The object is the overall definition of the type of information you are storing. For example, the case object allow you to store information regarding customer inquiries. For each object, your organization will have multiple records that store the information about specific instances of that type of data. For example, you might have a case record to store the information about Joe Smith's training inquiry and another case record to store the information about Mary Johnson's configuration issue.
- Object-Level Security
- Settings that allow an administrator to hide whole objects from users so that they don't know that type of data exists. Object-level security is specified with object permissions.
- One-to-Many Relationship
- A relationship in which a single object is related to many other objects. For example, an account may have one or more related contacts.
- Organization-Wide Defaults
- Settings that allow you to specify the baseline level of data access that a user has in your organization. For example, you can set organization-wide defaults so that any user can see any record of a particular object that is enabled via their object permissions, but they need extra permissions to edit one.
- Outbound Message
- An outbound message is a workflow, approval, or milestone action that sends the information you specify to an endpoint you designate, such as an external service. Outbound messaging is configured in the Salesforce setup menu. Then you must configure the external endpoint. You can create a listener for the messages using the SOAP API.
- Owner
- Individual user to which a record (for example, a contact or case) is assigned.
P
- Package
- A group of Force.com components and applications that are made available to other organizations through the AppExchange. You use packages to bundle an app along with any related components so that you can upload them to AppExchange together.
- Parent Account
- An organization or company that an account is affiliated. By specifying a parent for an account, you can get a global view of all parent/subsidiary relationships using the View Hierarchy link.
- Picklist
- Selection list of options available for specific fields in a Salesforce object, for example, the Industry field for accounts. Users can choose a single value from a list of options rather than make an entry directly in the field. See also Master Picklist.
- Picklist (Multi-Select)
- Selection list of options available for specific fields in a Salesforce object. Multi-select picklists allow users to choose one or more values. Users can choose a value by double clicking on it, or choose additional values from a scrolling list by holding down the CTRL key while clicking a value and using the arrow icon to move them to the selected box.
- Picklist Values
- Selections displayed in drop-down lists for particular fields. Some values come predefined, and other values can be changed or defined by an administrator.
- Platform Edition
- A Salesforce edition based on Enterprise, Unlimited, or Performance Edition that does not include any of the standard Salesforce apps, such as Sales or Service & Support.
- Primary Key
- A relational database concept. Each table in a relational database has a field in which the data value uniquely identifies the record. This field is called the primary key. The relationship is made between two tables by matching the values of the foreign key in one table with the values of the primary key in another.
- Production Organization
- A Salesforce organization that has live users accessing data.
- Professional Edition
- A Salesforce edition designed for businesses who need full-featured CRM functionality.
Q
- Query String Parameter
- A name-value pair that's included in a URL, typically after a '?' character. For
example:
1http://na1.salesforce.com/001/e?name=value
R
- Record
- A single instance of a Salesforce object. For example, “John Jones” might be the name of a contact record.
- Record Name
- A standard field on all Salesforce objects. Whenever a record name is displayed in a Force.com application, the value is represented as a link to a detail view of the record. A record name can be either free-form text or an autonumber field. Record Name does not have to be a unique value.
- Record Type
- A record type is a field available for certain records that can include some or all of the standard and custom picklist values for that record. You can associate record types with profiles to make only the included picklist values available to users with that profile.
- Record-Level Security
- A method of controlling data in which you can allow a particular user to view and edit an object, but then restrict the records that the user is allowed to see.
- Recycle Bin
- A page that lets you view and restore deleted information. Access the Recycle Bin by using the link in the sidebar.
- Related Object
- Objects chosen by an administrator to display in the Agent console's mini view when records of a particular type are shown in the console's detail view. For example, when a case is in the detail view, an administrator can choose to display an associated account, contact, or asset in the mini view.
- Relationship
- A connection between two objects, used to create related lists in page layouts and detail levels in reports. Matching values in a specified field in both objects are used to link related data; for example, if one object stores data about companies and another object stores data about people, a relationship allows you to find out which people work at the company.
- Relationship Query
- In a SOQL context, a query that traverses the relationships between objects to identify and return results. Parent-to-child and child-to-parent syntax differs in SOQL queries.
- Role Hierarchy
- A record-level security setting that defines different levels of users such that users at higher levels can view and edit information owned by or shared with users beneath them in the role hierarchy, regardless of the organization-wide sharing model settings.
- Roll-Up Summary Field
- A field type that automatically provides aggregate values from child records in a master-detail relationship.
- Running User
- Each dashboard has a running user, whose security settings determine which data to display in a dashboard. If the running user is a specific user, all dashboard viewers see data based on the security settings of that user—regardless of their own personal security settings. For dynamic dashboards, you can set the running user to be the logged-in user, so that each user sees the dashboard according to his or her own access level.
S
- SaaS
- See Software as a Service (SaaS).
- Salesforce Record ID
- A unique 15- or 18-character alphanumeric string that identifies a single record in Salesforce.
- Salesforce SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture)
- A powerful capability of Force.com that allows you to make calls to external Web services from within Apex.
- Sandbox
- A nearly identical copy of a Salesforce production organization for development, testing, and training. The content and size of a sandbox varies depending on the type of sandbox and the editioin of the production organization associated with the sandbox.
- Session ID
- An authentication token that is returned when a user successfully logs in to Salesforce. The Session ID prevents a user from having to log in again every time he or she wants to perform another action in Salesforce. Different from a record ID or Salesforce ID, which are terms for the unique ID of a Salesforce record.
- Session Timeout
- The period of time after login before a user is automatically logged out. Sessions expire automatically after a predetermined length of inactivity, which can be configured in Salesforce from Setup by clicking . The default is 120 minutes (two hours). The inactivity timer is reset to zero if a user takes an action in the Web interface or makes an API call.
- Setup
- A menu where administrators can customize and define organization settings and Force.com apps. Depending on your organization’s user interface settings, Setup may be a link in the user interface header or in the drop-down list under your name.
- Sharing
- Allowing other users to view or edit information you own. There are different ways to
share data:
- Sharing Model—defines the default organization-wide access levels that users have to each other’s information and whether to use the hierarchies when determining access to data.
- Role Hierarchy—defines different levels of users such that users at higher levels can view and edit information owned by or shared with users beneath them in the role hierarchy, regardless of the organization-wide sharing model settings.
- Sharing Rules—allow an administrator to specify that all information created by users within a given group or role is automatically shared to the members of another group or role.
- Manual Sharing—allows individual users to share records with other users or groups.
- Apex-Managed Sharing—enables developers to programmatically manipulate sharing to support their application’s behavior. See Apex-Managed Sharing.
- Sharing Model
- Behavior defined by your administrator that determines default access by users to different types of records.
- Sharing Rule
- Type of default sharing created by administrators. Allows users in a specified group or role to have access to all information created by users within a given group or role.
- SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)
- A protocol that defines a uniform way of passing XML-encoded data.
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- A delivery model where a software application is hosted as a service and provided to customers via the Internet. The SaaS vendor takes responsibility for the daily maintenance, operation, and support of the application and each customer's data. The service alleviates the need for customers to install, configure, and maintain applications with their own hardware, software, and related IT resources. Services can be delivered using the SaaS model to any market segment.
- SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language)
- A query language that allows you to construct simple but powerful query strings and to specify the criteria that should be used to select data from the Force.com database.
- SOSL (Salesforce Object Search Language)
- A query language that allows you to perform text-based searches using the Force.com API.
- Standard Object
- A built-in object included with the Force.com platform. You can also build custom objects to store information that is unique to your app.
T
- Translation Workbench
- The Translation Workbench lets you specify languages you want to translate, assign translators to languages, create translations for customizations you’ve made to your Salesforce organization, and override labels and translations from managed packages. Everything from custom picklist values to custom fields can be translated so your global users can use all of Salesforce in their language.
V
- Visualforce
- A simple, tag-based markup language that allows developers to easily define custom pages and components for apps built on the platform. Each tag corresponds to a coarse or fine-grained component, such as a section of a page, a related list, or a field. The components can either be controlled by the same logic that is used in standard Salesforce pages, or developers can associate their own logic with a controller written in Apex.
W
- Web Service
- A mechanism by which two applications can easily exchange data over the Internet, even if they run on different platforms, are written in different languages, or are geographically remote from each other.
- Web Services API
- A Web services application programming interface that provides access to your Salesforce organization's information. See also SOAP API and Bulk API.
- WSDL (Web Services Description Language) File
- An XML file that describes the format of messages you send and receive from a Web service. Your development environment's SOAP client uses the Salesforce Enterprise WSDL or Partner WSDL to communicate with Salesforce using the SOAP API.