Force.com IDE Developer Guide

Get Started with the Force.com IDE
Install the Force.com IDE Plug-In
Quickstart: Explore the Force.com IDE
Offline and Online Modes
Update the Force.com IDE
Develop with the Force.com IDE
Test Code with the Force.com IDE
Deploy Code with the Force.com IDE
Get Started with the Apex Debugger
Solutions to Common Force.com IDE Problems
Force.com IDE Release Notes
Useful References
PDF

Get Started with the Force.com IDE

The Force.com IDE is an integrated development environment for developing applications on the Lightning Platform using Apex, Visualforce, and metadata components. Designed for developers and development teams, the IDE provides tools to accelerate Salesforce application development. These tools include wizards, source code editors, test execution tools, deployment aids, integrated help, and an interactive debugger.

Force.com IDE is in a maintenance-only state. We still provide support for the product through our official channels, but updates prior to October 12, 2019 will be only for critical security issues that arise. On October 12, 2019, we will no longer provide support or updates of any kind for Force.com IDE. On that date, we will also begin archiving documentation and removing download links for the product. We recommend that you start migrating to Salesforce Extensions for Visual Studio Code or one of the great tools made by our partners. For more information, see The Future of Salesforce IDEs on the Salesforce Developers Blog.

Warning

The Force.com IDE is built on top of the open-source Eclipse Platform and is available as a plug-in. The plug-in is open source—you can find and contribute to its source code on GitHub.

You can use the Force.com IDE to:
  • Test and debug Apex classes and triggers using the Apex Test Results view.
  • Run anonymous blocks of Apex on the server in the Execute Anonymous view.
  • Browse schema objects and fields or assemble and execute SOQL queries in the Schema Explorer.
  • Synchronize project contents with changes on the server using Save to Server, Refresh from Server, and Synchronize with Server commands.
  • Utilize the Compare Editor to merge changes when conflicts are detected.
  • Deploy metadata components from one Salesforce organization to another, or validate a planned deployment without saving changes, using the Deploy to Server wizard.
To get started working in the Force.com IDE, look at the following topics.