Apex Developer Guide
jSummer '26 (API version 67.0)
Spring '26 (API version 66.0)
Winter '26 (API version 65.0)
Summer '25 (API version 64.0)
Spring '25 (API version 63.0)
Winter '25 (API version 62.0)
Summer '24 (API version 61.0)
Spring '24 (API version 60.0)
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Summer '23 (API version 58.0)
Spring '23 (API version 57.0)
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Summer '22 (API version 55.0)
Spring '22 (API version 54.0)
Winter '22 (API version 53.0)
Summer '21 (API version 52.0)
Spring '21 (API version 51.0)
Winter '21 (API version 50.0)
Summer '20 (API version 49.0)
Spring '20 (API version 48.0)
Winter '20 (API version 47.0)
Summer '19 (API version 46.0)
Spring '19 (API version 45.0)
Winter '19 (API version 44.0)
Summer '18 (API version 43.0)
Spring '18 (API version 42.0)
Winter '18 (API version 41.0)
Summer '17 (API version 40.0)
Spring '17 (API version 39.0)
Winter '17 (API version 38.0)
Summer '16 (API version 37.0)
Spring '16 (API version 36.0)
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Summer '15 (API version 34.0)
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Spring '14 (API version 30.0)
Data Types
Primitive Data Types
Enums
Variables
Constants
Assignment Statements
Rules of Conversion
Glossary
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Data Types and Variables
Apex uses data types, variables, and related language constructs such as enums,
constants, expressions, operators, and assignment statements.
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Data Types
In Apex, all variables and expressions have a data type, such as sObject, primitive, or enum. -
Primitive Data Types
Apex uses the same primitive data types as SOAP API, except for higher-precision Decimal type in certain cases. All primitive data types are passed by value. -
Collections
Collections in Apex can be lists, sets, or maps. -
Enums
An enum is an abstract data type with values that each take on exactly one of a finite set of identifiers that you specify. Enums are typically used to define a set of possible values that don’t otherwise have a numerical order. Typical examples include the suit of a card, or a particular season of the year. -
Variables
Local variables are declared with Java-style syntax. As with Java, multiple variables can be declared and initialized in a single statement. -
Constants
Apex constants are variables whose values don’t change after being initialized once. Constants can be defined using the final keyword. -
Expressions and Operators
An expression is a construct made up of variables, operators, and method invocations that evaluates to a single value. -
Assignment Statements
An assignment statement is any statement that places a value into a variable. -
Rules of Conversion
In general, Apex requires you to explicitly convert one data type to another. For example, a variable of the Integer data type cannot be implicitly converted to a String. You must use the string.format method. However, a few data types can be implicitly converted, without using a method.