Salesforce Connect | Apex Developer Guide

Salesforce Connect
Salesforce Connect provides seamless integration of data across system boundaries by letting your users view, search, and modify data that’s stored outside your Salesforce org. For example, perhaps you have data that’s stored on premises in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Instead of copying the data into your org, you can use external objects to access the data in real time via web service callouts.

Apex Considerations for Salesforce Connect External Objects
Apex code can access external object data via any Salesforce Connect adapter, but some requirements and limitations apply.

Writable External Objects
By default, external objects are read only, but you can make them writable. Doing so lets Salesforce users and APIs create, update, and delete data that’s stored outside the org by interacting with external objects within the org. For example, users can see all the orders that reside in an SAP system that are associated with an account in Salesforce. Then, without leaving the Salesforce user interface, they can place a new order or route an existing order. The relevant data is automatically created or updated in the SAP system.

External Change Data Capture Packaging and Testing
You can distribute External Change Data Capture components in managed packages, including a framework for testing your Apex triggers. Special behaviors and limitations apply to packaging and package installation.

Get Started with the Apex Connector Framework
To get started with your first custom adapter for Salesforce Connect, create two Apex classes: one that extends the DataSource.Connection class, and one that extends the DataSource.Provider class.

Key Concepts About the Apex Connector Framework
The DataSource namespace provides the classes for the Apex Connector Framework. Use the Apex Connector Framework to develop a custom adapter for Salesforce Connect. Then connect your Salesforce org to any data anywhere via the Salesforce Connect custom adapter.

Considerations for the Apex Connector Framework
Understand the limits and considerations for creating Salesforce Connect custom adapters with the Apex Connector Framework.

Apex Connector Framework Examples
These examples illustrate how to use the Apex Connector Framework to create custom adapters for Salesforce Connect.