Salesforce Graph Engine Rules Reference

To select the Salesforce Graph Engine rules, use --rule-selector sfge. For example, this command runs all the Graph engine rules:

ApexFlsViolation detects Create, Read, Update, and Delete and Field-Level Security (CRUD/FLS) violations.

  • Entry Point

    • @AuraEnabled-annotated methods.
    • @InvocableMethod-annotated methods.
    • @NamespaceAccessible-annotated methods.
    • @RemoteAction-annotated methods.
    • Any method returning a PageReference object.
    • public-scoped methods on Visualforce Controllers.
    • global-scoped methods on any class.
    • Messaging.InboundEmailResult handleInboundEmail() methods on implementations of Messaging.InboundEmailHandler.
    • Any method targeted during invocation.

  • Sink

    • All DML operations and their Database.method() counterparts: delete, insert, merge, undelete, update, and upsert.
    • SOQL queries and Database.query counterpart.

  • Sanitizer

Match any violation message that you receive with these cases to understand more about the violation.

Validation-Type–validation is missing for Operation-Name operation on Object-Type with fields Comma-Separated-Fields

where:

  • Validation-Type : Type of validation to be added. CRUD requires object-level checks, and FLS requires field-level checks.
  • Operation-Name : Data operation that must be sanitized.
  • Object-Type : Object on which the data operations happen. If Graph Engine couldn’t guess the object type, you see the variable name or SFGE_Unresolved_Argument.
  • Comma-Separated-Fields : Fields on which the data operation works. If you see Unknown as the only field or as one of the fields, Graph Engine doesn't have enough information to guess the fields, and you must determine the unlisted fields manually.

Validation-Type validation is missing for Operation-Name operation on Object-Type with fields Comma-Separated-Fields–Graph Engine couldn't parse all objects and fields correctly. Manually confirm if the objects and fields involved in these segments have FLS checks: Unknown-Segments

where:

  • Validation-Type : Type of validation to be added. CRUD requires object-level checks, and FLS requires field-level checks.
  • Operation-Name : Data operation that must be sanitized.
  • Object-Type : Object on which the data operations happen. If Graph Engine couldn’t guess the object type, you see the variable name or SFGE_Unresolved_Argument.
  • Comma-Separated-Fields : Fields on which the data operation works. If you see Unknown as the only field or as one of the fields, Graph Engine doesn't have enough information to guess the fields, and you must determine the unlisted fields manually.

This case is the same as the common case, but also Graph Engine isn't confident about the object names or field names that it detected. You also see this clause when your field or object ends with __r. In both cases, review the relational field, object, and the unparsed segments to ensure that they have the required CRUD/FLS checks. Next, add an engine directive to force Graph Engine to ignore this warning in the next run.

ApexNullPointerException identifies Apex operations that dereference null objects and throw NullPointerExceptions. NullPointerExceptions generally indicate underlying problems in your code to address.

  • Entry Point

    • @AuraEnabled-annotated methods.
    • @InvocableMethod-annotated methods.
    • @NamespaceAccessible-annotated methods.
    • @RemoteAction-annotated methods.
    • Any method returning a PageReference object.
    • public-scoped methods on Visualforce Controllers.
    • global-scoped methods on any class.
    • Messaging.InboundEmailResult handleInboundEmail() methods on implementations of Messaging.InboundEmailHandler.
    • Any method targeted during invocation.

  • Sink

    • Any object dereference is a potential sink because object dereferences are the places where a null pointer exception can be thrown. Example: x.someMethod() .

  • Sanitizer

    • Non-null initialization of variables and null checks before accessing. Examples: String s = 'abcde'; , if (s != null) {.

Match any violation message that you receive with this case to understand more about the violation.

ApexNullPointerException identifies Apex operations with a high likelihood of throwing a NullPointerException

The operation dereferences a null object and throws a NullPointerException. Review your code and add a null check.

In these examples, Apex Runtime throws a System.NullPointerException at the place where an operation is performed on a null object. The Graph Engine ApexNullPointerException rule preemptively identifies these operations.

To fix NullPointerException issues, use one of these methods.

  • Check that the object is not-null before performing the operation.
  • Make sure that all variables are initialized.

Avoid initializing variables to null. If your logic demands initialization to null, make sure to reassign a value to your variable before you invoke an operation on it.

AvoidDatabaseOperationInLoop detects database operations that occur inside loops and that cause performance degradation. Database operations within loops cause performance degradations and exceed Salesforce governor limits.

  • Entry Point

    • @AuraEnabled-annotated methods.
    • @InvocableMethod-annotated methods.
    • @NamespaceAccessible-annotated methods.
    • @RemoteAction-annotated methods.
    • Any method returning a PageReference object.
    • public-scoped methods on Visualforce Controllers.
    • global-scoped methods on any class.
    • Messaging.InboundEmailResult handleInboundEmail() methods on implementations of Messaging.InboundEmailHandler.
    • Any method targeted during invocation.

  • Sink

    • Any database operation.

Match any violation message that you receive with this case to understand more about the violation.

A database operation occurred inside a loop. [%s at %s:%d]

Your code executes a database operation inside a loop statement. To move the database operation outside the loop, modify and then rescan your code.

To remediate database operation violations, move these operations outside of loops. Follow these best practices.

  • Instead of querying objects within a loop, use a SOQL for loop to iterate over a query’s results.

    For example, instead of:

    Use:

  • Instead of putting database operations within a loop, use the loop to iteratively construct lists of objects, and then perform the database operation on the full list after the loop.

    For example, instead of:

    Use:

AvoidMultipleMassSchemaLookups is a path-based rule that detects scenarios where expensive schema lookups are made more than one time in a path and cause performance degradation.

AvoidMultipleMassSchemaLookups identifies these methods:

  • Schema.getGlobalDescribe()
  • Schema.describeSObjects(...)

Flagged lookups include:

  • Lookups within these types of loops: ForLoopStatement, ForEachLoopStatement, DoWhileStatement, and WhileLoopStatement
  • Multiple expensive schema lookups that are invoked
  • An expensive schema lookup that is executed multiple times

These common scenarios trigger a violation from AvoidMultipleMassSchemaLookups.

  • Schema.getGlobalDescribe() within a loop
  • Schema.describeSObjects(...) within a loop
  • Schema.getGlobalDescribe() preceding a Schema.getGlobalDescribe() or Schema.describeSObjects(...) method call anywhere in the path
  • Schema.describeSObjects(...) preceding a Schema.describeSObjects(...) or Schema.getGlobalDescribe() method call anywhere in the path

  • Entry Point

    • @AuraEnabled-annotated methods.
    • @InvocableMethod-annotated methods.
    • @NamespaceAccessible-annotated methods.
    • @RemoteAction-annotated methods.
    • Any method returning a PageReference object.
    • public-scoped methods on Visualforce Controllers.
    • global-scoped methods on any class.
    • Messaging.InboundEmailResult handleInboundEmail() methods on implementations of Messaging.InboundEmailHandler.
    • Any method targeted during invocation.

  • Sink

    • Schema.getGlobalDescribe().
    • Schema.describeSObjects(...).

Match any violation message that you receive with these cases to understand more about the violation.

Schema.getGlobalDescribe was called inside a loop. [ForEachStatement at AuraEnabledFls:27]

Your code calls Schema.getGlobalDescribe() or Schema.describeSObjects(...) inside a loop statement. To move the Schema.getGlobalDescribe() or Schema.describeSObjects(...) outside the loop, modify and then rescan your code.

Multiple expensive schema lookups are invoked. [Schema.describeSObjects at AuraEnabledFls:27]

Your code invokes Schema.getGlobalDescribe() preceded by Schema.describeSObjects. Modify your code so that only one expensive schema lookup is invoked.

Schema.getGlobalDescribe executed multiple times in the call stack. [getFields at AuraEnabledFls:27, getFields at AuraEnabledFls:28, getFields at AuraEnabledFls:29]

Schema.getGlobalDescribe or Schema.describeSObjects is executed multiple times in a single path. Reduce the execution of the method to one time, then rescan your code

The DatabaseOperationsMustUseWithSharing rule identifies database operations in classes annotated as without sharing. It also warns of database operations in classes that inherit with sharing implicitly instead of explicitly using inherited sharing.

With Salesforce sharing rules, you can control who has access to which records, but it's your responsibility to ensure that your Apex code respects sharing rules by declaring classes with a sharing model.

  • with sharing causes database transactions in a class to respect sharing rules. It's the default recommendation.
  • without sharing causes database transactions in a class to ignore sharing rules. Use with caution.
  • inherited sharing causes database transactions in a class to inherit the sharing model of the class that called it. Use for classes that require flexibility.

To protect user data in Apex, use with sharing or inherited sharing whenever possible.

  • Entry Point

    • @AuraEnabled-annotated methods.
    • @InvocableMethod-annotated methods.
    • @NamespaceAccessible-annotated methods.
    • @RemoteAction-annotated methods.
    • Any method returning a PageReference object.
    • public-scoped methods on Visualforce Controllers.
    • global-scoped methods on any class.
    • Messaging.InboundEmailResult handleInboundEmail() methods on implementations of Messaging.InboundEmailHandler.
    • Any method targeted during invocation.

  • Sink

    • Any database operation.

  • Sanitizer

    • Class-level with sharing or inherited sharing annotation.

Match any violation message that you receive with these cases to understand more about the violation.

Database operation must be executed from a class that enforces sharing rules.

The database operation occurs in a without sharing context, either because it occurs in a class annotated without sharing or because its class inherits sharing from a without sharing class. To resolve this violation, add with sharing or inherited sharing to the class.

The database operation’s class implicitly inherits a sharing model from %s %s. Explicitly assign a sharing model instead.

This warning is thrown when a database operation occurs in a class that has no explicitly declared sharing model, so it implicitly inherits with sharing from its calling class. Even though the operation is secure in this specific case, it isn’t secure by default. Explicitly assign this class a sharing model to make it secure by default.

MissingNullCheckOnSoqlVariable identifies SOQL queries with variables in WHERE clauses that lack null checks. SOQL queries with variables on WHERE clauses become expensive when the variable value is unintentionally null. When the variable value is null, an O(1) operation turns into an O(n) operation. The entire table is scanned but returns no results.

  • Entry Point

    • @AuraEnabled-annotated methods.
    • @InvocableMethod-annotated methods.
    • @NamespaceAccessible-annotated methods.
    • @RemoteAction-annotated methods.
    • Any method returning a PageReference object.
    • public-scoped methods on Visualforce Controllers.
    • global-scoped methods on any class.
    • Messaging.InboundEmailResult handleInboundEmail() methods on implementations of Messaging.InboundEmailHandler.
    • Any method targeted during invocation.

  • Sink

    • Any database operation.

  • Sanitizer

    • Null checks (if (x != null) {).
    • Explicit assignment to non-null (String x = 'asdf').
    • Checks for specific non-null values (if (x == 7) {).

Match any violation message that you receive with this case to understand more about the violation.

Null check is missing for variable targetName used in SOQL query.

The mentioned variable is referenced by a SOQL query, and the variable is missing a null check. This behavior is expensive. Instead, explicitly perform a null check on this variable, or assign it to a specific non-null value. For example:

UnimplementedType detects abstract classes and interfaces that are non-global and missing implementations or extensions.

UnimplementedType is a traditional static analysis rule where a violation occurs at a point in the code where the interface or abstract class is declared. It doesn’t use sources or sinks.

Match any violation message that you receive with this case to understand more about the violation.

Extend, implement, or delete %s %s

Because this abstract class or interface has no implementations or extensions, it can’t be instantiated. It’s unnecessary and can be deleted.

Because the UnimplementedType rule excludes global scoped classes from consideration, these classes are prevented from being thrown as false positives and aren’t false negatives.