Curriculum
Developer Console is an integrated development environment (IDE) provided by Salesforce that allows developers to write, test, debug, and execute Apex code directly within the Salesforce platform. It is one of the most important tools for Salesforce developers because it provides access to coding, debugging, execution logs, test execution, and performance monitoring without requiring external software.
The Developer Console is commonly used for developing Apex classes, Apex triggers, SOQL queries, SOSL searches, Visualforce pages, Lightning components, and debugging Salesforce applications. Every Salesforce developer should understand how to use the Developer Console effectively before learning advanced Apex programming concepts.
Understanding the Developer Console is essential for Salesforce Developers, Administrators, Consultants, and Platform App Builders because it serves as the primary development and debugging environment within Salesforce.
Developer Console is Salesforce’s built-in development tool used for coding, debugging, testing, and monitoring applications.
It allows developers to:
Developer Console provides a complete development environment inside Salesforce.
Developers frequently need to:
The Developer Console provides all these capabilities in one place.
Without Developer Console:
Available directly within Salesforce.
Works in the browser.
Supports troubleshooting.
Execute code instantly.
Analyze application behavior.
Accelerates coding activities.
These benefits make Developer Console a valuable Salesforce development tool.
Login to Salesforce.
Click the:
Gear Icon
Located in the upper-right corner.
Select:
Developer Console
Developer Console opens in a new window.
You are now ready to develop and test Salesforce applications.
The Developer Console consists of several sections.
Provides access to tools and actions.
Main coding area.
Displays execution logs.
Runs SOQL and SOSL queries.
Executes Apex tests.
Displays debugging information.
Understanding the interface improves productivity.
The Menu Bar contains several important options.
Create and manage development files.
Modify code.
Analyze execution logs.
Run Apex tests.
Execute database queries.
Access documentation.
These options support Salesforce development activities.
An Apex Class is a blueprint containing methods and logic.
To create a class:
Click:
File → New → Apex Class
Enter Class Name.
Example:
StudentManagerClick:
OK
Salesforce creates the class automatically.
public class StudentManager {
public static void displayMessage() {
System.debug('Welcome to Salesforce Development');
}
}This simple class contains one method.
To save code:
Write code.
Click:
File → Save
or
Ctrl + SSalesforce compiles and saves the code.
Execute Anonymous allows developers to run Apex code without creating a class.
This is useful for:
It is one of the most commonly used Developer Console features.
Click:
Debug
Select:
Open Execute Anonymous Window
Shortcut:
Ctrl + EThe execution window opens.
System.debug('Hello Salesforce');Click:
Execute
The code runs immediately.
Debug Logs record application activity during execution.
Logs help developers:
Debugging is a critical Salesforce development skill.
Logs appear in the:
Each execution generates a new log entry.
Developers can open logs for detailed analysis.
Integer totalStudents = 100;
System.debug(totalStudents);Output:
100Debug statements help verify application behavior.
Salesforce supports multiple log levels.
Critical issues.
Warnings.
Informational messages.
Development details.
Detailed execution data.
Log levels control debugging detail.
Query Editor allows developers to execute:
Directly within Developer Console.
This is useful for retrieving Salesforce data.
Click:
Query Editor
Located at the bottom of Developer Console.
Enter Query.
Execute Query.
Results appear instantly.
SELECT Name
FROM Account
LIMIT 10This retrieves the first ten Account records.
Developers frequently use Query Editor.
Test Execution runs Apex test classes.
Benefits:
Testing is mandatory in Salesforce development.
Click:
Test
Select:
New Run
Choose Test Classes.
Run Tests.
Results appear in the Test Panel.
Code Coverage measures how much Apex code is tested.
Salesforce requires:
75%Minimum code coverage for deployment.
Developer Console helps monitor coverage levels.
Checkpoints allow developers to inspect application state during execution.
Benefits:
Checkpoints simplify troubleshooting.
Stack Tree displays method execution hierarchy.
Developers can see:
This improves debugging effectiveness.
Heap Inspector displays objects stored in memory.
Benefits:
Advanced developers frequently use Heap Inspector.
Developer Console supports performance monitoring.
Developers can analyze:
This helps optimize applications.
Developers commonly use Developer Console for:
It is one of the most frequently used Salesforce development tools.
Avoid excessive logging.
Verify code quality.
Prepare for deployment.
Identify issues early.
Improve performance.
Write maintainable code.
These practices improve development quality.
Difficult to analyze.
Execution restrictions.
Impacts application speed.
Blocks deployments.
Developers should continuously improve their debugging skills.
A software training company develops a custom student management application.
Developer Tasks:
Using Developer Console, developers can perform all these tasks efficiently.
This demonstrates the importance of Developer Console in Salesforce development.
Understanding Developer Console helps professionals:
Developer Console is a foundational Salesforce development skill.
Developer Console is Salesforce’s built-in development and debugging environment used to create Apex classes, execute code, run SOQL queries, debug applications, monitor logs, and analyze performance. By providing integrated development, testing, and troubleshooting capabilities, Developer Console helps Salesforce developers build, optimize, and maintain high-quality Salesforce applications efficiently.
Developer Console is Salesforce’s built-in development environment for coding, testing, debugging, and monitoring applications.
Click the Gear Icon and select Developer Console.
Execute Anonymous allows developers to run Apex code without creating a class.
Debug Logs record application execution details for troubleshooting and analysis.
Yes. The Query Editor allows execution of SOQL and SOSL queries.
It helps developers build, test, debug, and optimize Salesforce applications.
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