Sunshine and Other Unhandled Exceptions

How to Modify a SOQL Query with Two Objects

A SOQL query pulls certain records and fields into Apex Code. This post explains a SOQL query that includes Contacts and their related Opportunities from the Year End Tax Receipt app, but I aim to help you understand SOQL in general.

For those of you that want to modify the Year End Tax Receipt for your specific donors:

Follow along with this post to modify which records will be displayed in the table of gifts last year. We’ll look at an example of only included gifts marked tax deductible.
Look at the original post to learn how to modify which columns appear in the gift table.

Understand the SOQL

Here’s my SOQL query. This is how I get the records and fields that I’m going to do something with later on in the code.

1 [SELECT LastName, id,Gifts_Last_Year__c, 

2 (SELECT Id, CloseDate, Amount FROM Opportunities 
                                                                                  
3 WHERE CALENDAR_YEAR(CloseDate) =:year 

4 AND IsWon = True 

5 ORDER BY CloseDate) 

6 FROM Contact WHERE npo02__OppAmountLastYear__c > 0 

7 WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED]

Flow Loops Just Got Simpler

Actually, I don’t know when this change happened, but I just noticed that Flow loops now only have four steps instead of five. The two assignments can now be consolidated into one.

You still have to add the record to a collection, but you can use the same assignment element.

Example 1: Update the record currently in the loop.

Use a Get Records element to create a collection of records to loop through.
Add a loop element
Add ONE assignment element
- Update field values for record currently in the loop.
- Create a new record collection variable to hold the records you want to update.
- Use the same assignment element to add the record currently in the loop to the new collection.
Add an Update Records element to update the records in your new collection.

Follow my blog to keep up to date on Flow and Salesforce

Example 2: Create new records.

Use a Get Records element to create a collection of records to loop through.
Add a loop element
Add ONE assignment element
- Create a new record variable (not collection) to hold the values of the new record you want to create.
- Assign field values to your new record variable.
- Create a new record collection variable to hold your records that you want to create.
- Use the same assignment element to add the record currently in the loop to the new collection.
- Close the loop.
Add a Create Records element to create the records in your new collection.

Previously step 3 involved two assignment elements!

Watch this recording on Flow loops.

This is how you would combine steps 3 and 4 into one assignment!

Live Flow Loops Training 9/14 10:30am PT/ 1:30pm ET

Join me TOMORROW on Automate This, the Salesforce Admins series hosted by Jennifer W. Lee. Follow along with the written instructions as I show you how to build a flow loop!

Open this YouTube link up tomorrow at the right time and watch LIVE!

How to Use the Migrate to Flow Tool and Recreate Your Workflow Tasks

The Migrate to Flow tool can quickly move your Workflows to Flows, but it can’t recreate your tasks. I’m here to teach you how to do that.

In this how-to-video, you can learn along with the Salesforce Nonprofit User group in San Francisco, how to:

Use the Migrate to Flow Tool

Create a task in Flow (jump to this point in video)

Assign the task to user in a way that works in the sandbox and production (jump to this point in the video)

My section of the video is the first 30 minutes. Thanks to the user group for having me!

Learn more about migrating to flow on the Salesforce Admin’s blo g .

Log Email Sent Through Flow on a Contact Record

Shows the activity timeline of a contact record with one email message stored there sent at 2:46pm today with subject "Welcome to the family, Jemma!" — Log an email message on the contact record like this one.

When sending email from a contact record, it magically logs the message to your activity log. In classic, emails were/are automatically logged to the Activities related list. Well, flow doesn’t do that for you. Let me show you how to log it so you and your colleagues know when an email was sent to a contact.

After you add a “Send Email” action to your flow, add two more Create Records elements to the canvas. You will create records of these objects:

Visual Studio Code: An Adventurous Admin’s Way to Move Metadata to Another Org

A few weeks ago I shared how to use a package to move metadata between unrelated orgs. That solution is perfect for sharing something you built with other people.

When you’re moving metadata between orgs that you control (related or not), try Visual Studio Code! Don’t worry about the “Code” part. You don’t have to read it or write it to use VS Code.

VS Code has lots of benefits that I don’t understand yet (somehow you can use it to move profiles and FLS). I will now teach you all I know. 1) How to deploy between two orgs. 2) How to paste in some code to deploy sections in Flows.

Huge thanks to Brian Ricter for teaching me how to do this!

Prerequisites:

Install Visual Studio Code. It’s free!
Install the Command Line Interface
Install the Salesforce Extension Pack

If you haven’t done any of those yet, complete this really helpful trailhead Quick Start.

Live Session 7/26 on Flow Error Handling

Join MVP Aleks Radovanovic (Okta) at Salesforce Labs Day on July 26, 8am PT as she discusses my* Salesforce Labs solution for Flow Error Handling.

Session Description: With Flow becoming the dominant declarative automation tool, business problems we are solving with automation are becoming more complex. We need to be able to build scalable Flows that are easy to maintain, upgrade and troubleshoot, but handling errors in Flows is not always intuitive and user friendly process. Flow Error Handling solution from Salesforce Labs helps Admins to discover Flow errors in faster and more straightforward way. In this session we will show how Admins can use this Salesforce Labs Flow solution to pinpoint exactly where the process went wrong and obtain crucial details of the recorded incident that will help with troubleshooting and fixing the problem in a timely manner.

Get the app from AppExchange h ere.

*Thomas George taught me how to handle flow errors this way when we worked together at Optimum Energy. I love that I got to share it with others through Salesforce Labs.

Use Stages in Screen Flow

Stages at the top of the flow screen show your users where they are in the process. It’s simple to set up this progress bar and adds some pizazz to your flow.

10 Steps to Get Started with Salesforce Flow

Here’s my ordered list to help you get started learning Flow. It includes short and long videos, Trailhead modules and projects, hands-on training and “your turn” challenges to help you stretch what you’ve learned.

Starred items I had a role in creating.

1. Watch 4 Short Videos*

Get a very basic understanding of flow and some of the more difficult to grasp concepts. (Watch the first 4 and come back to the loops video later).

2. Complete the trail Build Flows with Flow Builder

This gets you started in Flow Builder and applies concepts you learned in the videos.

Packages: Admin-Friendly Way to Move Metadata to Another Org

I build cool shit in Salesforce that I want to share with other people. How do I do that quickly and easily? I make an unmanaged package.

From Setup, search for and go to Package Manager.
Click New.
Fill out the form. Give yourself credit for creating the package and a way to get more information in applicable.
Don’t check “Managed.” By leaving it unchecked, you allow people who install it to make their own modifications.