Debugging in Salesforce | All You Need to Know

Debugging is a key part of software development, including Salesforce development. Debugging in Salesforce is the process of identifying and fixing errors or problems in Apex code, Visualforce pages, and Lightning components. Salesforce provides a number of debugging tools and techniques that developers can use to diagnose and resolve issues. In this blog, we will explore some of these tools and techniques.

Debug Logs

Salesforce debug logs manage the tracking of events (transactions) that happen in the Salesforce organization. It contains information about all the transactions happening on Salesforce and tracks the time, transaction status, etc.

Salesforce Debug Logs can hold the following information:-

Database changes
HTTP requests
Resources used and errors in Apex
Automated workflow rules
Start-end time
Status of the transactions

Don't forget to check out: How To Compare Multiple Salesforce Profiles within same or across Multiple Orgs?

Limitations of Salesforce Debug Logs

1) Salesforce Debug Logs can have a maximum of 20 MB in size.

2) System debug logs are kept for 24 hours.

3) If you are generating more than 1000 MB of logs files in a 15 minutes window, Trace flags will be disabled automatically.

System.debug()

System.debug() allows us to print arbitrary values in our Apex code for debugging purposes. This can be very useful for debugging any errors you encounter. We can access the debug logs from the developer console, there are also some IDEs that support debug logs in Salesforce.

We can also print SOQL queries in our system.debug() commands. For Example;-

System.debug('Accounts created in the last 30 days: ' + [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE CreatedDate = LAST_N_DAYS:30] );

Checkpoints

Checkpoints are another useful tool for debugging in Salesforce. They allow developers to pause the execution of their code at a certain point and examine the values of variables. Developers can create checkpoints in the Developer Console or in their code using the System.debug() method. Checkpoints can help developers pinpoint problems and identify areas where code is not working as expected.

Developer Console

The Salesforce Developer Console is an integrated development environment with a set of useful tools for coding, debugging, and testing applications. It also has the ability to perform compilation checks and Visualforce markup completion capabilities.

Developers can also use the Developer Console to view and edit their code, making it an essential tool for debugging.

Developer Console Functionality

Debugging and Troubleshooting
Editing and navigating source code
Testing and Validating Performance
Executing SOQL and SOSL

Lightning Inspector

Lightning Inspector is a Chrome extension that allows developers to debug their Lightning components. It provides a number of features, including the ability to view component attributes, view the component tree, and view events. The Lightning Inspector is a valuable tool for developers working with Lightning components.

In conclusion, debugging is a critical part of Salesforce development. Developers need to familiarize themselves with the various tools and techniques available to them in order to quickly diagnose and resolve issues. Debug Logs, System.debug(), Checkpoints, Developer Console, and Lightning Inspector are some of the most powerful debugging tools developers can use in Salesforce. By leveraging these tools, developers can create high-quality code and deliver excellent user experiences.

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