How To Use Custom Labels In Apex Class In Salesforce in 2024?
Salesforce is a powerful platform for customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise applications. Among its many features, Salesforce allows developers to create customized experiences using Apex, its proprietary programming language. One essential aspect of this customization is the use of custom labels. Custom labels enable developers to create multilingual applications by defining text values that can be translated into different languages. This blog will guide you through the process of using custom labels in Apex classes in Salesforce, from creation to implementation.
What are Custom Labels?
Custom labels in Salesforce are text values that can be accessed from Apex classes, Visualforce pages, or Lightning components. They are ideal for defining user-facing text that might need to be translated or updated without modifying the codebase. Examples include button labels, error messages, and help text.
Benefits of Using Custom Labels
- Localization: Custom labels can be translated into multiple languages, making your application accessible to a global audience.
- Maintainability: Changes to text can be made in one place (the custom label) without needing to modify the code.
- Consistency: Ensures uniformity of text across different parts of your application.
Don't forget to check out: Top New Features in Spring’24 Release: Sales Cloud in Lightning
Step-by-Step Guide to Using Custom Labels in Apex
1. Creating Custom Labels
Before you can use a custom label in Apex, you need to create it. Here’s how:
-
Navigate to Custom Labels
- Go to Setup in Salesforce.
- Enter Custom Labels in the Quick Find box and select it.
-
Create a New Label
- Click on the New Custom Label button.
- Fill in the required fields:
- Label: The name of the label.
- Name: The unique name used in the code (auto-filled based on the Label).
- Value: The text you want to display.
- Language: The language of the label.
- Click Save.
2. Accessing Custom Labels in Apex
Once you have created your custom labels, you can access them in your Apex classes using the System.Label class. Here’s the syntax:
String labelValue = System.Label.LabelName;
LabelNameis the API name of your custom label.
3. Example Usage in an Apex Class
Let’s say you created a custom label named Welcome_Message with the value “Welcome to our application!”. Here’s how you can use it in an Apex class:
public class WelcomeController {
public String getWelcomeMessage() {
return System.Label.Welcome_Message;
}
}
In this example, the getWelcomeMessage method returns the value of the Welcome_Message custom label. This can be called from Visualforce pages or Lightning components to display the welcome message.
4. Using Custom Labels in SOQL Queries
Custom labels can also be dynamically constructed and used in SOQL queries. This is particularly useful when building queries based on user input or other dynamic conditions.
public class AccountController {
public List<Account> getAccounts() {
String query = 'SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Industry = \'' + System.Label.Industry_Label + '\'';
return Database.query(query);
}
}
5. Best Practices
- Naming Conventions: Use meaningful names for your labels to make them easily identifiable.
- Avoid Hardcoding: Always use custom labels for text that is displayed to users to facilitate easy updates and localization.
- Documentation: Document the purpose of each custom label within the label’s description field for future reference.
- Bulk Retrieval: If you need to retrieve multiple labels, consider bulk retrieval methods to optimize performance.
Check out another amazing blog here: 5 Features in Salesforce's Winter '24 Release for the Experience Cloud
Conclusion
Custom labels are a powerful feature in Salesforce that enhance the maintainability, localization, and consistency of your applications. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily create and use custom labels in your Apex classes, ensuring your Salesforce applications are both user-friendly and adaptable to different languages and regions. Embrace the power of custom labels to build scalable and global solutions on the Salesforce platform.
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