(For more resources on this topic, see here.)
We will look at the mechanisms for storing data in Salesforce and at the concepts of objects and fields. The features that allow these data to be grouped and arranged within the application are then considered by looking at Apps, Tabs, Page Layouts, and Record Types. Finally, we take a look at some of the features that allow views of data to be presented and customized by looking in detail at related lists and list views.
The following diagram describes the relationship that exists between the profile and the features that it controls:
The profile is used to:
In this article, we will look at the configurable elements that are set in conjunction with the profile. These are used to control the structure and the user interface for the Salesforce CRM application.
Objects are a key element in Salesforce CRM as they provide a structure for storing data and are incorporated in the interface, allowing users to interact with the data.
Similar in nature to a database table, objects have properties such as:
Salesforce provides standard objects in the application when you sign up and these include Account, Contact, Opportunity, and so on. These are the tables that contain the data records in any standard tab such as Accounts, Contacts, or Opportunities.
In addition to the standard objects, you can create custom objects and custom tabs.
Custom objects are the tables you create to store your data. You can create a custom object to store data specific to your organization. Once you have the custom objects and have created records for these objects, you can also create reports and dashboards based on the record data in your custom object.
Fields in Salesforce are similar in concept to a database column and store the data for the object records. An object record is analogous to a row in a database table.
Standard fields are predefined fields that are included as standard within the Salesforce CRM application. Standard fields cannot be deleted but non-required standard fields can be removed from page layouts whenever necessary.
With standard fields, you can customize visual elements that are associated to the field such as field labels and field-level help as well certain data definitions such as picklist values, the formatting of auto-number fields (which are used as unique identifiers for the records), and setting of field history tracking. Some aspects, however, such as the field name cannot be customized and some standard fields (such as Opportunity Probability) do not allow the changing of the field label.
Custom fields are unique to your business needs and can not only be added and amended, but also deleted. Creating custom fields allow you to store the information that is necessary for your organization.
Both standard and custom fields can be customized to include custom help text to help users understand how to use the field:
Object relationships can be set on both standard and custom objects and are used to define how records in one object relates to records in another object. Accounts, for example, can have a one-to-many relationship with opportunities and these relationships are presented in the application as related lists.
An app in Salesforce is a container for all the objects, tabs, processes, and services associated with a business function.
There are standard and custom apps that are accessed using the App menu located at the top-right of the Salesforce page as shown in the following screenshot:
When users select an app from the App menu, their screen changes to present the objects associated with that app. For example, when switching from an app that contains the Campaign tab to one that does not, the Campaign tab no longer appears. This feature is applied to both standard and custom apps.
Salesforce provides standard apps such as Sales, Call Center, and Marketing.
A custom app can optionally include a custom logo.
Both standard and custom apps consist of a name, a description, and an ordered list of tabs.
A tab is a user-interface element which, when clicked, displays the record data on a page specific to that object.
To customize your personal tab settings follow the path Your Name Setup | My Personal Settings | Change My Display | Customize My Tabs|. Now, choose the tabs that will display in each of your apps by moving the tab name between the Available Tabs and the Selected Tabs sections and click Save. The following shows the section of tabs for the Sales app:
To customize the tab settings of your users, follow the path Your Name Setup | Administration Setup | Manage Users | Profiles|. Now select a profile and click Edit. Scroll down to the tab settings section of the page as shown in the following screenshot:
Salesforce provides tabs for each of the standard objects that are provided in the application when you sign up. For example, there are standard tabs for Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and so on:
Visibility of the tab depends on the setting on the tab display setting for the app.
You can create three different types of custom tabs: Custom Object Tabs, Web Tabs, and Visualforce Tabs.
Custom Object Tabs allow you to create, read, update, and delete the data records in your custom objects. Web Tabs display any web URL in a tab within your Salesforce application. Visualforce Tabs display custom user-interface pages created using Visualforce. Creating custom tabs:
To create custom tabs for a custom object, follow the path Your Name Setup | App Setup | Create | Tabs|. Now select the appropriate tab type and/or object from the available selections as shown in the following screenshot:
(Move the mouse over the image to enlarge.)
Custom objects are database tables that allow you to store data specific to your organization in Salesforce.com. You can use custom objects to extend Salesforce functionality or to build new application functionality.
You can create up to 200 custom objects in Enterprise Edition and 2000 in Unlimited Edition.
Once you have created a custom object, you can create a custom tab, custom-related lists, reports, and dashboards for users to interact with the custom object data.
To create a custom object, follow the path Your Name Setup | App Setup | Create | Objects|. Now click New Custom Object, or click Edit to modify an existing custom object. The following screenshot shows the resulting screen:
On the Custom Object Definition Edit page, you can enter the following:
Such relationships can be either a lookup or a master-detail. Lookup relationships create a relationship between two records so you can associate them with each other. Master-detail relationship creates a relationship between records where the master record controls certain behaviors of the detail record such as record deletion and security.
When the custom object has a master-detail relationship with a standard object or is a lookup object on a standard object, a new report type will appear in the standard report category. The new report type allows the user to create reports that relate the standard object to the custom object which is done by selecting the standard object for the report type category instead of the custom object.
The Add Notes & Attachments option is only available when you create a new object.
The New Custom Tab Wizard option is only available when you create a new object.
Considerations to be observed when creating object relationships:
Each custom object can have up to two master-detail relationship and up to 25 total relationships.
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