Documentation

Contents

Getting Started

Introduction to Force.com - Core Resource Articles More Information
(Audience: Developers and Administrators) A series of articles that give an overview of the Force.com platform.

Force.com Workbook: Get Started Building Your First App in the Cloud HTML | PDF
(Audience: Developers and Administrators) A set of ten 30-minute tutorials that introduce various Force.com platform features.

Force.com Fundamentals: Custom Application Development in the Cloud
HTML | PDF (requires DFC login) | Sample Data (ZIP) | Order a Hard Copy
(Audience: Administrators) A step-by-step tutorial that shows you how to create your own app using Force.com's point-and-click tools.

Visualforce Quick Start Tutorial Basic (HTML) | Advanced (HTML)
(Audience: Developers and Administrators) A quick start tutorial introduction to the Visualforce markup language.

Apex Tutorials Basic (HTML) | Advanced (HTML) | Tutorial Code and Objects (Package)
(Audience: Developers) A quick start tutorial introduction to the Apex programming language, as well as an advanced tutorial that shows more of the features of Apex.

Web Services API Quick Start Tutorial HTML
(Audience: Developers) A quick start tutorial introduction to the Force.com Web Services API.

Bulk API Quick Start Tutorial HTML
(Audience: Developers) A quick start tutorial introduction to the Force.com Bulk API.

NEW: Adobe Flash Builder for Force.com Quick Start Tutorial PDF
(Audience: Developers) A quick start tutorial introduction to creating desktop applications with Adobe Flash Builder for Force.com.

Metadata API Quick Start Tutorial HTML
(Audience: Developers) A quick start tutorial introduction to the Force.com Metadata API.

Release Notes

Spring '10 Release Notes PDF
(Audience: Everyone) Descriptions of the new features available in Spring '10. Skip to the section "Custom Cloud."
Winter '10 Release Notes PDF
(Audience: Everyone) Descriptions of the new features available in Winter '10. Skip to the section "Custom Cloud."

Reference Guides

General

Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) HTML | BNF
(Audience: Advanced Administrators and Developers) Reference and samples for writing SOQL queries.

Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL) HTML
(Audience: Advanced Administrators and Developers) Reference and samples for writing SOSL queries.

Salesforce Field Reference PDF
(Audience: Advanced Administrators and Developers) A list of the standard fields for standard objects in Salesforce.com, including each field's label, data type, maximum length, precision, and scale.

Apex and Visualforce

Force.com Apex Code Developer's Guide
Version 18.0 for Spring '10: HTML | PDF | Governor Limits | Earlier Versions
Version 17.0 for Winter '10: HTML | PDF | Governor Limits | Earlier Versions
(Audience: Developers) Reference for Apex, a Java-like programming language that allows you to add custom logic to your apps.

Visualforce Developer's Guide
Version 18.0 for Spring '10: HTML | PDF | Component Reference | Earlier Versions
Version 17.0 for Winter '10: HTML | PDF | Component Reference | Earlier Versions
(Audience: Advanced Administrators and Developers) Reference for Visualforce, a tag-based markup language that allows you to build custom user interfaces for your apps.

API

Force.com Web Services API Developer's Guide
Version 18.0 for Spring '10: HTML | PDF | ZIP | What's New | Samples | Earlier Versions
Version 17.0 for Winter '10: HTML | PDF | ZIP | What's New | Samples | Earlier Versions
(Audience: Developers) Reference for the SOAP-based Force.com API.

Force.com Bulk API Developer's Guide
Version 18.0 for Spring '10: HTML | PDF | Earlier Versions
Version 17.0 for Winter '10: HTML | PDF | Earlier Versions
(Audience: Developers) Reference for the REST-based Bulk API, a way of rapidly loading large quantities of records into Salesforce.com.

Force.com Metadata API Developer's Guide
Version 18.0 for Spring '10: HTML | PDF | Earlier Versions
Version 17.0 for Winter '10: HTML | PDF | Earlier Versions
(Audience: Developers) Reference for the Metadata API, a way of retrieving and deploying setup information in your organization.

Adobe Flash Builder for Force.com

NEW: Adobe Flash Builder for Force.com Developer's Guide HTML | PDF
(Audience: Developers) Reference for the Adobe Flash Builder for Force.com integrated development environment (IDE) for creating Force.com desktop applications.

NEW: Resolving Data Conflicts and Errors in Force.com Stratus Apps PDF
(Audience: End Users and Administrators) How to use the built-in conflict resolution tool in applications built with Adobe Flash Builder for Force.com.

Tools

Force.com Migration Tool Guide HTML | PDF
(Audience: Developers) Reference for the Force.com Migration Tool, a Java/Ant-based command-line utility for moving metadata between a local directory and a Salesforce organization.

AJAX Toolkit Developer's Guide
Version 18.0 for Spring '10: HTML | PDF | ZIP | Earlier Versions
Version 17.0 for Winter '10: HTML | PDF | ZIP | Earlier Versions
(Audience: Developers) Reference and samples for the AJAX Toolkit, an easy way of using the Force.com API in Javascript.

Force.com Office Toolkit Developer's Guide
Version 4.0: HTML | PDF | MSI Install
(Audience: Developers) Reference and samples for the Office Toolkit, an easy way of using the Force.com API from within Microsoft Office.

Code and Formula Samples

Force.com Cookbook: Code Samples and Best Practices HTML | PDF (requires DFC login)
(Audience: Developers) A set of Visualforce, Apex, and API code samples that show how to solve common problems.

Useful Approval Processes PDF
(Audience: Administrators) Four detailed examples of how to use approval processes in a Force.com app.

Useful Formula Fields PDF
(Audience: Administrators) Over 100 examples of how to use formulas in a Force.com app, plus a handy formula operator and function reference.

Useful Validation Rules PDF
(Audience: Administrators) Over 70 examples of how to use validation rules in a Force.com app.

Useful Workflow Rules PDF
(Audience: Administrators) Over a dozen examples of how to use workflow in a Force.com app.

Usage and Implementation Guides

Development on Force.com

Development Lifecycle Guide: Enterprise Development on the Force.com Platform PDF
(Audience: Architects and Developers) How IT can plan, build, test, and deploy Force.com applications using a combination of Web-based and traditional development practices.

Force.com IDE and Data Loader

Force.com IDE Help More Information
(Audience: Developers) Help for the IDE is available within Eclipse -- just click Help in the menu bar. For context-sensitive help, click the help button or press F1.

Localizing with the Force.com IDE PDF
(Audience: Administrators and Developers) How to use the IDE to translate large numbers of custom labels more efficiently than with the Translation Workbench.

Data Loader Developer's Guide PDF
(Audience: Administrators) How to use the Force.com Data Loader to do a bulk import or export of data from a Salesforce.com organization.

Sites

Force.com Sites Implementation Guide PDF
(Audience: Administrators and Developers) How to create and manage public Web sites with Force.com.

Packaging and the AppExchange

Quick Reference for Developing Packages PDF
(Audience: Developers) Everything you need to know if you're a developer building an app that will eventually be packaged on AppExchange.

AppExchange Publishing Guide PDF
(Audience: Providers, Developers, and Administrators) How to publish an app or service on AppExchange so that it's available to external customers.

Application Installation Guide PDF
(Audience: Administrators) How to download apps into a Salesforce.com organization.

Security

Security Implementation Guide PDF
(Audience: Administrators and Developers) An overview of Force.com platform security features, including how to write Apex and Visualforce so that you avoid cross-site scripting and SOQL injection attacks.

Single Sign-On Implementation Guide PDF
(Audience: Administrators and Developers) How to set up Salesforce.com apps to work with single sign-on.

Mobile

Salesforce Mobile Implementation Guide PDF
(Audience: Administrators) How to set up Salesforce.com Mobile in an organization, and how to test a custom mobile app.

Developer Cheat Sheets

Developer cheat sheets are condensed, one- to four-page documents with the most commonly used reference material for a particular subject. Print them out and hang them on your wall for a handy quick reference.

Apex Code Cheat Sheet PDF
Formulas Cheat Sheet PDF
Visualforce Cheat Sheet PDF
Web Services API Cheat Sheet PDF

Administrator Tip Sheets

Administrator tip sheets are short, one- to six-page documents that excerpt or summarize information already in the online help.

General

Browser Support and Configuration PDF
Using My Domain (Limited Release) PDF

Objects, Fields, Page Layouts, and Security

Building Custom Objects, Tabs, and Related Lists PDF
Creating Lookup Filters on Relationship Fields (Beta) PDF
Tips and Hints for Record Types PDF
Tips and Hints for Page Layouts and Field-Level Security PDF
Tips and Hints for Sharing Data PDF

Formulas and Custom Links

Formulas Quick Reference Guide PDF
Building Salesforce Custom Links PDF

Workflow, Approvals, and Email

Workflow: Automating the Process PDF
Getting Started with Approval Processes PDF
Email Approval Response FAQ PDF
Tips for Using HTML Email Templates PDF

Analytics

Tips and Hints for Custom Reports PDF
Maximizing Report Performance PDF
Tips for Creating Dashboards PDF

Style Guide

Salesforce.com Style Guide for Documentation and User Interface Text PDF
(Audience: Everyone) All the guidelines for writing text that sounds just like Salesforce.com.

Glossary

Force.com Platform Glossary PDF
(Audience: Everyone) A listing of every term related to the Force.com platform.