Force Platform Fundamentals


Force.com Fundamentals

Force.com Fundamentals is an introduction to the Force.com platform, designed to lead the reader through the functionality provided natively by the Force.com platform. The book walks the reader through the creation of a standard recruiting application.

Force.com Fundamentals is aimed at administrators and programmers looking to learn about the capabilities of the platform. Your application grows in robustness and flexiblity as you work through the examples in Fundamentals.

The book covers designing and creating Force.com objects, modifying the appearance of the standard Force.com interface, the Force.com security scheme, reporting on your data and using workflows and approvals.

Sample chapter

Chapter 5, covering additional fields and page layouts, and Chapter 6, on relationships, of Fundamentals are freely available via this download.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introducing the Force Platform

The Basics of an App
Tabs
Forms
Links
The Benefits of a Force Platform App
Data-Centric Apps
Collaborative Apps
The Technologies Behind a Force Platform App
A Multitenant Architecture
A Metadata-Driven Development Model
The Force Platform Web Services API
Apex
Visualforce
Force Platform Sites
The AppExchange Directory

Chapter 2: About the Sample Recruiting App

About Universal Containers
Considerations for the Recruiting App
Building the App: Our Design
Native Components
Composite Components

Chapter 3: Reviewing Database Concepts

What's a Database?
What's in a Database?
What's a Relational Database?
Summary of Database Concepts

Chapter 4: Building a Simple App

Becoming Familiar with the Setup Area
Introducing Apps
Try It Out: Defining an App
Look at What We've Done
Introducing Objects
The Position Custom Object
Try It Out: Defining the Position Custom Object
Introducing Tabs
Try It Out: Defining the Positions Tab
Becoming Familiar with Setup Detail Pages and Related Lists
Introducing Fields
Try It Out: Adding Text Fields
Try It Out: Adding Currency Fields
Try It Out: Adding Checkbox Fields
Try It Out: Adding Date Fields

Chapter 5: Enhancing the Simple App with Advanced Fields and Page Layouts

Adding Advanced Fields
Introducing Picklists
Introducing Field Dependencies
Introducing Custom Formula Fields
Introducing Validation Rules
Try It Out: Defining a Validation Rule for Min and Max Pay
Try It Out: Defining a Validation Rule for Close Date
Introducing Page Layouts
Becoming Familiar with the Page Layout Edit Page
Try It Out: Grouping Fields into a New Section
Try It Out: Editing Field Properties

Chapter 6: Expanding the Simple App Using Relationships

Introducing Relationships
Introducing Relationship Custom Fields
Try It Out: Relating Hiring Managers to Positions
Adding Candidates to the Mix
Try It Out: Creating the Candidate Object
Try It Out: Adding Fields to the Candidate Object
Try It Out: Modifying the Candidate Page Layout Properties
Bringing Candidates and Positions Together with Job Applications
Try It Out: Creating the Job Application Object
Try It Out: Adding Fields to the Job Application Object
Introducing Search Layouts
Try It Out: Adding Fields to the Candidate Lookup Dialog
Try It Out: Updating Additional Search Layouts
Managing Review Assessments
Try It Out: Creating the Review Object
Try It Out: Adding Fields to the Review Object
Introducing Roll-Up Summary Fields
Try It Out: Customizing the Review Object's Page and Search Layouts
Creating a Many-to-Many Relationship
Try It Out: Creating the Employment Website Object
Try It Out: Adding the URL Field to the Employment Website Object
Try It Out: Creating the Job Posting Object
Try It Out: Adding Fields to the Job Posting Object
Customizing Related Lists in a Many-to-Many Relationship
Putting it All Together
Try It Out: Downloading Sample Data
Try It Out: Using the Import Wizard

Chapter 7: Securing and Sharing Data

Controlling Access to Data in Our App
Required Permissions for the Recruiter
Required Permissions for the Hiring Manager
Required Permissions for the Interviewer
Required Permissions for the Standard Employee
So Where Are We Now?
Data Access Concepts
Controlling Access to Objects
Introducing Profiles
Standard Profiles
Custom Profiles in Our Recruiting App
Try It Out: Creating the Recruiter Profile
Try It Out: Creating More Profiles
Controlling Access to Fields
Introducing Field-Level Security
Field-Level Security in Our Recruiting App
Accessing Field-Level Security Settings
Try It Out: Restricting Access to a Position's Minimum and Maximum Salary Fields
Try It Out: Restricting Access to a Candidate's Social Security Number
Try It Out: Setting Lookup Fields to Read-Only on a Job Application for Hiring Managers
Controlling Access to Records
Introducing Organization-Wide Defaults
Introducing Role Hierarchies
Introducing Sharing Rules
Introducing Manual Sharing
Displaying Field Values and Page Layouts According to Profiles
Try It Out: Creating Record Types
Putting It All Together
Try It Out: Creating Users for Our Recruiting App
Try It Out: Verifying that Everything Works

Chapter 8: Using Custom Workflow and Approval Processes

Introducing Workflow
Introducing Workflow Rules
Introducing Workflow Actions: Tasks, Field Updates, and Alerts
Workflow in Our Recruiting App
Creating Workflow Rules That Assign Tasks
Try It Out: Creating the "Rejection Letter" Workflow Rule
Try It Out: Creating the "Rejection Letter" Workflow Task
Try It Out: Creating the "Extend an Offer" Workflow Rule and Task
Creating a Workflow Rule That Updates Fields
Introducing Queues
Try It Out: Creating a Queue for Positions
Try It Out: Creating a Workflow Rule That Updates Fields
Introducing Time-Dependent Workflow Actions
Try It Out: Creating the "Notify Recruiting Manager"
Time-Dependent Workflow Task
Creating a Workflow Rule That Sends Email Alerts
Introducing Email Templates
Try It Out: Building an Email Template
Try It Out: Creating the New Position Workflow Rule and Alert
Introducing Approvals
Planning for Approval Processes
Try It Out: Creating an Approval Process
Try It Out: Creating Approval Steps
Try It Out: Creating Approval Actions
Try It Out: Activating Our Approval Process

Chapter 9: Analyzing Data with Reports and Dashboards

Introducing Reports
Report Formats
Setting Up the Recruiting App for Reports
Creating a Summary Report
Creating a Matrix Report with Custom Field Summaries,Time-Based
Filters, and Conditional Highlighting
Introducing Dashboards
Try It Out: Creating Additional Reports
Try It Out: Creating a Dashboard
Adding Dashboard Components
Introducing Custom Report Types
Creating Report Types

Chapter 10: Moving Beyond Native Apps

Introducing Web Services
Introducing Visualforce
Implementing a Composite Application Piece: The Candidate Map
Planning the Candidate Map Feature
Try It Out: Creating a Visualforce Page
Try It Out:Writing Visualforce Markup
Try It Out: Adding the Map to our Visualforce Page
Try It Out: Creating a Custom Link
Try It Out: Adding a Custom Link to a Page Layout
Try It Out: Using the Candidate Map