• Article
|
• Edit
|
• History

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.

Download the entire book

If you are a member of Developer Force, you have full access to the entire Fundamentals book in PDF format.

If you are not a member, register to get FREE access.

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