Mastering Salesforce Testing: A Technical Deep Dive
Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that
provides a suite of enterprise applications focused on sales, service,
marketing, and more. It helps businesses manage interactions with current and
potential customers. Salesforce
has become a leading cloud-based platform, empowering businesses to manage
customer relationships, streamline sales processes, and gain valuable insights.
Its popularity stems from a multitude of factors, making it a crucial
technology for many organizations. This blog post will delve into key aspects
of Salesforce testing, drawing on valuable insights and best practices.
Why
Salesforce Reigns Supreme
Salesforce's
widespread adoption isn't accidental. Several key factors contribute to its
popularity:
- Exceptional
Post-Sale Support:
Salesforce is known for its excellent customer support after the initial
purchase.
- Domain-Specific
Modules:
The platform offers modules tailored to various industries, including
finance, agriculture, and healthcare, making it highly relevant for
diverse businesses.
- Customization
at Your Fingertips:
Salesforce provides extensive customization options, allowing customers to
tailor the platform to their specific needs easily and independently. This
flexibility is a significant advantage in adapting to unique business
processes.
- Continuous
Innovation:
Regular updates, occurring at least quarterly, ensure that users always
have access to the latest features, improvements, and bug fixes. This
commitment to continuous improvement keeps the platform modern and
effective.
- Robust
Security:
Security is paramount, and Salesforce offers multi-layered security
measures at the business, user, and data levels.
- Seamless
Integration:
Salesforce can easily integrate with other existing organizational
systems, creating a unified technology ecosystem.
- Thriving
Community Support:
The large and active Salesforce community, accessible through the
Community Cloud, provides a wealth of resources and support for users.
- Accessibility
Across Devices:
Users can access Salesforce conveniently through desktops, web browsers,
and mobile devices.
- Competitive
Licensing Costs:
The licensing costs are competitive within the enterprise software market.
- The Power of
the Cloud:
As a cloud-based solution, Salesforce offers scalability, accessibility,
and reduced infrastructure management overhead, aligning with the
popularity of cloud computing.
Essential
Tools for Salesforce Developers
To effectively
build and maintain applications on the Salesforce platform, one need to master
a range of tools:
- Core Development
Tools:
- Apex: The
primary object-oriented programming language for developing custom
applications and business logic within Salesforce.
- Visualforce: A markup
language that allows developers to build custom user interfaces for
Salesforce applications.
- Lightning
Web Components (LWC):
A modern JavaScript framework for building performant and reusable user
interface components in Salesforce.
- SOQL
(Salesforce Object Query Language): A language similar to SQL used
to query and retrieve specific data from Salesforce objects.
- SOSL
(Salesforce Object Search Language): A powerful search language for
performing full-text searches across multiple Salesforce objects.
- Developer
Console:
An integrated development environment (IDE) within Salesforce, providing
tools for code editing, debugging, and querying.
- Version Control and CI/CD:
- Git:
A distributed version control system essential for tracking code changes
and collaborating with development teams.
- Jenkins (or other CI/CD tools): Automation servers used to automate the process of
building, testing, and deploying Salesforce code.
- Testing and
Debugging:
- Apex Test: A
framework for writing unit tests to ensure the reliability and
functionality of Apex code.
- Debug Logs: Detailed
system-generated logs that help developers identify and troubleshoot
issues within their Salesforce applications.
- Salesforce
DevTools:
A browser extension (specifically for Chrome) that aids in debugging
Visualforce and Lightning Web Components.
- Other
Important Tools:
- Scratch
Orgs:
Disposable and configurable Salesforce environments that developers can
quickly provision for development and testing purposes.
- Package
Manager:
Tools for managing and deploying Salesforce packages and components
between different Salesforce environments.
- Salesforce
DX: A set of
command-line tools and development practices that streamline the
Salesforce development lifecycle.
- Heroku: A cloud
platform that can be used to deploy and scale custom Salesforce
applications or integrations.
- Einstein
Analytics:
A powerful business intelligence platform within Salesforce for building reports
and dashboards to analyze data.
Unlocking
Data Power with SOQL and SOSL
Salesforce
developers and testers rely heavily on SOQL and SOSL to interact with the vast
amounts of data within the platform.
- SOQL
(Salesforce Object Query Language): Similar in syntax to SQL, SOQL allows
you to retrieve specific data records and fields from defined
Salesforce objects. It follows a SELECT statement structure where you
specify the desired fields and filtering conditions using a WHERE clause.
SOQL is ideal when you know which object(s) contain the data you need
and require precise control over the retrieval process. For example,
to fetch all contacts with email addresses ending in ".com", you
would use the query: SELECT Name, Email FROM Contact
WHERE Email LIKE '%@.com'. Similarly, to get all opportunities
that closed in the last month: SELECT Id, Name, CloseDate FROM
Opportunity WHERE CloseDate > LAST_MONTH. SOQL
excels when you need advanced filtering and sorting options.
- SOSL
(Salesforce Object Search Language): In contrast to SOQL, SOSL is
designed for full-text searches across multiple Salesforce objects and
fields. It uses the FIND keyword along with search terms and supports
various operators to refine your search. SOSL is most effective when you
are unsure which object holds the relevant data or when you need broader
keyword-based search results across multiple objects simultaneously.
For instance, to find all records containing the word "urgent"
in any searchable field, you would use: FIND ALL "urgent". To
search for accounts or contacts with both "John" and
"Smith" in their name fields: FIND {ACCOUNT,CONTACT} (Name
CONTAINS "John" AND Name CONTAINS "Smith").
Testing Salesforce Application
Salesforce
application testing is a critical process to ensure the reliability,
functionality, performance, and security of your Salesforce implementation.1
Given the dynamic nature of the Salesforce platform with its regular updates
and the often complex customizations and integrations, a comprehensive testing
strategy is essential. Here are the different types of testing commonly
conducted for Salesforce applications:
1. Unit Testing
- Focus: Testing individual units or components of code, such as Apex classes, triggers, and Visualforce components, in isolation.
- Objective: To verify that each unit of code functions correctly according to its specifications.
- Conducted by: Primarily developers
during the development phase.
- Salesforce Specifics: Salesforce requires at
least 75% code coverage with unit tests for any custom Apex code to be deployed
to production.4 Test classes in Salesforce are annotated with @isTest,
and test methods are typically static and have no return type. Assert
statements (System.assert, System.assertEquals, System.assertNotEquals) are
used to validate the expected outcomes.
2. Integration Testing
- Focus: Testing the
interaction and data flow between different components within Salesforce and
with external systems.
- Objective: To ensure that
integrated systems work together seamlessly and that data integrity is
maintained across integrations.
- Conducted by: Testers and
developers, often requiring a dedicated test environment that mimics the
integrated landscape.
- Salesforce Specifics: This is crucial when
Salesforce integrates with ERP systems, marketing automation tools, or other
third-party applications.6 Strategies include defining test scenarios covering
various integration points and data scenarios, setting up realistic test data,
and potentially using tools to simulate external system behavior.
3. System Testing
- Focus: Testing the entire
Salesforce application as a whole, including all integrated components.
- Objective: To evaluate the
end-to-end functionality and verify that the system meets the overall business
requirements.
- Conducted by: Testers, often using
end-to-end test scenarios that simulate real user journeys.
- Salesforce Specifics: This involves testing
various user roles and ensuring that all customizations, configurations, and
standard features work together as expected.
4. User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
- Focus: Testing conducted by
the end-users of the Salesforce application.
- Objective: To ensure that the
system meets their needs and is user-friendly before it is deployed to
production.
- Conducted by: Key business users or
stakeholders in a dedicated UAT environment.
- Salesforce Specifics: UAT often involves
using test scripts with detailed steps, expected results, and acceptance
criteria. Feedback from UAT is crucial for final adjustments before go-live.
5. Functional Testing
- Focus: Verifying that
specific features and functionalities of the Salesforce application work as
expected based on the business requirements and technical specifications.
- Objective: To ensure that each
function performs correctly.
- Conducted by: Testers, often using
black-box testing techniques where the internal workings of the system are not
the focus.
- Salesforce Specifics: This can include
testing workflows, validations, reports, dashboards, and any custom
functionality.
6. Regression Testing
- Focus: Re-testing previously
tested parts of the Salesforce application after any changes, such as new
features, bug fixes, or configuration updates.
- Objective: To ensure that the
changes have not negatively impacted existing functionality.
- Conducted by: Testers, often using
automated test suites to efficiently cover a wide range of functionalities.
- Salesforce Specifics: Given Salesforce's
regular release cycle, regression testing is vital to ensure compatibility and
stability. Maintaining a comprehensive suite of automated regression tests is a
best practice.
7. Performance Testing
- Focus: Evaluating the
responsiveness, stability, and scalability of the Salesforce application under
various load conditions.
- Objective: To identify and
address any performance bottlenecks.
- Conducted by: Performance testers
using specialized tools to simulate user load and analyze system performance.
- Salesforce Specifics: This is important for
ensuring the application can handle peak usage times and large data volumes
without performance degradation. Full sandboxes are often used for performance
testing as they are replicas of the production environment.
8. Security Testing
- Focus: Identifying
vulnerabilities and ensuring that the Salesforce application is secure and
protects sensitive data.
- Objective: To prevent
unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats.
- Conducted by: Security specialists
using various techniques like penetration testing and security audits.
- Salesforce Specifics: Given the sensitive
nature of data often stored in Salesforce, security testing is paramount. This
includes testing user permissions, data sharing rules, and compliance with
relevant regulations.
9. Data Migration Testing
- Focus: Testing the process of
migrating data into or out of Salesforce, especially during initial
implementations or when integrating with other systems.
- Objective: To ensure data
accuracy, completeness, and integrity during migration.
- Conducted by: Data specialists and
testers, involving data validation and reconciliation.
- Salesforce Specifics: This is critical
during the initial setup of Salesforce or when integrating data from legacy
systems.
10. Smoke Testing:
- Focus: A quick, high-level
testing of the most critical functionalities after a deployment or update.
- Objective: To ensure that the
basic functionalities are working and that the system is stable enough for more
in-depth testing.
- Conducted by: Testers immediately
after a deployment.
- Salesforce Specifics: This helps in quickly
identifying any major issues that might prevent further testing.
11. Exploratory Testing
- Focus: A less structured form
of testing where testers simultaneously learn, explore, and test the
application.
- Objective: To uncover potential
issues that might not be found through scripted testing.
- Conducted by: Experienced testers
who use their domain knowledge to explore the application.
- Salesforce Specifics: This can be useful for
identifying usability issues or edge cases in new or dynamic features.
Best Practices for
Salesforce Testing:
- Understand Requirements: Clearly define
business requirements and use cases.
- Plan Your Testing: Create a comprehensive
test plan outlining the scope, objectives, resources, and schedule.
- Use Sandboxes: Always test in sandbox
environments that are copies of your production org to avoid impacting live
data. Different types of sandboxes (Developer, Partial Copy, Full) serve
different testing needs.
- Create Realistic Test
Data:
Use data that mimics real-world scenarios to ensure thorough testing. Consider
using Test Data Factories or loading data from CSV files.
- Automate Where Possible: Automate repetitive
tests, especially for regression testing, to improve efficiency and coverage. Tools
like Selenium, Provar, and Salesforce's own automation features can be used.
- Focus on Customizations
and Integrations: Pay close attention to testing any custom Apex code, Lightning
components, workflows, and integrations as these are often the source of
issues.
- Test with Different User
Profiles:
Ensure that the application works correctly for users with different roles and
permissions. Use System.runAs() in Apex tests to simulate different user
contexts.
- Handle Governor Limits
in Tests:
Be mindful of Salesforce governor limits when writing Apex tests and use Test.startTest()
and Test.stopTest() appropriately to get a fresh set of limits for the test
execution.
- Test for Both Positive
and Negative Scenarios: Ensure your tests cover both valid and invalid inputs and
actions to check for proper error handling.
- Involve End-Users Early: Include end-users in
the testing process, especially during UAT, to ensure the system meets their
needs.
- Maintain Test Scripts: Keep your test scripts
up-to-date with any changes to the application.
- Measure Code Coverage: Aim for high code
coverage (ideally above 75%) for your Apex code, but also ensure that the tests
cover all critical functionalities and use cases.
- Use Assertions
Effectively: Have clear and specific assert statements in your tests to
validate the expected outcomes. It's often recommended to have one assert
statement per test method for clarity.
- Handle Exceptions: Test that your code
handles expected exceptions correctly.
- Test Bulk Operations: Ensure your code can
handle bulk data operations as Salesforce often processes data in batches.
- Avoid Hardcoding IDs: Do not hardcode record
IDs in your test classes as these can vary between environments.
- Document Your Testing: Maintain clear
documentation of your test plan, test cases, and results.
Importance of Testing
Salesforce Applications:
- Ensures Business
Continuity: Prevents disruptions in critical business processes that rely
on Salesforce.
- Prevents Data Loss and
Corruption: Safeguards valuable customer and operational data.
- Seamless Integration: Ensures that
Salesforce integrates smoothly with other essential business systems.
- Maintains Regulatory
Compliance: Helps in adhering to data protection and other relevant
regulations.
- Reduces Downtime and
Performance Issues: Optimizes system performance and minimizes interruptions.
- Enables Smooth
Customizations and Updates: Ensures that new developments and Salesforce platform updates
do not break existing functionality.
- Enhances User Experience: Leads to a more
stable, reliable, and user-friendly application, increasing user adoption and
productivity.
- Cost Savings: Identifying and fixing
bugs early in the development lifecycle is significantly cheaper than
addressing issues in production.
- Maintains Customer Trust: A well-functioning
Salesforce system contributes to better customer service and satisfaction.
- Scalability: Ensures the
application can handle growth in data and user volume.
- Early Defect Detection: Identifying and
resolving issues before they impact end-users or production environments.
Qualities
of an Effective QA Professional
A skilled Quality
Assurance (QA) professional is essential for successful Salesforce testing. Key
qualities include:
- Domain
Knowledge:
Understanding the business domain for which the Salesforce application is
being developed.
- Application
Knowledge:
Thorough knowledge of the Salesforce application itself and its
functionalities.
- Testing
Knowledge:
Expertise in various testing methodologies, techniques, and tools.
Unique Challenges in Salesforce Testing
Ensuring the
quality and reliability of Salesforce applications is paramount. However,
testing in the Salesforce ecosystem presents unique challenges:
- API Mocking
Difficulties:
Mocking external API calls can be complex, requiring a robust strategy to
handle integrations effectively.
- Testing
Customizations:
Automating the testing of application customizations made according to
specific client requirements can be challenging due to the dynamic nature
of these changes.
- Shadow DOMs: Traditional
automation tools like Selenium may not fully support Shadow DOMs, which
are used in modern web components like Lightning Web Components. Tools
like TestSigma and AccelQ offer better support for Shadow DOMs.
- Locator
Identification:
Identifying unique and stable locators for UI elements can sometimes be
difficult, especially in highly customized environments.
- Integration
Testing Complexity:
Testing the integration between custom code and the standard Salesforce
platform, as well as with other organizational applications, requires
careful planning and execution.
Strategies
for Effective Automation Testing
To ensure
efficient testing, a well-defined automation strategy is crucial:
- Utilize
Different Sandboxes:
Employing multiple sandbox environments for automation testing is highly
recommended.
- Docker
Sandboxes:
Docker containers can be used to create fast and easy testing
environments, allowing developers to test applications in various
configurations without interference.
- Dedicated
Sandboxes:
Having a dedicated sandbox for all possible features and other sandboxes
with customized setups based on specific testing needs provides
flexibility.
- Client-Specific
Sandboxes:
For major or critical clients, a dedicated sandbox can ensure thorough
testing in their specific configurations.
- Strategic
Test Management:
Plan and manage daily smoke and regression tests effectively, avoiding
unnecessary testing on all sandboxes daily.
- Parallel
Testing and CI/CD Integration: Execute tests in parallel across
different sandboxes and integrate testing into Continuous
Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines to accelerate the
testing process. Implementing parallel testing within CI/CD pipelines by
dividing test scripts module-wise can further enhance speed.
Test automation tools for Salesforce
When it comes to test
automation tools for Salesforce, it is important to consider
both Salesforce's
dynamic nature (frequent UI changes, shadow DOM, etc.) and the need for
scalability and
maintainability. Here are the top tools (with pros/cons) often
used for Salesforce testing:
1. Tricentis Tosca
- Why it works well:
Natively supports Salesforce, handles dynamic controls and shadow DOM.
- Strengths:
- Model-based testing (less scripting).
- Good for business process testing.
- Works with Salesforce Classic and Lightning.
- Best for:
Enterprise-level Salesforce testing.
- Cons:
Expensive license, steep learning curve.
2. Provar
- Salesforce-specific tool.
- Strengths:
- Deep Salesforce integration.
- Handles dynamic elements easily.
- Built-in support for Lightning and
Classic.
- Best for:
Teams looking for a tool purpose-built for Salesforce.
- Cons:
Licensing cost, vendor lock-in.
3. Selenium (with frameworks like TestNG, JUnit, or WebDriverIO)
- Strengths:
- Open source.
- Highly customizable.
- Best for: Teams with strong coding expertise and need flexibility.
- Cons:
- Struggles with dynamic Salesforce UI elements.
- Requires robust locator strategy (e.g., using custom attributes, XPath).
4. Testim / Test.ai
/ Mabl / Katalon
- AI-driven or low-code tools.
- Strengths:
- Smart element locators for dynamic UI.
- Codeless or low-code options.
- Cloud-based execution and analytics.
- Cons:
May still require customization for complex Salesforce workflows.
5. ACCELQ
- Codeless cloud-based platform.
- Strengths:
- Native Salesforce support.
- End-to-end automation.
- Agile-friendly and CI/CD-ready.
- Cons:
Requires training, subscription-based.
6. Salesforce DX
with Apex Tests
- Unit testing tool for Apex code.
- Strengths:
- Good for backend logic validation.
- Integrates with CI tools (Jenkins,
GitHub Actions).
- Best for:
Developers/unit testing, not UI automation.
Key Considerations
- Lightning vs Classic:
Ensure the tool supports Lightning Web Components.
- Maintainability:
Salesforce updates 3x a year — choose tools that adapt well.
- Integration:
With CI/CD tools like Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions.
Conclusion
Mastering
Salesforce development and testing requires a comprehensive understanding of
the platform's architecture, development tools, data interaction methods, and
testing strategies. By leveraging the power of SOQL and SOSL, implementing
effective automation testing practices, and utilizing specialized tools when
necessary, developers and QA professionals can build and maintain high-quality
Salesforce applications that drive business success. The continuous evolution
of Salesforce necessitates a commitment to learning and adapting to new tools
and techniques to stay at the forefront of this powerful platform.
Comments