Wrapper Class In Apex Salesforce

Salesforce CRM was introduced in the market for the purpose of solving issues faced by business enterprises concerned with effective handling of customer data. Salesforce has proven to be highly successful in bringing in automation and efficiency in several business processes, relieving the employees of the extra time and effort they would otherwise put in the same. The primary purpose of Salesforce is to help a business in recording, storing, assessing and analysing valuable customer data. This software platform helps you concentrate on other productive business areas as it efficiently takes on the role of a sales assistant.

There are several features, tools, objects and add-ons in the platform of Salesforce, each performing a specific function. One such important platform for building relevant applications is Apex.

What is Apex Salesforce?

Apex is a platform used by Salesforce Developrs in designing and building applications created on the basis of Salesforce as a Service (SaaS). This platform allows developers in building applications most suitable for their clients on the functionality of Salesforce. For creating these applications, Apex allows Salesforce developers an access to the back-end database of Salesforce CRM. It also provides the developers with the access to all relevant client-server interfaces.

The platform of Apex includes an enhanced Application Program Interface (API) that allows Salesforce Developers in getting access to the necessary data pertaining to the Salesforce users. Apex provides the developers with an ease of work as the API included with it allows them in using prominent SaaS components without having to develop the majority of the traditional complicated infrastructure.

Apex largely consists of three components or tools, each serving specific purpose for the developers:

1. Apex Builder – This is an on-demand tool that provides developers with easy to use customisations which can be used on simple drag-and-drop basis. The applications pertaining to Apex Builder are fairly easy to develop. However, the developers need to specifically use the necessary business logic algorithms and interface elements that are limited and pre-defined in nature.

2. Apex API – This is nothing but the method Salesforce developers use for extracting raw data out of the servers of Salesforce CRM. This Apex tool is specifically used for the programs that are external to Salesforce CRM and require access to the account of specific clients stored in the system.

3. Apex Code – This is a programming language used by developers on the servers of Salesforce CRM having pre-installed methods that can be used for accessing user data. These codes provide a considerable degree of flexibility to developers for creating applications for Apex API. It also helps the users in reducing the number of calls that can be made between a client and a server. Unlike the programs pertaining to Apex API, the applications built by Apex Code allow the developers to handle the required transactions on a native basis. All the developers need to do is facilitate the communication between clients and servers while taking input of the concerned user and displaying conclusive result in the end.

One of the most important data types belonging to the platform of Salesforce Apex that helps the developers in building and managing relevant applications is that of Wrapper Class.

What is Wrapper Class?

Wrapper Class is an essential component of Apex Salesforce that can simply be considered as a collection of different data types pertaining to the platform of Salesforce CRM. As the name suggests, Wrapper Class in Salesforce allows developers in combining different data types and use them for specific purposes.

A common Wrapper Class example in Salesforce can be that of the platform being used for accessing the account records and displaying an in-page block table. If you choose to do so, you will be provided with an option of a checkbox, and you can efficiently display the relevant records by associating various serial numbers in the desired fashion. This would lead you in not only having multiple records, but also multiple serial numbers. After answering the question of “What is Wrapper Class in Salesforce?” it is important to understand how it can be used as an effective solution.

How Can Wrapper Class Be Used As A Solution?

A Salesforce object can be defined as a component that does not contain any database or field relevant to the platform. Also, it does not consist of any API page even if the object is valid in terms of its functionality. The primary function of Wrapper Class in Salesforce is that of wrapping up the data extracted out of the objects already present in the platform for creating new objects.

It is very likely that your Salesforce Consultant would recommend the use of Wrapper Class as a solution as it is capable to play a plethora of roles. Along with being a set data structure, Wrapper Class can also be considered an abstract data type containing varied objects along with their respective members. A Wrapper Class can also be defined as a custom object if a developer defines it with a specific set of properties, and a custom class having several data types and properties. Owing to all these properties possessed and roles played by Wrapper Class, it is arguably the best option to be advised to the users for wrapping data objects according to specific requirements.

Benefits of Wrapper Class in Salesforce

A Wrapper Class is often used by Salesforce Developers for creating new objects within the purview of Apex code. It helps the users in consolidating a set of different fields (whether they belong to different objects or not) that are required the most during runtime.

Here are some of the major advantages of effectively using Wrapper Class in Salesforce by developers:

1. The structure of Wrapper Class is as efficient as that of a good data visualisation technique for a web page, especially if the developers are dealing with the JSON structure.

2. The developers are not required to undertake the passing of any map structure in order to browse necessary elements. Also, Wrapper Class makes the process of managing relationship between different objects easier for the developers.

3. The use of Wrapper Class prevents any penalty faced by the users for passing a Salesforce object. Moreover, it makes the concerned object extendable to class constructors.

4. The use of Wrapper Class helps the developers in organising the concerned data efficiently, provided the data is properly nested.

These aspects imply that a Wrapper Class can be placed along with a Container Class. However, it is not advisable to do so because keeping them separately would make it easier for the developers to maintain them and reuse them according to their requirements. It also prevents any duplication of codes that would otherwise make matters complicated for the developers.

Using Wrapper Class as an Everyday Tool

As complicated and diverse as Wrapper Class sounds, it can be effectively used by Salesforce Developers as an everyday tool. The most prominent platform where it is used is that of Visualforce, where certain specific queries on data are carried out before the data is presented to the user.

Here are some of the key activities which can be performed in a business organisation on a daily basis using Wrapper Class in Salesforce:

1. It can be used for connecting multiple fields of an object through a mapping table simultaneously.

2. It can be used for manually presenting multiple data threads in one single list.

3. It can be used for retrieving data from a Salesforce object for enhancing another data object.

Therefore, the use of Wrapper Class can be effectively incorporated for daily activities performed in a business organisation. Developers can design and provide different specifications for each Wrapper Class employed. These specifications should be based on the terms of the users of Wrapper Class.

In spite of not having an inner class by default, having one for Wrapper Class can prove to be simpler and more efficient when it comes to Salesforce CRM. Wrapper Class can be used similar the way developers use structures, unions and algebraic types for a concerned class.

Every developer should create an efficient Wrapping Class by using properties that are adequately designed, instead of going for a rendering that is complicated. Also, it is important for developers to consider that the process of restructuring data brings certain obligations for them to open all the necessary permissions. This is primarily due to a massive requirement for manual support for carrying out data restructuring.

Segregating Wrapper Class Collection Using Apex

One of the pre-defined functionalities of Apex is used by developers for classifying basic data types on the platform of Salesforce CRM. Many developers have often faced the issue of effectively classifying custom data types, making sure they are in sync with Force.com. Here, sorting out Wrapper Class in Apex is preferred because Force.com is not capable for doing so. Also, Force.com will have no details about the use of data in a specific class that may result in a mess, making it incapable of performing class segregation.