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Understanding Salesforce

Salesforce is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. It stores, connects, and manages data for people, organizations, and activities.
Although Salesforce may look complex, it can be understood easily by comparing it to a spreadsheet.

Comparing Salesforce to Excel

  • Organization (Org) → like your Excel file (BestPrep.xlsx). Each org has a unique 18-character ID.
  • Objects → like sheets within that file (e.g., Contacts, Cases). Custom objects end in __c, such as BestPrepProgramParticipation__c.
  • Fields → like column headers. Examples: FirstName, LastName, or Email.
  • Records → like rows in a sheet. Each record represents one instance of data. Example: one contact named Pippin and another named Phoebe.

Tools within Salesforce

Lightning Experience

The Lightning Experience is the visual interface you use after logging in. It allows you to: - Navigate between objects
- View, edit, and create records
- Access dashboards, reports, and flows

This is where staff spend most of their time.

Reports

Reports collect and filter data to show specific information.
For example: to find flagged mentoring messages, create a report where
Filter_Status__c = "Flagged" and the message belongs to your cases.

Reports can also use related data from multiple objects, such as:

Messages where Filter_Status__c = "Flagged"
and the related Case is eMentors
and the Contact’s FirstName = "Pippin".

Experience Sites

Experience Sites (formerly “Communities”) are public-facing web portals that connect directly to Salesforce data.
They always include /s/ in the URL (example:
https://mentoring.bestprep.org/s/student-portal).

These allow non-staff users to: - Submit or view mentoring messages
- Register for events
- Access dashboards or forms

The Mentor and Student Portals are both Experience Sites.

Flows

Flows are Salesforce’s no-code automation tools. They can: - Run automatically when records change (Record-Triggered Flows)
- Execute on schedules (Scheduled Flows)
- Display forms for user interaction (Screen Flows)

Flows help automate repetitive tasks such as sending emails, updating fields, or cleaning up records.

Programming Languages in Salesforce Projects

Salesforce development often combines Apex, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SOQL.
Each language serves a distinct purpose in building portals, automations, and data logic.

Apex

Apex is Salesforce’s backend programming language, similar to Java.
It runs entirely on Salesforce servers.

It is: - Strongly typed
- Object-oriented
- Executed in the cloud

Apex is used to: - Run logic before or after record changes (triggers)
- Enforce rules and automate complex workflows
- Integrate Salesforce with external systems
- Support Lightning Web Components (LWCs) through backend data access

When to use Apex: When Flows or Validation Rules cannot perform complex logic or handle large data volumes.

Examples: - Creating related records automatically
- Updating records in multiple related objects
- Running batch jobs or scheduled processes
- Supplying data to Lightning Web Components

In our mentoring portals, Apex is primarily used to provide data and handle file submissions for LWCs.

HTML

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) defines the structure of a webpage.
In Experience Sites or Lightning Web Components, HTML determines what appears on screen.

Example uses: - Displaying text, buttons, and forms
- Embedding data retrieved from Apex
- Structuring mentor and student message areas

HTML forms the skeleton; everything else builds around it.

CSS

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) controls how a webpage looks.
It manages color, size, spacing, and layout.

Example uses: - Styling buttons, cards, or tables in portals
- Making pages mobile-friendly
- Adding hover effects and animations

CSS ensures the portals match BestPrep’s visual identity while staying accessible and simple.

JavaScript

JavaScript makes Salesforce sites interactive.
It’s used heavily in Lightning Web Components (LWCs).

Example uses: - Validating form input before saving
- Fetching data from Apex classes
- Dynamically updating the page without refreshing
- Managing conditional display of mentor/student messages

In short, Apex handles logic and data. JavaScript handles interactivity and responsiveness.

SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language)

SOQL is similar to SQL but works specifically for Salesforce data.
It retrieves records from objects inside your org.

Example: 

SELECT Id, FirstName, LastName, Email 
FROM Contact 
WHERE Email LIKE '%@bestprep.org'

Common uses:

  • Querying records in Apex code
  • Filtering related data for portals
  • Powering reports or admin scripts
  • SOQL is the language Apex uses to communicate with your Salesforce database.

Summary

  • Salesforce is structured like a multi-sheet spreadsheet where data is stored as objects, fields, and records.
  • Lightning Experience and Experience Sites provide user-friendly ways to view and edit data.
  • Reports and Flows handle data visualization and automation.
  • Apex, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SOQL together power the mentoring portals—combining backend logic, data retrieval, visual layout, styling, and interactivity.