This talk was done @southeast dreamin and walks you how you can build your own custom dev tools using salesforce CLI Plugin Generator

1. Build your own DEV tools
with Salesforce CLI Plugin
Generator
Mohith Shrivastava
Salesforce MVP
Technical Architect @Codescience
Twitter @msrivastav13

2. Thanks to our
Sponsors!

3. Agenda
• Introduction To Salesforce CLI
• Salesforce CLI Architecture
• Introduction To SalesforceDX Plugin
• Why Build a Custom Plugin ?
• Generating a Custom Plugin
• Accessing Salesforce APIs In Custom Plugin
• Test , Debug and Release Custom Plugins
• Additional Reading

4. Introduction To Salesforce CLI
• Salesforce CLI is based on Open Source Heroku Oclif Project
• Oclif is a framework for Building Command Line Interface
Using Nodejs framework
• Install SFDX CLI depending on Operating System using npm or
from developer site
• To find the version you are on run below
sfdx --version

5. Salesforce CLI Architecture
Credits - Salesforce Developer Evangelist Team (https://developer.salesforce.com/blogs/2018/05/create-your-first-
salesforce-cli-plugin.html)

6. Introduction To SalesforceDX Plugin
• list all plugins using sfdx plugins
• salesforcedx plugin provides commands to create scratch
orgs , authenticate to any orgs , work with salesforce
metadata (retrieve , deploy , convert to dx source format)
and many more
• Docs for every command are part of CLI .You can help of any
command with --help
• Provides command to generate a custom plugin

7. Why Build a Custom Plugin?
• While salesforce covers common use cases there might be
one of requirements specific to your need for CI pipeline.
• Useful if you want to automate multiple salesforce provided
commands in one single command
• Handy if you want to build a command that involves
operations with multiple orgs
• Build your own developer tools using metadata and tooling
apis (Desktop tools using Electron or Tools for Editors like
VScode)

8. Generating a Custom Plugin
• sfdx plugins:generate - Provides ability to scaffold a custom
plugin project
• Let’s create one now
• Link using sfdx plugins:link

9. DEMO

10. Accessing Salesforce APIs In Custom
Plugin
• One can access Salesforce metadata , tooling , analytics , ui ,
soap and rest using jsforce library provided by the CLI
• The custom plugins can use session from the cli or establish
new connections using
• sfdx-core npm provides utilities for establishing
connection,manage orgs
• sfdx Command npm provides the utilities like table
rendering , spinners

11. Test, Debug and Release
• Compile code using yarn prepack
• We can debug using vscode node debugger .Run the
command and use followed by <command> --dev-suspend
• Release a plugin using npm publish

12. DEMO MO-DX-PLUGIN & DX CODE
COMPANIONS

13. Additional Reading
Plugin development developer guide
Salesforce Plugin Generator Project
Salesforce Command NPM
Salesforce Core NPM
Dreamforce 2018 Talk

14. Q & A

15. Thank You