Are you a Developer or Administrator and want to learn more about your application building options? Many requirements in the Force.com development world can be achieved using either custom coding solutions or point and click configuration. Join us as we outline some of the most popular scenarios of this type, and then present the pros-and-cons of Clicks and Code so you can vote on which approach you think is best. This session is going to be highly interactive and is open to all Force.com Developers and Salesforce Administrators.

1. Clicks Vs. Code
An Interactive Debate
Christopher Alun Lewis
Force.com MVP
@ChrisAlunLewis
Simon Lawrence
Force.com MVP
@srlawr

2. Welcome to Clicks Vs. Code
There are two main ways to get things done on Salesforce
• Rarely black and white as to which provides the best
solution
• This session will make you think about your options in
different scenarios

3. Welcome to Clicks Vs. Code
•We will present three requirement scenarios
• We will then present a clicks solution, and a code solution
•YOU will then vote which you would implement
• Get involved!

4. Scenario 1
Copy and process field data across a relationship
When an invoice line custom object is created, we need to:
• Copy the price field from a parent product object
• Copy the tax rate field from a custom setting
• Create a task to manually check stock when QTY > 100

5. Case for Clicks
Create a workflow rule on line item object creation and field updates to copy
the price and tax.

6. Case for Clicks
Create a workflow rule on line item object creation and field updates to copy
the price and tax.

7. Case for Clicks
Another workflow rule, checks Quantity amount and creates a task if needed

8. Case for Clicks
Another workflow rule, checks Quantity amount and creates a task if needed

9. Case for Clicks
Benefits:
• Simple to setup
• Can be updated and altered on live
• Responds to data model changes automatically
Drawbacks:
• No requirement to test the calculations and vulnerable to interference
• Very limited customization of the Task
• Difficult to see the order of execution

10. Building with Code
• Write test class and cover core scenarios
• Create a trigger on Creation of an Invoice Line
• Noting bulkification, load the relevant product details and
copy into the Invoice Line records
•Create detailed task records for > 100 Quantity cases

11. Building with Code

12. Building with Code
Benefits:
• All the logic is in one, concise place
• Complete flexibility in field and data access/usage
• Can create dynamic Task owner, subject and description
• Requires test coverage which enforces functionality
Drawbacks:
• Has to be promoted via changesets if updated
• Requires manual maintenance if data model changes
• Will take longer to develop, test and promote

13. Scenario 1 voting
So where do you stand?
Clicks
Code

14. Scenario 2
Summarize Opportunity data on Accounts
On the Account page we would like to see:
• The total value of all related Opportunities
• The closed won ratio of related Opportunities
• The Average value of related Opportunities

15. Case for Clicks
Use roll up summary fields
to obtain:
• The related Opportunity count
• Won Opportunity count
• The related Opportunity total value

16. Case for Clicks
Use roll up summary fields
to obtain:
• The related Opportunity count
• Won Opportunity count
• The related Opportunity total value

17. Case for Clicks
Use roll up summary fields
to obtain:
• The related Opportunity count
• Won Opportunity count
• The related Opportunity total value

18. Case for Clicks
Use formula fields to calculate:
•The Closed Won ratio
•The Average Value amount

19. Case for Clicks
Benefits:
• Simple to setup / five fields to completion
• We can adapt the method to do more complex calculations quickly
Drawbacks:
• Roll up summaries are limited, only 10 per object
• This method only works for objects that have master detail relationships
• Roll up summaries don’t work on formula fields

20. Building with Code
Create 3 new fields on the Account object:
• Total Opportunity amount
• Closed Won Ratio
• Average Opportunity amount

21. Building with Code
• Write test methods
• Write a new trigger on Opportunity to update related
Account totals when an Opportunity is created, updated,
deleted or undeleted

22. Building with Code

23. Building with Code

24. Building with Code
Benefits:
• Excellent reusability… adopt a pattern and the same code can be used many
times for many different object relationships
• Calculations can be much more complex, involving several related objects
• Can traverse Lookup relationships and summarise Formulae
• Test methods can be used to verify results
Drawbacks:
• Writing code and related test methods is time consuming
• Less adaptable in production

25. Scenario 2 voting
So where do you stand?
Clicks
Code

26. Scenario 3
Graphical customer relationship view
We want to view our entire relationship with a customer
• The pipeline of all related Opportunities
• The number and status of all related Cases
• A history of recent Activities

27. Case for Clicks
Simple… Reports and Dashboards!
Create a collection of base reports
• Opportunities
• Cases
• Activities with Accounts

28. Case for Clicks
Create an Accounts Data dashboard leveraging the reports
to show all Account data

29. Case for Clicks
Use a Dashboard filter to allow the user to select which Account
they want to view data for:

30. Case for Clicks
Benefits:
• Simple and quick to create (3 Reports + 1 Dashboard)
• Can be customised to individual users requirements (specific Account views)
• Clicking on the charts actually drills down into data report
Drawbacks:
• A maximum of 30 filters can be used per dashboard
• A manual filter needs to be created for each Account
• Load times between selections is fairly slow (20-30 seconds)

31. Building with Code
Custom Visualforce Page with Account selector:
•Leverages Apex:Chart Component tags
•Account combo box dynamically populated through Apex
•Upon selection, automatically refreshes page

32. Building with Code
OR Custom Visualforce on the Account Page:
• Use a controller extension
to get Account/Children details
• Build Account charts based
on retrieved data
• Place Visualforce page on
Standard Account Page

33. Building with Code
As simple as a section of Visualforce code

34. Building with Code
And a controller extension to marshall the data about

35. Building with Code
Benefits:
• No limitations on how many different Accounts you can view.
• Fast screen refresh rates.
• Ability to create actions based on chart results.
Drawbacks:
• Time consuming to build.
• Difficult to schedule content in an email.
• Can’t easily drill down into reports data.

36. Scenario 3 voting
So where do you stand?
Clicks
Code

37. The Wrap up
There is no “right answer” when it comes to clicks vs. code.
Attribute Clicks Code
Time to develop Short Long
Flexibility Some Lots
Limitations Restricted by platform Governor Limits
Adaptability Some Great

38. Any questions?
Christopher Alun Lewis
Force.com MVP
@ChrisAlunLewis
Simon Lawrence
Force.com MVP
@srlawr