Apex Basic and Database : What is Apex ?

Note: All credit goes to Salesforce, I am just a developer who enjoy playing trailhead and try to make note to myself.

What is Apex?

programming language that uses Java-like syntax and acts like database stored procedures. Apex enables developers to add business logic to system events, such as button clicks, updates of related records, and Visualforce pages.

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 Apex is:

• Hosted—Apex is saved, compiled, and executed on the server—the Force.com platform.

• Automatically upgradeable—Because compiled code is stored as metadata in the platform, Apex is automatically upgraded as part of Salesforce releases.

• Object oriented—Apex supports classes, interfaces, and inheritance.

• Strongly typed—Apex validates references to objects at compile time.

• Multitenant aware—Governer limit.Because Apex runs in a multitenant platform, it guards closely against runaway code by enforcing limits, which prevent code from monopolizing shared resources.

• Integrated with the database—It is straightforward to access and manipulate records. Apex provides direct access to records and their fields, and provides statements and query languages to manipulate those records.

• Data focused—Apex provides transactional access to the database, allowing you to roll back operations.

• Easy to use—Apex is based on familiar Java idioms.

• Easy to test—Apex provides built-in support for unit test creation, execution, and code coverage. Salesforce ensures that all custom Apex code works as expected by executing all unit tests prior to any platform upgrades.

• Versioned—Custom Apex code can be saved against different versions of the API.

Apex is similar in OOP in :

• Classes, interfaces, properties, and collections (including arrays).
• Object and array notation.
• Expressions, variables, and constants.
• Conditional statements (if-then-else) and control flow statements (for loops and while loops).

Additionally Apex supports:

• Cloud development as Apex is stored, compiled, and executed in the cloud.
• Triggers, which are similar to triggers in database systems.
• Database statements that allow you to make direct database calls and query languages to query and search data.
• Transactions and rollbacks.
• The global access modifier, which is more permissive than the public modifier and allows access across namespaces and applications.
• Versioning of custom code.
• Apex is a case-insensitive language.

Salesforce Trailhead link