💃Showdown of Automation Titans🕺

Good morning, Salesforce Nerds!

In the battle for Salesforce automation supremacy, two titans emerge:

Salesforce Flows and Apex. 🥊 

These tools, each with their own strengths and quirks, often leave developers and admins wondering, “Which one should I use?”

Fear not, because we’re diving deep to demystify the debate. 🤿 

Whether you’re an admin championing declarative solutions or a developer wielding the power of code, this comparison is for you. 🫵 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Showdown of Automation Titans

• ACCESSIBILITY

• POWER & FLEXIBILITY

• MAINTAINABILITY

• BULKIFICATION & LIMITS

• ERROR HANDLING & DEBUGGING

• FLOWS AND APEX - NOT OR

ROUND 1

ACCESSIBILITY

Flows: Salesforce Flows are the crowd-pleasers of the automation world.

Accessible to admins and developers alike, Flows require no coding experience - just a knack for logic and a love for dragging and dropping elements in a sleek, visual builder. 😋 

With every new Salesforce release, Flows gain features, making them an increasingly powerful tool in your arsenal. ⚔️ 

Apex: On the flip side, Apex is the domain of the developers.

To harness its power, you’ll need programming skills and familiarity with object-oriented principles.

If Flow is a choose-your-own-adventure book, Apex is a full-on novel - flexible, complex, and requiring attention to detail. 💯 

Winner: Flows (in terms of accessibility). Admins rejoice! Flows let you automate without calling your developer friends for help.

ROUND 2

POWER & FLEXIBILITY

Flows: Don’t be fooled by their drag-and-drop simplicity - Flows pack a punch! 👊 

With capabilities like before-save updates (blazing fast!) and integration actions via Flow Orchestrator, they’ve transcended their reputation as “just an admin tool.”

But there are limits.

Flows can struggle with intricate logic, bulk data processing, and handling edge cases. 🤔 

Apex: When it comes to raw power, Apex is like Thor wielding Mjölnir. 🔨 

Need to process 10,000 records in one go? Apex can handle it. 👍️ 

Complex business logic involving multiple objects? Apex shines. 🌟 

From custom REST APIs to advanced error handling, if you can dream it, Apex can likely do it. However, with great power comes greater complexity and technical debt if not managed properly.

Winner: Apex (no contest). For flexibility and scale, Apex is king.

ROUND 3

MAINTAINABILITY

Flows: Maintenance is where Flows often shine. ✨ 

The visual nature of Flows makes understanding the “what” and “why” a breeze - even months (or years) after you built them.

However, the lack of robust version control and diffing tools can make changes in complex orgs tricky. 🫣 

Apex: Apex code, while immensely powerful, can be a black box for those who didn’t write it.

Without clear documentation and well-structured code, you’re setting yourself (and your successors) up for frustration.

That said, Apex integrates seamlessly with Git and version control systems, giving it a clear edge for organizations practicing DevOps. 🔥 

Winner: Flows (for simplicity) and Apex (for large teams with robust processes). It’s a tie!

ROUND 4

BULKIFICATION & LIMITS

Flows: Salesforce Governor Limits are always lurking, ready to pounce on unsuspecting automators. 🐅 

While Flows have made strides with bulkification they can still trip up when working with large datasets or encountering recursive automation.

Debugging Flows when things go awry can also be a headache. 🙃 

Apex: Apex was built with bulkification in mind.

Properly designed Apex code can gracefully handle millions of records without breaking a sweat (well, as long as you stay within limits). 📈 

The ability to fine-tune SOQL queries, optimize loops, and manage transactions makes it indispensable for complex scenarios. 🪢 

Winner: Apex. Bulk is its middle name.

ROUND 5

ERROR HANDLING & DEBUGGING

Flows: Have you ever screamed at your screen when an error in a Flow just … stops everything? 😱 

While Fault Paths provide some level of error handling, they’re not as robust as you’d like in complex systems.

Debugging tools for Flows have improved, but they still feel clunky compared to code. 🤷 

Apex: Apex debugging tools like the Developer Console, System.debug(), and robust logging options make it easier to trace issues. 👍️ 

Exception handling in Apex lets you control failures and guide the user experience, making it a better option for high-stakes scenarios.

Winner: Apex. Developers get the last laugh here.

FINAL THOUGHTS

FLOWS AND APEX - NOT OR

If this showdown has taught us anything, it’s that Flows and Apex aren’t adversaries - they’re partners.

Think of them as Batman and Superman, each with unique strengths that complement the other. 🦸 

• Use Flows when: You need quick wins, low-complexity automation, or solutions accessible to admins. Think approval processes, simple record updates, or guided user interactions.

• Use Apex when: The stakes are high, the logic is complex, or performance is key. Consider batch processing, integrations, and custom business logic.

The secret sauce? Knowing when to use each tool and - sometimes - how to combine them for automation magic. 🪄 

So, the next time someone asks, “Flow or Apex?” your answer might just be: “Both.”

SOUL FOOD

Today’s Principle

and now....Salesforce Memes