💃 Simplicity or Control 🕺

Good morning, Salesforce Nerds! Okay, you’ve been dev’ing on the platform for a minute now.

So you’ve likely used both DML operations and Database class methods.

But do you know when and why to use one over the other? 🤔🤔 

Well, the ChaCha thinks you should!

Understanding their nuances will help you write scalable, efficient, and error-resilient code. 💥 

The kind of code your mom would be proud of! 🥹 

We got you. Let’s check out some of the main differences between these two.

Read on, fellow nerds 👇️ 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Simplicity or Control

• Core Differences

• The Right Approach

• Performance Considerations

• Real World Examples

• Final Thoughts

HEAD TO HEAD

CORE DIFFERENCES

🔫 DML Operations: The Straight Shooter

DML (Data Manipulation Language) operations are your bread and butter. 🧈 

They’re straightforward, they work, and they automatically handle rollbacks if an error occurs - like a well-behaved intern who knows not to touch production data!

Common DML Operations:

insert accounts;
update contacts;
delete opportunities;
upsert leads;
undelete cases;

Strengths:

✅ Concise syntax - no unnecessary fluff.
✅ Automatic rollback on unhandled exceptions - because nobody likes corrupt data.
✅ Great for simple, all-or-nothing transactions.

Limitations:

❌ No built-in error handling - any issue causes a full rollback.
❌ Not ideal for large-scale transactions where some records should succeed while others fail.
❌ About as flexible as a brick when it comes to nuanced database interactions.

🔪 Database Class Methods: The Swiss Army Knife

Database class methods provide flexibility, particularly in handling errors and partial successes. 🔥 

Think of them as the multi-tool of database transactions - slightly more complex, but indispensable when you need fine-grained control.

Common Database Methods:

Database.SaveResult[] results = Database.insert(accounts, false);
for (Database.SaveResult res : results) {
    if (res.isSuccess()) {
        System.debug('Success: ' + res.getId());
    } else {
        for (Database.Error err : res.getErrors()) {
            System.debug('Error: ' + err.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

Strengths:

✅ Allows partial success using allOrNone = false (the 2nd parameter on the Database.insert() call 👆️)
✅ Provides SaveResult objects to handle failures at a granular level.
✅ Ideal for large-volume transactions where some records may fail but others should succeed.
✅ Makes you feel like a database wizard casting error-handling spells.

Limitations:

❌ More verbose - think Shakespeare compared to a tweet.
❌ Can introduce complexity when dealing with synchronous operations.
❌ Requires explicit handling for every possible failure scenario - because Salesforce never makes things too easy.

CHOOSE WISELY

THE RIGHT APPROACH

Selecting between DML operations and Database class methods isn’t just a matter of preference - it’s about aligning with your use case, scalability needs, and error-handling requirements. 💯 

Let’s break down when to use each approach so you can make the best choice for your Salesforce applications.

👉️ DML Operations: The No-Nonsense Approach

🔹 Use when transactions should either succeed completely or fail entirely.
🔹 Best for trigger logic where simplicity is king.
🔹 Works well for low-volume transactions where explicit error handling isn’t needed.

👉️ Database Class Methods: The Fine-Tuned Control Freak

🔹 Use when you need detailed error-handling logic (i.e., you don’t want one bad record to ruin everything).
🔹 Essential for batch processes or large-scale operations.
🔹 Provides additional control, like using Database.rollback() to manually manage transactions.
🔹 Ideal when dealing with integrations or third-party API calls where partial success matters. 

STAY ON SALESFORCE’S GOOD SIDE

PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS

Performance isn’t just about speed - it’s also about staying within Salesforce’s strict governor limits while keeping your code scalable and efficient. 😋 

Poorly optimized DML operations can lead to hitting limits, causing failed transactions and dreaded system exceptions.

Let’s explore key best practices to ensure your database interactions are both high-performing and Salesforce-compliant. 👇️ 

✅ Bulkification: Always optimize queries and DML operations for bulk processing.

✅ Governor Limits: Remember, Salesforce is watching 👀 - stay within limits or face the wrath of uncatchable exceptions.

✅ Transaction Handling: Consider explicit savepoints and rollbacks for complex logic.

✅ Avoid Mixing Both: Using DML and Database methods within the same transaction can lead to unexpected behavior. Pick a side and stick with it!

SHOW ME THE CODE

REAL WORLD EXAMPLES

Let’s say you’re processing a large CSV file of leads and need to insert them into Salesforce. 👍️ 

Some records might have validation errors, but you don’t want those to stop the entire operation.

Here’s the right approach:

List<Lead> leadsToInsert = new List<Lead>();
// Assume leadsToInsert is populated with data

Database.SaveResult[] results = Database.insert(leadsToInsert, false);
List<Lead> successfulLeads = new List<Lead>();
List<Lead> failedLeads = new List<Lead>();

for (Integer i = 0; i < results.size(); i++) {
    if (results[i].isSuccess()) {
        successfulLeads.add(leadsToInsert[i]);
    } else {
        failedLeads.add(leadsToInsert[i]);
        System.debug('Insert failed for Lead: ' + results[i].getErrors()[0].getMessage());
    }
}

System.debug('Successfully inserted ' + successfulLeads.size() + ' leads!');
System.debug('Failed to insert ' + failedLeads.size() + ' leads.');

This approach ensures that valid records are processed while problematic ones are logged for review.

Exactly the kind of robust logic you need for large-scale operations. 💥 

WRAPPING IT UP

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s time to move beyond just knowing how to use these methods. The real skill lies in when and why. 😍 

Choosing between DML operations and Database methods isn’t just about syntax - it’s about designing solutions that are efficient, scalable, and resilient to failure.

So next time you’re staring at a transaction, ask yourself: Do I need control, or do I need simplicity? 🤔 

If the answer involves governor limits, partial success, or bulk transactions, you know where to turn.

Happy coding, and may your SOQL queries always be selective! ☮️ 

SOUL FOOD

Today’s Principle

and now....Salesforce Memes