Apex Methods

What are Apex Methods?

Apex methods are functions used in the Salesforce Apex programming language to perform operations on data. These methods can accept parameters, return values, and are controlled by access modifiers which dictate their visibility and accessibility. Understanding how to use methods effectively is crucial for developing robust Salesforce applications.

Defining an Apex Method

To define an Apex method, you need to specify its return type, name, parameters, and access modifier. The syntax resembles Java methods, making it intuitive for developers familiar with object-oriented programming.

Access Modifiers in Apex

Access modifiers in Apex control the visibility of methods. The most common access modifiers include:

• public: The method is accessible by any code in the Apex application or namespace.
• private: The method is accessible only within the class in which it is defined.
• protected: The method is accessible by the class itself and any inner classes, as well as any classes that extend the class.
• global: The method is accessible by all Apex code everywhere, including outside of the application or namespace.

Typed Parameters in Apex Methods

Typed parameters in Apex methods are used to define what type of data can be passed to the method. This ensures type safety and allows the compiler to catch errors early.

Return Types in Apex Methods

The return type of an Apex method specifies what type of data the method will return. If a method does not return any value, it should be defined with a void return type.

Example: Combining Methods with Different Modifiers

Here's an example demonstrating the use of multiple methods with different access modifiers within a class: