Salesforce Platform Glossary
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Lightning Platform Glossary
Salesforce Spring
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Last updated November
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CONTENTS
Lightning Platform Glossary
LIGHTNING PLATFORM GLOSSARY
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
This glossary defines terms that appear throughout the Lightning Platform documentation suite
A
Activity
An event a task a call youve logged or an email youve sent You can relate an activity to other records such as an account a lead
an opportunity or a case In an org with Shared Activities enabled you can relate an activity to multiple contacts Tasks can also be
generated by workflow rules and approval processes configured by a Salesforce admin
Activity History
The Activity History related list of a record displays all completed tasks logged phone calls saved interaction logs expired events
outbound email mass email email added from Microsoft Outlook and merged documents for the record and its associated records
Administrator System Administrator
One or more individuals in your organization who can configure and customize the application Users assigned to the System
Administrator profile have administrator privileges
Advanced Function
A formula function designed for use in custom buttons links and scontrols For example the INCLUDE advanced function returns
the content from an scontrol snippet
AJAX Toolkit
A JavaScript wrapper around the API that allows you to execute any API call and access any object you have permission to view from
within JavaScript code For more information see the AJAX Toolkit Developer Guide
Reporting Snapshot
A reporting snapshot lets you report on historical data Authorized users can save tabular or summary report results to fields on a
custom object then map those fields to corresponding fields on a target object They can then schedule when to run the report to
load the custom objects fields with the reports data
Reporting Snapshot Running User
The user whose security settings determine the source reports level of access to data This feature bypasses all security settings
giving all users who can view the results of the source report in the target object access to data they arent able to see otherwise
Reporting Snapshot Source Report
The custom report scheduled to run and load data as records into a custom object
Reporting Snapshot Target Object
The custom object that receives the results of the source report as records
Anonymous Block Apex
Apex code that doesnt get stored in Salesforce but that can be compiled and executed by using the
ExecuteAnonymousResult API call or the equivalent in the AJAX Toolkit
AntiJoin
An antijoin is a subquery on another object in a NOT IN clause in a SOQL query You can use antijoins to create advanced queries
See also SemiJoin
Lightning Platform Glossary
Apex
Apex is a strongly typed objectoriented programming language that allows developers to execute flow and transaction control
statements on the Lightning Platform server in conjunction with calls to the Lightning Platform API Using syntax that looks like Java
and acts like databasestored procedures Apex enables developers to add business logic to most system events including button
clicks related record updates and Visualforce pages Apex code can be initiated by Web service requests and from triggers on objects
Apex Connector Framework
The Apex Connector Framework is a set of classes and methods in the DataSource namespace for creating a custom adapter for
Salesforce Connect Create a custom adapter to connect to data thats stored outside your Salesforce org when the other available
Salesforce Connect adapters arent suitable for your needs
Apex Controller
See Controller Visualforce
ApexManaged Sharing
Enables developers to programmatically manipulate sharing to support their applications behavior Apexmanaged sharing is only
available for custom objects
Apex Page
See Visualforce page
API Version
See Version
App
Short for application A collection of components such as tabs reports dashboards and Visualforce pages that address a specific
business need Salesforce provides standard apps such as Sales and Service You can customize the standard apps to match the way
you work In addition you can package an app and upload it to AppExchange along with related components such as custom fields
custom tabs and custom objects Then you can make the app available to other Salesforce users from AppExchange
App Launcher
The App Launcher presents tiles that link to your connected apps and standard apps all from one location in Salesforce All Lightning
Experience users have access to the App Launcher Salesforce Classic users must have the Use Identity Features permission and
the App Launcher option in their profile set to Visible In Salesforce Classic the App Launcher appears as an app in the App menu
App Menu
See App Menu
AppExchange
The AppExchange is a sharing interface from Salesforce that allows you to browse and share apps and services for the Lightning
Platform
AppExchange Upgrades
Upgrading an app is the process of installing a newer version
Application Lifecycle Management ALM
The process of managing an applications lifecycle from planning to development to integration to support
Application Programming Interface API
The interface that a computer system library or application provides to allow other computer programs to request services from it
and exchange data
Approval Action
See Automated Actions
Approval Process
An approval process automates how records are approved in Salesforce An approval process specifies each step of approval including
who to request approval from and what to do at each point of the process
Lightning Platform Glossary
Asynchronous Calls
A call that doesnt return results immediately because the operation can take a long time Calls in the Metadata API and Bulk API
are asynchronous
Auto Number
A custom field type that automatically adds a unique sequential number to each record These fields are read only
B
Batch Apex
The ability to perform long complex operations on many records at a scheduled time using Apex
Batch Bulk API
A batch is a CSV XML or JSON representation of a set of records in the Bulk API You can process a set of records by creating a job
that contains one or more batches The server processes each batch independently not necessarily in the order its received See
Job Bulk API
Beta Managed Package
In the context of managed packages a beta managed package is an early version of a managed package distributed to a sampling
of your intended audience to test it
Boolean Operators
You can use Boolean operators in report filters to specify the logical relationship between two values For example the AND operator
between two values yields search results that include both values Likewise the OR operator between two values yields search results
that include either value
Bulk API
The RESTbased Bulk API is optimized for processing large sets of data It allows you to query insert update upsert or delete a
large number of records asynchronously by submitting a job that is processed in the background by Salesforce See also SOAP API
C
Cascading Style Sheet CSS
Files that contain all of the information relevant to color font borders and images that are displayed in a user interface
Callout Apex
An Apex callout enables you to tightly integrate your Apex with an external service by making a call to an external Web service or
sending a HTTP request from Apex code and then receiving the response
Child Relationship
A relationship that has been defined on an sObject that references another sObject as the one side of a onetomany relationship
For example contacts opportunities and tasks have child relationships with accounts
See also sObject
Class Apex
A template or blueprint from which Apex objects are created Classes consist of other classes userdefined methods variables
exception types and static initialization code In most cases Apex classes are modeled on their counterparts in Java
Client App
An app that runs outside the Salesforce user interface and uses only the Lightning Platform API or Bulk API It typically runs on a
desktop or mobile device These apps treat the platform as a data source using the development model of whatever tool and
platform for which theyre designed
Lightning Platform Glossary
Clone
Clone is the name of a button or link that allows you to create an item by copying the information from an existing item for example
a contact or opportunity
Cloud Computing
A model for software development and distribution based on the Internet The technology infrastructure for a service including
data is hosted on the Internet This model lets consumers develop and use services with browsers or other thin clients instead of
investing in hardware software or maintenance
Code Coverage
A way to identify which lines of code are exercised by a set of unit tests and which arent Code coverage helps you identify sections
of code that are untested and therefore at greatest risk of containing a bug or introducing a regression in the future
Collapsible Section
Sections on detail pages that users can hide or show
Combination Chart
A combination chart plots multiple sets of data on a single chart Each set of data is based on a different field so values are easy to
compare You can also combine certain chart types to present data in different ways on a single chart
Component Metadata
A component is an instance of a metadata type in the Metadata API For example CustomObject is a metadata type for custom
objects and the MyCustomObjectc component is an instance of a custom object A component is described in an XML file
and it can be deployed or retrieved using the Metadata API or tools built on top of it such as the Salesforce extensions for Visual
Studio Code or the Ant Migration Tool
Component Visualforce
Something that can be added to a Visualforce page with a set of tags for example apexdetail Visualforce includes a
number of standard components or you can create your own custom components
Component Reference Visualforce
A description of the standard and custom Visualforce components that are available in your organization You can access the
component library from the development footer of any Visualforce page or the Visualforce Developers Guide
Composite App
An app that combines native platform functionality with one or more external Web services such as Yahoo Maps Composite apps
allow for more flexibility and integration with other services but can require running and managing external code See also Client
App and Native App
Connect for Office
Product that integrates Salesforce with Microsoft Word and Excel
Connect for Outlook
Connect for Outlook is retired The product was our legacy sync addin for Microsoft Outlook and earlier
Connect Offline
Product that allows salespeople to use Salesforce to update their data remotely anywhere anytimetotally unplugged
Connected App
A connected app integrates an application with Salesforce using APIs Connected apps use standard SAML and OAuth protocols to
authenticate provide single signon and provide tokens for use with Salesforce APIs In addition to standard OAuth capabilities
connected apps allow Salesforce admins to set various security policies and have explicit control over who can use the corresponding
apps
Lightning Platform Glossary
Connected User
When using the crossorg adapter for Salesforce Connect the connected user is the user in the provider org whose credentials are
used by the subscriber org to log in to the provider org The connected users access to data in the provider org affects which data
can be accessed from within the subscriber org
Console Layout
Objects chosen by an administrator to display in the list view frame of the Agent console For example if an administrator adds cases
to a console layout then users whose profiles are assigned to that console layout can see list views of cases in the consoles list view
frame
Console Tab
A tab containing the Agent console which combines related records into one screen with different frames so that users can view
and edit information all in one place
Controller Visualforce
An Apex class that provides a Visualforce page with the data and business logic it must run Visualforce pages can use the standard
controllers that come by default with every standard or custom object or they can use custom controllers
Controller Extension
A controller extension is an Apex class that extends the functionality of a standard or custom controller
Controlling Field
Any standard or custom picklist or checkbox field whose values control the available values in one or more corresponding dependent
fields
Cookie
Clientspecific data used by some Web applications to store user and sessionspecific information Salesforce issues a session cookie
only to record encrypted authentication information for the duration of a specific session
CSV Comma Separated Values
A file format that enables the sharing and transportation of structured data The import wizards Data Loader and the Bulk API
support CSV Each line in a CSV file represents a record A comma separates each field value in the record
Custom App
See App
Custom Controller
A custom controller is an Apex class that implements all of the logic for a page without using a standard controller Use custom
controllers when you want your Visualforce page to run entirely in system mode which doesnt enforce the permissions and fieldlevel
security of the current user
Custom Field
A field that can be added in addition to the standard fields to customize Salesforce for your organizations needs
Custom Help
Custom text administrators create to provide users with onscreen information specific to a standard field custom field or custom
object
Custom Links
Custom links are URLs defined by administrators to integrate your Salesforce data with external websites and backoffice systems
Formerly known as Web links
Custom Object
Custom records that allow you to store information unique to your organization
Custom Report Type
See Report Type
Lightning Platform Glossary
Custom Settings
Custom settings are similar to custom objects and enable application developers to create custom sets of data as well as create and
associate custom data for an organization profile or specific user All custom settings data is exposed in the application cache which
enables efficient access without the cost of repeated queries to the database This data can then be used by formula fields validation
rules flows Apex and SOAP API
See also Hierarchy Custom Settings and List Custom Settings
Custom SControl
Note Scontrols have been superseded by Visualforce pages After March organizations that have never created
scontrols as well as new organizations wont be allowed to create them Existing scontrols remain unaffected and can still
be edited
Custom Web content for use in custom links Custom scontrols can contain any type of content that you can display in a browser
for example a Java applet an ActiveX control an Excel file or a custom HTML Web form
Custom View
A display feature that lets you see a specific set of records for a particular object
D
Dashboard
A dashboard shows data from source reports as visual components which can be charts gauges tables metrics or Visualforce pages
The components provide a snapshot of key metrics and performance indicators for your organization Each dashboard can have up
to components
Dashboard Builder
Dashboard builder is a draganddrop interface for creating and modifying dashboards
Data Encryption
The process of applying a cryptographic function to data that results in ciphertext The platform encryption process uses symmetric
key encryption and a bit Advanced Encryption Standard AES algorithm using CBC mode PKCS padding and a randomized
bit initializationon vector IV to encrypt fieldlevel data and files stored on the Salesforce platform Both data encryption and
decryption occur on the application servers
Data Encryption Keys
Shield Platform Encryption uses data encryption keys to encrypt and decrypt data Data encryption keys are derived on a key derivation
server using keying material split between a perrelease master secret and an organizationspecific tenant secret stored encrypted
in the database as a part of your organization The bit derived keys exist in memory until evicted from the cache
Data Loader
A Lightning Platform tool used to import and export data from your Salesforce organization
Data Manipulation Language DML
An Apex method or operation that inserts updates or deletes records
Data State
The structure of data in an object at a particular point in time
Database
An organized collection of information The underlying architecture of the Lightning Platform includes a database where your data
is stored
Database Table
A list of information presented with rows and columns about the person thing or concept you want to track See also Object
Lightning Platform Glossary
Databasecom
Databasecom is an enterprise cloud database from Salesforce
Date Literal
A keyword in a SOQL or SOSL query that represents a relative range of time such as last month or next year
Decimal Places
Parameter for number currency and percent custom fields that indicates the total number of digits you can enter to the right of a
decimal point for example for an entry of The system rounds the decimal numbers you enter if necessary For example if
you enter in a field with Decimal Places of the number rounds to Salesforce uses the round halfup rounding
algorithm Halfway values are always rounded up For example is rounded to is rounded to
Delegated Administration
A security model in which a group of nonadministrator users perform administrative tasks
Delegated Authentication
A security process where an external authority is used to authenticate Lightning Platform users
Dependency
A relationship where one objects existence depends on that of another There are a number of different kinds of dependencies
including mandatory fields dependent objects parentchild file inclusion referenced images for example and ordering
dependencies when one object must be deployed before another object
Dependent Field
Any custom picklist or multiselect picklist field that displays available values based on the value selected in its corresponding
controlling field
Deploy
To move functionality from an inactive state to active For example when developing new features in the Salesforce user interface
you must select the Deployed option to make the functionality visible to other users
The process by which an application or other functionality is moved from development to production
To move metadata components from a local file system to a Salesforce organization
For installed apps deployment makes any custom objects in the app available to users in your organization Before a custom object
is deployed its only available to administrators and any users with the Customize Application permission
Detail
A page that displays information about a single object record The detail page of a record allows you to view the information whereas
the edit page allows you to modify it
A term used in reports to distinguish between summary information and inclusion of all column data for all information in a report
You can toggle the Show DetailsHide Details button to view and hide report detail information
Developer Edition
A free fully functional Salesforce organization designed for developers to extend integrate and develop with the Lightning Platform
Developer Edition accounts are available on developersalesforcecom
Salesforce Developers
The Salesforce Developers website at developersalesforcecom provides a full range of resources for platform developers including
sample code toolkits an online developer community and the ability to obtain limited Lightning Platform environments
Developer Pro Sandbox
Developer Pro sandboxes copy customization metadata but dont copy production data into a separate environment for coding
and testing Developer Pro has more storage than a Developer sandbox It includes a number of Developer sandboxes depending
on the edition of your production organization
Lightning Platform Glossary
Developer Sandbox
Developer sandboxes copy customization metadata but dont copy production data into a separate environment for coding and
testing
Development as a Service DaaS
An application development model where all development is on the Web Even source code compilation and development
environments arent on local machines but are Webbased services
Development Environment
A Salesforce organization where you can make configuration changes that dont affect users on the production organization There
are two kinds of development environments sandboxes and Developer Edition organizations
Document Library
A place to store documents without attaching them to accounts contacts opportunities or other records
Dynamic Dashboard
A dynamic dashboard runs using the security settings of the user viewing the dashboard Each user sees the dashboard according
to their own access level This approach helps administrators share one common set of dashboard components to users with different
levels of access
Dynamic Visualforce Binding
A way of writing generic Visualforce pages that display information about records without necessarily knowing which fields to show
In other words fields on the page are determined at runtime rather than compile time
E
Email Alert
Email alerts are actions that send emails using a specified email template to specified recipients
Email Template
A form email that communicates a standard message such as a welcome letter to new employees or an acknowledgment that a
customer service request has been received Email templates can be personalized with merge fields and can be written in text
HTML or custom format
Note Lightning email templates arent packageable
Encrypted Data at Rest
Data that is encrypted when stored on disk Salesforce supports encryption for fields stored in the database documents stored in
Files Content Libraries and Attachments and archived data
Encryption Key
Encryption keys are used by an encryption algorithm to convert plaintext values into ciphertext and back Platform Encryption uses
the AES algorithm and bit symmetric keys with a random IV Initialization Vector to encrypt and decrypt data stored at rest on
the Salesforce platform
Encryption Key Management
Refers to all aspects of key management such as key creation processes and storage Tenant secret management is performed by
administrators or users who have the Manage Encryption Keys permission enabled from Setup by clicking Security Controls
Platform Encryption
Enterprise Application
An application that is designed to support functionality for an organization as a whole rather than solving a specific problem
Enterprise Edition
A Salesforce edition designed for larger more complex businesses
Lightning Platform Glossary
Enterprise WSDL
A strongly typed WSDL for customers who want to build an integration with their Salesforce organization only or for partners who
are using tools like Tibco or webMethods to build integrations that require strong typecasting The downside of the Enterprise WSDL
is that it only works with the schema of a single Salesforce organization because its bound to all of the unique objects and fields
that exist in that organizations data model
Entity Relationship Diagram ERD
A data modeling tool that helps you organize your data into entities or objects as theyre called in the Lightning Platform and
define the relationships between them ERDs for key Salesforce objects are published in the Salesforce Object Reference
Enumeration Field
An enumeration is the WSDL equivalent of a picklist field The valid values of the field are restricted to a strict set of possible values
all having the same data type
Event
An event is an activity that has a scheduled time For example a meeting or a scheduled phone call
External Data Source
An external data source specifies how to access an external system Salesforce Connect uses external data sources to access data
thats stored outside your Salesforce organization Files Connect uses external data sources to access thirdparty content systems
External data sources have associated external objects which your users and the Lightning Platform use to interact with the external
data and content
External Lookup Relationship
An external lookup relationship links a child standard custom or external object to a parent external object When you create an
external lookup relationship field the standard External ID field on the parent external object is matched against the values of the
childs external lookup relationship field External object field values come from an external data source
External Object
External objects behave similarly to custom objects except that they map to data thats stored outside your Salesforce org Each
external object maps to a data table in a defined external data source and each external object field maps to a table column Users
and the Lightning Platform use external objects to interact with the external data
F
Facet
A child of another Visualforce component that allows you to override an area of the rendered parent with the contents of the facet
Field
A part of an object that holds a specific piece of information such as a text or currency value
FieldLevel Security
Settings that determine whether fields are hidden visible read only or editable for users Available in Professional Enterprise
Unlimited Performance and Developer Editions
Field Dependency
A filter that allows you to change the contents of a picklist based on the value of another field
Field Sets
A field set is a grouping of fields For example you could have a field set that contains fields describing a users first name middle
name last name and business title Field sets can be referenced on Visualforce pages dynamically If the page is added to a managed
package administrators can add remove or reorder fields in a field set to modify the fields presented on the Visualforce page without
modifying any code
Lightning Platform Glossary
Field Update
A field update is an action that automatically updates a field with a new value
Filter ConditionCriteria
Condition on particular fields that qualifies items to be included in a list view or report such as State equals California
Flex Toolkit for Lightning Platform
An Adobe Flex library that allows you to access Salesforce data from within a Flex application
Folder
A folder is a place where you can store reports dashboards documents or email templates Folders can be public hidden or shared
and can be set to readonly or readwrite You control who has access to its contents based on roles permissions public groups
and license types You can make a folder available to your entire organization or make it private so that only the owner has access
Lightning Platform
The Salesforce platform for building applications in the cloud Lightning Platform combines a powerful user interface operating
system and database to allow you to customize and deploy applications in the cloud for your entire enterprise
Lightning Platform App Menu
A menu that enables users to switch between customizable applications or apps with a single click The Lightning Platform app
menu displays at the top of every page in the user interface
Lightning Platform Builder
The App Setup area of the Salesforce setup menu
Lightning Platform Enterprise App
A custom app with up to eight custom objects and eight custom tabs readwrite access to accounts and contacts and access
to Sharing Bulk API or Streaming API
Salesforce Extensions for Visual Studio Code
The Salesforce extension pack for Visual Studio Code includes tools for developing on the Salesforce platform in the lightweight
extensible VS Code editor These tools provide features for working with development orgs scratch orgs sandboxes and DE orgs
Apex Aura components and Visualforce
Lightning Platform Light App
A custom app with up to eight custom objects and eight custom tabs readonly access to accounts and contacts and no
access to Sharing Bulk API or Streaming API
Ant Migration Tool
A toolkit that allows you to write an Apache Ant build script for migrating Lightning Platform components between a local file system
and a Salesforce organization
Foreign Key
A field whose value is the same as the primary key of another table You can think of a foreign key as a copy of a primary key from
another table A relationship is made between two tables by matching the values of the foreign key in one table with the values of
the primary key in another
Formula Field
A type of custom field Formula fields automatically calculate their values based on the values of merge fields expressions or other
values
Full Sandbox
Full sandboxes copy your entire production organization and all its data including standard and custom object records documents
and attachments Use the sandbox to code and test changes and to train your team about the changes You can refresh a Full
sandbox every days
Lightning Platform Glossary
Function
Builtin formulas that you can customize with input parameters For example the DATE function creates a date field type from a
given year month and day
G
Get Request
A get request is made when a user initially requests a Visualforce page either by entering a URL or clicking a link or button
Getter Methods
Methods that enable developers to display database and other computed values in page markup
Methods that return values See also Setter Methods
Global Search
Search more records and fields in Salesforce from the header search box Global search monitors which objects you use and how
often you use them and arranges the search results accordingly Search results for the objects you use most frequently appear at
the top of the list
Global Variable
A special merge field that you can use to reference data in your organization
A method access modifier for any method that must be referenced outside of the application either in SOAP API or by other Apex
code
Governor Limits
Apex execution limits that prevent developers who write inefficient code from monopolizing the resources of other Salesforce users
Gregorian Year
A calendar based on a month structure used throughout much of the world
Group
A group is a set of users Groups can contain individual users other groups or the users in a role Groups can be used to help define
sharing access to data or to specify which data to synchronize in Salesforce for Outlook configurations or Lightning Sync configurations
Users can define their own personal groups Administrators can create public groups for use by everyone in the organization
Group Edition
A product designed for small businesses and workgroups with a limited number of users
H
Hardware Security Module HSM
Used to provide cryptography processing as well as key management for authentication Shield Platform Encryption uses HSMs to
generate and store secret material and run the function that derives data encryption keys used by the encryption service to encrypt
and decrypt data
Hierarchy Custom Settings
A type of custom setting that uses a builtin hierarchical logic that lets you personalize settings for specific profiles or users The
hierarchy logic checks the organization profile and user settings for the current user and returns the most specific or lowest value
In the hierarchy settings for an organization are overridden by profile settings which in turn are overridden by user settings
