Salesforce Hello World
Overview
Minimal working example: connect to Salesforce, run a SOQL query, and perform basic CRUD on standard sObjects (Account, Contact, Lead).
Prerequisites
- Completed
salesforce-install-authsetup - jsforce installed (
npm install jsforce) - Valid credentials in environment variables
Instructions
Step 1: Connect and Query Accounts
import jsforce from 'jsforce';
const conn = new jsforce.Connection({
loginUrl: process.env.SF_LOGIN_URL || 'https://login.salesforce.com',
});
await conn.login(
process.env.SF_USERNAME!,
process.env.SF_PASSWORD! + process.env.SF_SECURITY_TOKEN!
);
// Your first SOQL query — fetch 5 Accounts
const result = await conn.query(
"SELECT Id, Name, Industry, AnnualRevenue FROM Account LIMIT 5"
);
console.log(`Total records: ${result.totalSize}`);
for (const account of result.records) {
console.log(` ${account.Name} — ${account.Industry ?? 'N/A'}`);
}
Step 2: Create a Record
// Create a new Account
const newAccount = await conn.sobject('Account').create({
Name: 'Acme Corporation',
Industry: 'Technology',
Website: 'https://acme.example.com',
NumberOfEmployees: 250,
});
console.log('Created Account ID:', newAccount.id);
console.log('Success:', newAccount.success);
Step 3: Read a Record by ID
// Retrieve specific fields by record ID
const account = await conn.sobject('Account').retrieve(newAccount.id);
console.log('Account Name:', account.Name);
// Or use SOQL for more control
const result = await conn.query(
`SELECT Id, Name, Industry, CreatedDate
FROM Account
WHERE Id = '${newAccount.id}'`
);
Step 4: Update a Record
const updateResult = await conn.sobject('Account').update({
Id: newAccount.id,
Industry: 'Software',
Description: 'Updated via jsforce API',
});
console.log('Updated:', updateResult.success);
Step 5: Delete a Record
const deleteResult = await conn.sobject('Account').destroy(newAccount.id);
console.log('Deleted:', deleteResult.success);
Python Example
from simple_salesforce import Salesforce
import os
sf = Salesforce(
username=os.environ['SF_USERNAME'],
password=os.environ['SF_PASSWORD'],
security_token=os.environ['SF_SECURITY_TOKEN']
)
# SOQL query
result = sf.query("SELECT Id, Name, Industry FROM Account LIMIT 5")
for record in result['records']:
print(f" {record['Name']} — {record.get('Industry', 'N/A')}")
# Create
new_account = sf.Account.create({'Name': 'Acme Corp', 'Industry': 'Technology'})
print(f"Created: {new_account['id']}")
# Update
sf.Account.update(new_account['id'], {'Industry': 'Software'})
# Delete
sf.Account.delete(new_account['id'])
Output
- Successful SOQL query returning Account records
- Created, read, updated, and deleted an Account sObject
- Console output confirming each operation
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|----------|
| INVALID_FIELD | Field name wrong in SOQL | Check field API names in Setup > Object Manager |
| MALFORMED_QUERY | SOQL syntax error | Verify quotes, field names, WHERE clause |
| INVALID_TYPE | sObject name wrong | Use API name (e.g., Account, not Accounts) |
| REQUIRED_FIELD_MISSING | Missing required field on create | Add required fields (e.g., Name for Account) |
| ENTITY_IS_DELETED | Record already deleted | Query with isDeleted = true to find in Recycle Bin |
Resources
Next Steps
Proceed to salesforce-local-dev-loop for development workflow setup.