Salesforce Custom Metadata Types – The Complete Guide
Salesforce Custom Metadata Types (CMDT) are a new way to store information in the cloud. They are perfect for storing data that needs to be accessed by multiple users or needs to be updated frequently. CMDTs are also easy to create and maintain, making them perfect for use in salesforce orgs.
What are custom metadata types in Salesforce?
Salesforce custom metadata types let you build flexible customizations that you can deploy quickly and easily across your org. You can use custom metadata types to store configuration or setup data in Salesforce, such as document locations, email addresses, or approval processes. You can access custom metadata type data in Apex code and Lightning components.
Custom metadata types use standard Salesforce objects and fields, so you can deploy them like any other component in your org. Each custom metadata type is like a mini-app that you can package with your other components.
How can custom metadata types be used in Salesforce?
Custom metadata types are a new feature in Salesforce that allow you to create and manage your own custom object definitions. You can use custom metadata types to store data that you want to be able to access and update without having to deploy code.
What are the benefits of using custom metadata types in Salesforce?
There are many benefits to using custom metadata types in Salesforce, including:
-You can use custom metadata types to manage your data more efficiently.
-You can use custom metadata types to deploy changes to your data more easily.
-You can use custom metadata types to help you maintain data integrity.
How to create custom metadata types in Salesforce?
You can create custom metadata types in Salesforce to extend the power of the platform. Custom metadata types give you the ability to store custom Schema in Salesforce. To create a custom metadata type, you first need to create a new Apex class that extends the Metadata class. After that, you can add fields to your new class just like you would any other Apex class. To make your custom metadata type available in Salesforce, you need to deploy it using the Metadata API.
How to deploy custom metadata types in Salesforce?
Salesforce custom metadata types allow you to store and deploy custom code and application configurations in your Salesforce org. You can use custom metadata types to manage custom settings, configuration data, and other metadata in your org.
To deploy custom metadata types in Salesforce, you first need to create a package.xml file that contains the custom metadata type. Then, you need to create a .zip file that contains the package.xml file and the custom metadata type file. Finally, you need to deploy the .zip file using the Salesforce Migration Tool or the Force.com IDE.
How to retrieve custom metadata types in Salesforce?
Salesforce Custom Metadata types are a great way to manage your application configuration. You can use them to store settings, values, or labels that can be easily retrieved and used in your Apex code.
To retrieve a custom metadata type in Salesforce, you can use the Salesforce Metadata API. The Metadata API is a SOAP-based web service that allows you to access Salesforce metadata.
To use the Metadata API, you need to create aMetadataService instance and then call the retrieve() method. The retrieve() method takes two parameters:
- The first parameter is the type of metadata you want to retrieve. For custom metadata types, this should be CustomObject .
- The second parameter is the full name of the custom metadata type you want to retrieve. For example, if you want to retrieve the MyCustomMetadata__mdt custommetadata type, you would pass in MyCustomMetadata__mdt as the second parameter.
The code below shows how to retrieve a custom metadata type using the Metadata API:
//Create a new MetadataService instance
MetadataService service = new MetadataService();
//Call the login() method passing in your Salesforce credentials
service.login('YOUR_USERNAME', 'YOUR_PASSWORD');
//Call the retrieve() method passing in CustomObject as the first parameter and MyCustomMetadata__mdt as the second parameter
RetrieveResult result = service.retrieve(new String[]{'CustomObject'}, new String[]{'MyCustomMetadata__mdt'});
//Print out the results of the retrieval operation
System.debug(result);</p><br /><h2>What are the limitations of custom metadata types in Salesforce? </h2><br /><p>
Custom metadata types let you deploy customizations to your orgs without changing your code. However, there are some limitations to consider when using custom metadata types:
-You can only have one version of a custom metadata type in your org at a time. You can’t have multiple versions of the same custom metadata type in your org, even if they’re in different namespaces. This can make it difficult to test changes before you deploy them.
-You can’t create a tab for a custom metadata type.
-You can’t have a trigger on a custom metadata type object.
-You can’t use Apex managed sharing with custom metadata types.
How to update custom metadata types in Salesforce?
In Salesforce, custom metadata types let you build applications that can be deployed without recoding. You can use custom metadata types to store configuration and other setup data. When deploying configurations with metadata changes, you can update, delete, or merge the custom metadata type records.
How to delete custom metadata types in Salesforce?
When you delete a custom metadata type, all of its associated metadata is also deleted. This includes all data in the custom metadata type, as well as any relationships to other metadata.
What are some best practices for using custom metadata types in Salesforce?
While custom metadata types offer many benefits, there are some best practices to keep in mind when using them in Salesforce. Here are a few:
-Be sure to add a description for each custom metadata type, so users know what it is and what it’s used for.
-Schedule custom metadata type deployments during off-peak hours, to minimize any potential impact on performance.
-Test custom metadata type deployments in a sandbox or development environment before deploying to production.
-When making changes to a custom metadata type, be sure to create a new version first before publishing the changes. This way, you can always go back to the previous version if needed.