From Zero to Ready: Master Your Salesforce Dev Environment Fast

Recommended First Steps (Practical Approach)

1. Install Salesforce DX CLI.
2. Setup Visual Studio Code with Salesforce Extensions.
3. Authenticate with a Developer org (sf login web).
4. Create your first scratch org and push simple metadata changes.
5. Commit changes to Git and integrate your CI/C

1. Salesforce DX (Developer Experience) – CLI

Salesforce DX is Salesforce’s modern development CLI toolkit. It helps with project creation, deployments, managing scratch orgs, packaging, and testing.

Installation (All platforms):

• macOS (with Homebrew):

brew tap salesforce/sfdx
brew install sfdx

• Windows (using Chocolatey):

choco install sfdx-cli

• Linux (with npm):

npm install @salesforce/cli --global

Official docs: [Salesforce CLI Install](https://developer.salesforce.com/tools/sfdxcli

Common Salesforce CLI commands:

# Login to Salesforce org
sf login web

# Create new scratch org
sf org create scratch -f config/project-scratch-def.json -a MyScratchOrg -d 7

# Push source code to scratch org
sf project deploy start

# Run Apex tests
sf apex test run

# Open org
sf org open

2. IDE and Text Editors

Recommended IDE:

Visual Studio Code (All platforms, free, recommended by Salesforce)     - Download VS Code Install these essential Salesforce extensions from VS Code Marketplace:

• Salesforce Extension Pack
• Apex PMD (Code Quality Analysis) (recommended for best practices enforcement)

3. Version Control (Git)

Version control is essential. Use Git and host your repositories on services like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.

Install Git:

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install git

Windows (Chocolatey):

choco install git

Linux (apt/yum):

sudo apt install git # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo yum install git # CentOS/RHEL

Typical Git-based workflow:

• Clone your Salesforce DX repository:

git clone https://github.com/your-repo.git

• Branching:

git checkout -b feature/new-component

• Commit changes:

git add .

git commit -m "Added new Lightning component"

git push origin feature/new-component

4. Package and Dependency Management

Salesforce DX supports modular app structure through packages:

• Unlocked Packages (recommended for AppExchange apps)   - Allow modular, versioned deployments
  • Improve maintainability, easier upgrades

Create unlocked packages with Salesforce CLI:

sf package create --name "MySalesforceApp" --path force-app --packagetype Unlocked
sf package version create --package "MySalesforceApp" --installationkeybypass --wait 10

5. Scratch Orgs

• Scratch orgs are temporary Salesforce environments used for dev/testing.
• Fast, disposable, and easy-to-use for developers.

Define scratch org:

Create a project-scratch-def.json file:

{
  "orgName": "MyScratchOrg",
  "edition": "Developer",
  "features": ["Communities", "LightningSalesConsole"],
  "settings": {
    "lightningExperienceSettings": { "enableS1DesktopEnabled": true }
  }
}

Then use Salesforce CLI to create scratch org:

sf org create scratch -f project-scratch-def.json -a MyScratchOrg -d 7

6. Continuous Integration (CI/CD)

Common CI/CD providers for Salesforce DX automation (deployment, tests, package management):

• GitHub Actions (highly recommended, native integration)
• GitLab CI
• Bitbucket Pipelines

Example GitHub Actions Workflow (.github/workflows/deploy.yml):

name: Deploy to Salesforce
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Setup Salesforce CLI
        run: |
          npm install @salesforce/cli --global
          sf --version

      - name: Authenticate Salesforce
        run: sf org login jwt --clientid ${{ secrets.CLIENT_ID }} --jwtkeyfile server.key --username ${{ secrets.SF_USERNAME }} --instanceurl https://login.salesforce.com

      - name: Deploy to Org
      - run: sf project deploy start

7. Additional Useful Tools & Extensions

• Salesforce Inspector (Chrome/Firefox browser extension)

• Great for real-time data inspection and debugging

• Install Salesforce Inspector

• Data Loader CLI

• For bulk import/export data scenarios, Salesforce Data Loader(or the CLI variant) is useful.

• Data Loader Guide

  Install Data Loader: [[Download and Install Data Loader]]

8. Salesforce Platform Tools and Web Resources

Salesforce Setup (Web Interface)

• Salesforce Developer Console
• Lightning App Builder

Trailhead (Learning & Documentation)

• Salesforce DX Trailhead
• Salesforce Developer Docs

Summary of Modern Salesforce Development Toolchain