sfhero — Learn Salesforce Apex

SOQL in plain steps

SOQL is how Apex asks Salesforce for records. Build a query below — the code updates live, and each piece maps to a rule you will reuse everywhere.

Builder

In Apex, you almost never hard-code row IDs in production code. You describe what you want with SOQL: which object, which fields, optional filters, sort, and a cap on rows. Start with SELECT and FROM, then add WHERE only when you need to narrow the set — it saves limits and keeps logic obvious.

Fields (SELECT …)

Toggle fields. In real Apex you only query what you need — fewer fields means faster queries and less heap.

Filter (WHERE)

WHERE is optional. Use it to match business rules (region, stage, owner, …).

ORDER BY

LIMIT

LIMIT caps rows — essential for loops and governor-limit safety.

Your SOQL (live)

SELECT Id, Name
FROM Account
LIMIT 50

Run it in Apex: wrap in square brackets to get a List<Account>.

List<Account> rows = [
SELECT Id, Name
FROM Account
LIMIT 50
];

Rule of thumb: one query, then loop in memory▾

Fetch with SOQL once, store in a List or Map, then iterate. Putting a query inside a tight loop is the pattern that burns governor limits — students learn to spot that early.

List<Account> accounts = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 100];
for (Account a : accounts) {
    // work with a.Name in memory — no SOQL here
}