Declarative programming vs imperative programming in Salesforce

Salesforce’s strength lies in offering both types of programming, declarative and imperative, making nearly every scenario or requirement feasible. With these two options, the platform becomes incredibly powerful, allowing you to build a wide range of features and automations.

First, there is declarative programming that even non-programmers can use effectively. These tools are robust and continuously improved by Salesforce. However, when requirements become too complex, you can dive into imperative programming.

While opinions and preferences vary, certain criteria can guide your choice between the two. In this article, I’ll explore the differences, provide guidance on selecting the right tool, and highlight the advantages of each.

What is declarative programming?

Salesforce provides point-and-click tools, a low-code option that allows you to customize applications with minimal effort and consistent results. These tools are built into the complex CRM platform, enabling you to create various customizations and automations without writing code.

Advantages declarative programming

Quick Implementation: Declarative tools offer a drag-and-drop or point-and-click solution, significantly reducing implementation time. Since much of the essential code is prewritten, projects can be completed faster compared to writing code from scratch.

Automatic Upgrades: Salesforce continually enhances existing tools and introduces new features, which you automatically receive and can use immediately.

High Reliability: Since Salesforce thoroughly tests its features and follows best practices and platform optimization standards, you only need to verify their alignment with your business requirements. This ensures these tools are efficient and reliable, minimizing the need for extensive user testing and the risk of introducing bugs.

User-Friendly: Declarative tools are intuitive and easy to understand and maintain, even for users without programming knowledge.

What is imperative programming?

Imperative programming in Salesforce refers to the approach of using programming languages (Apex for backend logic and LWC, Aura and Visualforce for frontend).

Advantages imperative programming

Advanced functionality: Beyond what declarative tools offer, programmatic development allows for implementing sophisticated business logic and calculations. This capability is indispensable for addressing unique or complex business requirements that cannot be fully realized through point-and-click configurations alone.

Comprehensive testing and debugging: You can write comprehensive unit tests and leverage advanced error handling and debugging capabilities. This ensures robustness and reliability in production environments, facilitating quicker identification and resolution of issues.

Optimized performance and scalability: Programmatic solutions can be finely tuned for performance, making them capable of handling large volumes of data and adapting quickly to changing business needs. This optimization ensures that applications remain responsive and efficient even under heavy usage.

How to choose?

Think of declarative tools like assembling IKEA furniture. You follow step-by-step instructions, using pre-cut parts and included tools to create a functional piece. It’s efficient and straightforward, but you can only create what’s predefined in the package. Similarly to declarative tools, you can easily build an automation, but you are restrained by what’s already designed and you can use them if the requirements fit within those boundaries.

However, when you need custom furniture with unique designs and sizes, you hire a carpenter to build it according to your specifications. Similarly, for specialized requirements beyond what declarative tools offer, you turn to custom code. With code, you’re not limited by pre-existing options, and you can build precisely what your business needs, even if it’s not in the pre-defined package.

As a general guideline:

Always weigh complexity, available resources, and time when making your choice.

Examples:

1. User Interface

• Declarative: Customize an intuitive and flexible User Interface using declarative tools such as Page Layouts and Record Pages with dynamic forms. For guiding users through interactive processes and wizards, you can use Screen Flows. Recent upgrades and features (e.g., Data Table, Repeater Component, Reactive Components, Enhanced Address field with Google Maps integration etc.) enable a comprehensive user experience without coding. 

• Programmatic: Embed LWCs in the Screen Flows for requirements that are not supported in flow or override the screen design with CSS. Use a fully custom approach with LWC, Aura, Visualforce for highly personalized interfaces, displaying data from external systems through complex integrations or working with large data volume for better performance.

2. Data validation

• Declarative: To ensure data quality and integrity, consider first using Validation Rules. These rules leverage merged fields and different functions to prevent invalid, incorrect, or incomplete data entries.

  • Custom Error Element: Recently introduced by Salesforce, this feature in Record-Triggered Flows is an alternative to validation rules which allows for complex validations, including cross-object validations, additional actions (e.g., publishing platform events), and specific validation orders.

• Programmatic: Use Apex Triggers only for highly complex scenarios requiring intricate object relationships or advanced calculations.

3. Integrations

• Declarative: Salesforce introduced recently the HTTP Action in Flow, allowing flows to make HTTP requests to external services without the need to write code. However, this feature is suitable for simple, straightforward use cases where minimal integration logic is required.

• Programmatic: For complex integrations requiring advanced logic, error handling and high performance it is recommended to use Apex callouts/webservice to send or listen to requests. Apex also allows the creation of reusable pieces of code and frameworks, making your integrations consistent, scalable and easier to maintain.

4. Triggers

• Declarative: Use Record-Triggered Flows to automate processes that trigger upon the creation, update or deletion of Salesforce records. Always consider using flows as the first option and opt for Apex Triggers only for complex logic or limitations.

• Programmatic: Use Apex Triggers for highly complex scenarios, such as handling intricate object relationships with multiple dependencies or junction objects, triggering on events not supported in flows (e.g., after delete or undelete), performing callouts to external systems, batch processing of large data volume. You can also build reusable code using Dynamic Apex and general SObject type to apply the same logic across different Salesforce objects.

Conclusion

Declarative programming in Salesforce allows for rapid, user-friendly solutions, while imperative programming offers deep customization for complex requirements. Choosing between them depends on project complexity and team skills, impacting implementation speed and cost. Strategically balancing these approaches ensures efficient resource use and successful project outcomes.