Apex Code Quality

Code Style and Formatting

Braces Requirement

Always use braces for all control structures (if, else, for, while, etc.), even for single-line statements.

Good Example:

if (account != null) {
    processAccount(account);
}

for (Account acc : accounts) {
    processAccount(acc);
}

Bad Example:

if (account != null)
    processAccount(account);

for (Account acc : accounts)
    processAccount(acc);

This is enforced by the Code Analyzer ruleset: IfStmtsMustUseBraces, ForLoopsMustUseBraces, WhileLoopsMustUseBraces, IfElseStmtsMustUseBraces.

Code Formatting Alignment

• Use Prettier for code formatting (configured in .prettierrc)
• Run Prettier before committing code
• Ensure consistent formatting across the codebase

Code Complexity

Cognitive Complexity Limits

• Method level: Maximum 15
• Class level: Maximum 50

These limits are enforced by the Code Analyzer ruleset. If complexity exceeds these limits, refactor the code.

NCSS Limits (Non-Commenting Source Statements)

• Method level: Maximum 60 lines
• Class level: Maximum 1000 lines

These limits are enforced by the Code Analyzer ruleset (NcssCount rule).

Nesting Depth Limits

• Maximum nesting depth: 4 levels

Deeply nested if/else statements are hard to read and maintain. Use early returns or refactor to reduce nesting.

Example - Too Deep:

if (condition1) {
    if (condition2) {
        if (condition3) {
            if (condition4) {
                if (condition5) {  // Too deep!
                    // Code
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Example - Refactored:

if (!condition1) {
    return;
}
if (!condition2) {
    return;
}
if (!condition3) {
    return;
}
// Continue with less nesting

Parameter Count Limits

• Maximum parameters: 5

If a method requires more than 5 parameters, consider:

• Using a parameter object/wrapper class
• Refactoring into multiple methods
• Using a builder pattern

This is enforced by the Code Analyzer ruleset (ExcessiveParameterList rule).

Performance

Start from platform limits, then apply implementation patterns that keep code bulk-safe and predictable under load.

Governor Limit Awareness

• Be aware of governor limits (SOQL queries, DML statements, CPU time, etc.)
• Use Limits class to check current usage when needed
• Design code to stay within limits

Example:

if (Limits.getQueries() < Limits.getLimitQueries() - 5) {
    // Safe to perform query
}

Bulkification Patterns

Always write code that handles bulk operations (200+ records).

Bad Example:

for (Account acc : accounts) {
    insert new Contact(AccountId = acc.Id, LastName = 'Test');
}

Good Example:

List<Contact> contacts = new List<Contact>();
for (Account acc : accounts) {
    contacts.add(new Contact(AccountId = acc.Id, LastName = 'Test'));
}
insert contacts;

Query Optimization

• Only query fields you need
• Use appropriate WHERE clauses and filters
• Use LIMIT when appropriate
• Avoid queries in loops
• Use Security.stripInaccessible() for CRUD/FLS (see the Security standard for defaults and alternatives)

DML Best Practices

• Bulkify DML operations - Collect records and perform DML once
• Use Database methods - Database.insert(), Database.update(), etc. for partial success handling
• Use Security.stripInaccessible() - Before DML operations

Example:

List<Account> accounts = new List<Account>();
// Populate accounts list
List<Database.SaveResult> results = Database.insert(
    Security.stripInaccessible(AccessType.CREATABLE, accounts).getRecords(),
    false  // allOrNone = false for partial success
);

Transaction Control

Use transaction controls when a multi-step operation must succeed or fail as a unit.

For direct DML operations:

• Use Database methods with allOrNone parameter for transaction control
• Use savepoints for complex transaction scenarios
• Handle partial DML success appropriately

Example:

Savepoint sp = Database.setSavepoint();
try {
    insert accounts;
    insert contacts;
} catch (Exception e) {
    Database.rollback(sp);
    throw e;
}

Change History

Version 1.0 - 2026-03-26

• Added initial version history tracking for this document.

Last Updated: 2026-03-26 Version: 1.0