Chapter 2: Understanding Salesforce Objects and Data Modeling

In this chapter, we will look at data modeling and the concept of normalization. This will give us a foundation for understanding how Salesforce is different from conventional relational databases that we may have experience of working with in the past. We will review why Salesforce goes against the convention of data normalization and why data is de-normalized, along with the benefits of doing that on the Salesforce Platform. We will also cover the different types of relationships in Salesforce and other features of Salesforce that are associated with data modeling. Having a solid understanding will lay the foundation for upcoming chapters when we discuss APIs and Large Data Volumes (LDVs).

Salesforce Platform

Throughout this book, at various places I will be referring to Salesforce as the Salesforce Platform or Platform. When I do that, I am referring to the core Salesforce services including hardware and software...