Archives de l’auteur : EricBURTE

SPRING’25 / SUMMER’25 – Handle ICU activation, with Salesforce Release Update

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Maybe, have you received this communication from Salesforce after Spring’25 release update, either for your Production instance, or your non-preview sandboxes :

ICU activation failed – Do not worry..! Prepare for Summer’25 next slot

For Salesforce Spring’25 release update, ICU locale format was planned to be activated. I will explain how to prepare your Salesforce org for upcoming ICU format release update for Summer’25 if you have missed Spring’25 activation ?

But indeed, as mentioned in the documentations from Salesforce, you will find under this article, this upgrade from JDK previous format, towards ICU international format, was only possible if all technical (Apex, Visualforce, and Lightning) components of the platform were compliant (above API 45.0 version). If your Salesforce instance contains lower API versions of these components, Salesforce won’t enable ICU locale formats in your org, and indeed you should have received this email.

If ever you are concerned by the unsuccessful upgrade, and you received this email, please do not worry, and read the following article. There will be another ICU format activation slot, linked to next Summer’25 release upgrade (June 2025).

Introduction : What’s behind ICU Format ?

As an introduction, just to know what is behind the ICU letters, in this help article, Salesforce details the impacted locales / users, and the differences between both JDK and ICU formats for these locales :

A very straight-forward Action Plan, within just a few steps !

Assessment of your useR locales : Who will be impacted by ICU Update

From a pragmatic point of view, you need to tackle all technical actions, listed by Salesforce, to make sure the upgrade could pass next time. I suggest that you follow the procedure & query detailed by Salesforce in their exhaustive documentation (see below). You will find below a short version of it based on the actions I have followed on the instances I handle.

First, query your org to see your impacted users, and their locale. For information, Canada (en_CA locale) requires a specific activation to handle separately.

SELECT toLabel(LocaleSidKey) LocaleName, LocaleSidKey, Count(id) UserCount
FROM User where IsActive=true GROUP BY LocaleSidKey
ORDER BY Count(id) desc

You would be then able to visualize the way your date / values informations will be displayed (important, especially if you have some text manipulation of those data types).

Enable the ICU feature on a sandbox first

Go to Setup > Release updates, look for the ICU release update, click Get Started, and enable it. Do it first in a sandbox, and test that it does not generate regression errors in this sandbox ! Then apply on other sandboxes, testing instances and after that in Production.

Identify technical components to update to stick with ICU Release Update

As written above, if your instance contains technical components (Apex classes, apex triggers, Visualforce pages or components, Lightning components, managed packages), Salesforce asks you to upgrade their API version.

Always use as a target the Production version (target v62.0 for example, even when Preview sandboxes are in v.63.0 version) to prevent you from being blocked when deploying your updated components in Production.

To identify them, you may either leverage SOQL query on concerned Salesforce technical objects, or use a dedicated list view on each of these component types in Setup pages.

  • a « Classes < v45.0 » view, for Apex classes (see the example below)
  • a « Triggers < v45.0 » view, for Apex triggers
  • a « VFP < v45.0 » view, for Visualforce pages
  • a « VFC < v45.0 » view, for Visualforce components
  • a « LWC < v45.0 » view, for Lightning components (Aura and LWC)

You may also query your instance (on ApexClass, ApexTrigger, ApexPage and ApexComponents objects) with Salesforce Inspector Reloaded, if more convenient for you.

SELECT Id, Name, ApiVersion, IsValid, NamespacePrefix
FROM ApexClass
WHERE ApiVersion < 45 ORDER BY ApiVersion DESC

Upgrade your code to a version compliant with ICU format

As written above, navigate through Setup, select the concerned components (for example « Apex Classes » for Apex classes) setup page, click on the metadata to update, Edit, access the « Salesforce.com API » version line, and update to target version.

Class version in v44.0..
just changed in a click to v62.0 (you can also open them in Dev Console if more convenient to do it)

If the component is compliant, the class will be updated within the correct version. Otherwise, you will be warned when saving, that there is an error in it, as you are when you are coding / saving in Dev Console / VS Code.

In this case, some changes would need to be undertaken while updating the code version of your components. For example, in API 59.0 version, the getSalesforceBaseUrl() method has been deprecated. So if your code includes a call to this method, you have 2 options :

  • update this class to the latest / more recent compliant API version, where the method was available (v58.0 in this case) ; that could go faster for this time, but that is something that will need to be addressed sooner or later..
  • take advantage of this overall « platform-related action plan », to include some refactoring technical actions / tickets to update the code (here, in this example, replace the method by a call to getOrgDomainUrl() available since v59.0)

Update your packages

  • Update the unmanaged code to the latest Apex version, as you have done previously
  • Update your managed packages (through AppExchange updates)
    • If you use Salesforce related packages (Marketing Engagement / Pardot, Marketing Cloud Connector), Salesforce should enable this kind of features with their automatic release updates. As an admin, you still can update the package if nothing is available.

If you use 3rd-party-vendor’s managed packages (for CTI, for Org assessment, or for any feature improvement scenarios), you would necessarily need to look for package updates on AppExchange, or on the asset homepage / repository. Do not hesitate to contact the editor company if there is no update available.

Deployment in UAT for Non Regression testing, before Production

Deploy these technical elements before activation, in UAT for non-regression tests

  • Code to be deployed / updated first
  • Managed packages to be updated after, accordingly to the action plan you have set up for your test sandbox.

Once done and tested, deploy into Production, as soon as the tests on UAT are successful, and you will be ready for next ICU activation slot !

PS : If you have many teams working / deploying on Salesforce, do not forget to let them know about this action plan. They will need to be consistent concerning both coding / deployment / testing actions

To read more on the subject :

SALESFORCE #TIPS – How to know how a package was installed (for which users)

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When you update a package, except if the former Salesforce consultant / administrator wrote a documentation, there is no specific indication telling you how a package was installed (either in setup’s « Installed Packages » page, or in the package installation/update screen).

So how to choose how you should grant access to this application / package ?

First, have a look to this article to see the differences between the suggested options :

Concerning your instance, open your Salesforce Inspector Reloaded extension (or your preferred solution to query your Salesforce instance). You can directly leverage the query below, on your target instance, to get details on Package Installation Requests records that were made on it (do not forget to check the tooling API checkbox) :

SELECT SubscriberPackageVersionKey, PackageInstallSource, SecurityType, ProfileMappings, ApexCompileType, NameConflictResolution, CreatedDate, UpgradeType
FROM PackageInstallRequest
ORDER BY CreatedDate DESC

Now, if we want to link this data with the installed package, please navigate through Setup > Apps > Packaging > Installed Packages. Then click on the concerned package.

On the installed package details page, we can see when this package had been installed.

It seems quite logical that the package installation is linked to this Package Installation Request record, in our case highlighted in yellow (take into consideration your timezone versus the display in GMT time).

Now, take a look at the SecurityType field ; this field can take the following values :

  • None : Installed only for System Administrators.
  • Full : Installed for all Users.
  • Custom : Installed for Custom profiles (specified during the package installation).

This way, when updating your packages, you will be able to step into the footprints of the first installation. Enjoy your updates !

To read more on the subject :

SALESFORCE #TIPS – Flow – System.CalloutException with uncommitted work pending ?

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I built, some time ago, a very simple scheduled flow that only called an invocable method, calling itself an external virtualization system, to retrieve accounts from it, and to copy them back in Salesforce.

When I ran it, in debug mode (Debug > Run), the flow was failing with a strange « Callout exception » due to pending in-progress work ! (cf picture below) 

CallOut – Exception message

But when I call (in anonymous action) directly the method called by the action, it works fine !

What happens is that there were some DML operations in progress, when the scheduled flow was fired, meaning that some accounts records were not in a stable saved state.

In this case, you can naturally try to reorganize your code and flows to make sure there will be no element interfering with your DML. But, in case of a refactoring complexity, or short timing, if you ever face this case, to commit the in-progress transactions, you could use :

  • a Screen element (on a screen flow)
  • or a Pause element (on a scheduled flow) : reaching a Pause element ends the current transaction. When the flow resumes after the pause, the Get Records does not face anymore the « pending uncommitted work » exception.

Eventually, since then, you also now have the possibility to catch errors in flows with error-sensitive Fault Paths. To do so, select the DML-related element, and create the Fault Path from it. You can delete the Fault Path from the same place.

For information, in a screen flow, you could also have a look and decide to leverage a dedicated custom CommitTransaction element (from UnofficialSF : https://unofficialsf.com/use-the-committransaction-action-to-get-more-from-your-flow-limits/)

To read more on the subject :

SPRING’25 – Add a limit on Salesforce Flow’s GetRecord elements

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You have probably already faced a flow error message telling you that your scheduled flow was handling too many records. How can we avoid this error by limiting the number of retrieved records, as we would do in SOQL / Apex with a LIMIT ?

Flow error message when handling too many records

It now comes to an end with new Spring’25 Flow enhancement allowing you to define a limit number of records retrieved by a Get Records element.

First, an idea was opened 5 years ago to ask for the possibility to add a limit on this Get Record, which is eventually a way to operate a DML operation, as you would have in SOQL with the LIMIT notion.

Here is a screenshot of this idea :

Idea on IdeaExchange at the origin of this feature

Since then, Salesforce’s Spring’25 release update brings now the possibility to specify the number of records to retrieve, in your Get Records elements (from 1 to 20 000 records).

Flow Builder – Get Records details pane – New choice to limit the number of retrieved records

To do so, create a new constant number resources from the resources manager pane in Flow Builder (this way you will define this limit at a variable level) :

How to proceed to leverage this feature – Create a new variable to store the limit number

Thus, you would be able to use this resource in your Get Records element, as described here. You could naturally also define it directly here under, if that is something used only once in the Flow. But, as for now, I would suggest to keep and use the variable.

How to proceed to leverage this feature – Leverage this new variable in your Get Records element

Naturally, some complementary logic (some examples after) may need to be reviewed in your daily scheduled flows, to be sure you do not miss records (to be handled, but whose quantity would be greater than the limit value set) :

  • Create a scheduled job to launch the flow more frequently
  • If you have some date-related conditions in your flow, make sure that your flow is able to handle records from the day before (and not only today’s records as you may see in many scheduled flow samples)
  • In parallel, make sure to have the proper order set up in your Get Records, to handle older records that may have been forgotten from a previous daily execution, accordingly to your requirements. For example, use an ascending (ASC) order to be sure to start by the oldest records.

To read more on the subject :

WINTER’25 – Salesforce API version selector in Workbench – Update of the API version selector

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The API version selector in Workbench UI had been blocked on API v58.0 since end of 2023 (the API v59.0, matching the Winter’24 release update, and following, were not considered).

Workbench UI has been updated on mid December 2024, to fit the gap of the versions of all release updates that have occurred since then.

You can now choose up to v62.0 API version, when using this tool.

Thanks to the Workbench team for the update !

WINTER’25 – Post Upgrade – Add Conditional Formatting to fields on Dynamic Forms

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The Conditional Formatting feature has been progressively deployed in Salesforce instance, as a Christmas gift in advance, after Winter’25 upgrade. The time has now come to discover it, on your Salesforce instance.

To be able to use this feature, you should have migrated your concerned Lightning Page within Dynamic Forms.

In your Lightning Page Builder, click on the field, on which you want to add this visual formatting configuration. In the detail right panel, you will find a new Conditional Formatting section.

Click in the Component, and either edit the existing ruleset, or add a new ruleset by clicking on the « + Create Ruleset« . See below an example for the Priority field of the Case object.

As for now, you can only define the new ruleset name ; the other filled are grayed out and already filled in. It seems that we will soon be able to format fiels with other possibility than an icon (keep an eye to the roadmap)

Once the ruleset is created, we are asked to add every possible rules concerning this field. The pieces of information to provide are both a condition, and an icon with a color to use when the field value matches the chosen condition.

Eventually, the ruleset should include all rules set for this field. It will be displayed this way :

The ruleset configuration is now displayed both on the Lightning Page’s configuration page :

  • on the record field, with an Artist Palette icon next to the field component, indicating that there is a specific formatting applying :
  • and in the detail panel, on the field configuration with the ruleset name mentionned

Testing the ruleset, you will see below how the chosen icons are displayed, accordingly to the picklist field values. Here are some examples for the Case’s Priority field :

It is important to mention that the icon only appears on the Lightning Page. The value of the field is not impacted. You will not get this information in a list view or a report for example !

Remark : You will probably begin to remove soon all formulas, which you have probably set up so far (with a concatenation of an emoji and a field value) to simulate such feature

You can also access the Conditional Field formatting information, directly from the concerned object page, in Object Manager, instead of going through every pages.

In our case, when we click on the « Conditional Field Formatting » option in the Case object manager, we see the newly added configuration

We can even edit or delete the ruleset from here.

To read more on the subject :

WINTER’25 – Create a sandbox with already active Key Users

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When you created a Salesforce Sandbox, the user creating the new sandbox was kept active to be able to login in this new sandbox, but all the other ones were created inactive.

Now, since the last release, you can choose to keep active, all the users of a Public Group, by example an Admin / Tech Lead active group, or for release deployment user, that may be granted access on all sandboxes.

You are required to select a public group. That means you need to configure such Public Group to be able to go beyond this screen. As it is an one-off operation, that is something you can configure up front, and review when needed when resources leave or arrive.

As you can see on the screen, the group is mandatory. Otherwise, it will generate an error asking you to enter a valid group name

To read more on the subject :

SALESFORCE #TIPS – Insert null in a number field with Data Loader (especially in BULK API mode)

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When you import data in Salesforce, you can naturally force the insertion of null values in Data Loader, when your data require it (fields filled in on certain records, but left empty for others).

In this case, when you leverage the REST API, in Data Loader, you can check the option to be able to insert null values :

But, when inserting data with BULK API, you do not have the possibility to force the null values, as you can see in the screenshots below :

  • when clicking the Bulk API option…
DataLoader settings – « Use Bulk API » option enabled
  • …then immediately the « Insert null values » option is grayed out, and you cannot check it anymore
DataLoader settings – the « insert null values » is grayed out, when « Use Bulk API » is checked

To be able to insert data, in Bulk mode, with fields filled in with null values, you have to edit your CSV file, and replace the null values or empty values by the #N/A text, as you can see in the example below :

DataLoader settings – CSV file with #N/A value to insert null values in BUL.K API mode

Enjoy you fast data imports with BULK API

To read more on the subject :

SALESFORCE #TIPS – Check where a Salesforce self-signed certificate is used

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When you receive an email form Salesforce telling you a certificate is about to expire, you can see that the communication mentions the concerned instance either in the email subject (Sandbox is mentioned) and in the email body.

Here are the actions asked by Salesforce to take care of it (copied from Salesforce kind reminder) :

1. In Setup, on the Certificate and Key Management page, download the expiring certificate. Save it in case you require access to its key in the future.
2. Generate a new self-signed or CA-signed certificate.
3. Update connections to external sites or other services with your new certificate.
4. When your new certificate is tested and in use, delete the old certificate.

About the certification backup, do not hesitate to create a directory in your company’s SharePoint, just to avoid to lose track of them. You should normally never use these backups, but you never know 🙂

First, you have to create a brand new self-signed certificate. To do so, please go to go to Setup > Certificate and Key Management > Create Self-Signed Certificate

You need then to update all connected apps or SSO settings, that were using the ‘soon to be expired’ self-signed certificate, to make them use the newly created one.

Once done, go to Setup > Certificate and Key Management to navigate towards the ‘soon to be expired’ self-signed certificate, to delete it… or at least try to do so 😉

Just get your cursor above the Delete button, which is grayed out, and you will know where your certificate is still used. As you can see in the screenshot below, the system mentions in the contextual information, the place where the certificate is still used.

Here, we may see that we forgot to reconfigure a SSO Setting using this « soon to be expired » certificate.

In this case navigate to your Single Sign-On settings, in your instance setup, edit your SSO configuration, check the Request Signing Certificate, and update it to the most recent certificate.

The certificate can now be deleted (the button is not grayed anymore) :

I would suggest not to delete your certificate right after this operation, but to wait for a week, or at least a couple of business days, to be sure there has been no impact, before deleting it eventually.

Do not forget to

  • test your SSO login before ending your task !
  • monitor the Identity Provider Event Log (in the setup) to validate that the certificate update has not generated any issue.

To read more on the subject :

Code Builder – Setup – Step by Step activation guide

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If you were used to develop, and never jumped to VS Code installation on your workstation, you can now access Code Builder, with a much more professional user experience than Dev Console.

Follow this step-by-step guide to enable Code Builder, directly in your Salesforce Org.

You will need to enable from within your Production instance, but would be naturally able to work since then in your developer sandboxes. It will require a production license for each developer needing to use Code Builder, but does not need to be a full Salesforce business license.

Setup – Code Builder – Enable Code Builder

A new package version has been available since early May

The package is then available in Setup > Installed Packages

You can then either enable the Code Builder license to the Platform Integration license,

or manually assign the related permission set group to the concerned users

Remark : you would see the following permission sets when going through the related detailed permission sets

To Launch Code Builder, go to App Launcher

Code Builder instance is then loading in the browser, with an URL address looking like: https://nameoftheinstance-name.fra.001.sf.code-builder.platform.salesforce.com/?folder=/home/codebuilder/dx-project

After loading you will see a screen that will ring a bell :

Let’s connect the instance on which you will work (sandboxes) as you would do with your VS Code’s Command Palette

To do so, please follow the following instructions :

  • Click on Connect an Org button from previous screen. Then, in the displayed popup, select the kind of sandbox to connect to, as you can do, with VS Code’s Command Palette

  • Enter an alias to easily determine the instance

Once the window is loaded (could take a while), please click on the cloud icon, in order to open the Org Browser.

When you choose Open the Org Browser, all the configured instance metadata is retrieved and displayed in your local project under the root directory.

Then to access detailed configuration, choose the metadata in the left panel, and choose to Retrieve and Open Source

Now you can modify and push your code, from CodeBuilder, to your developer sandbox. As in VS Code, be always aware on the sandbox / instance, which your Code Builder is connected to.

To read more on the subject :