Five Stages of Salesforce App Development

How to create Salesforce applications in five steps
When it comes to building applications, there are many different methodologies that developers can choose from today. In order to achieve the best results, it is possible to combine different methods and software, which, however, can be quite challenging. Now, we are going to talk about Salesforce app development using a cloud-based environment and five stages of the process.
Initial Information about Force.com
The development of Salesforce applications requires going through several stages, from coding to deployment. Force.com is an ideal environment for building Salesforce apps for many reasons. Thanks to Eclipse, the integration process is quick and painless, and it only requires the use of a proper plugin. There are also Visualforce, Apex, and metadata that allow creating high-quality applications.
Its file system is used as data storage. There is also a repository, which serves as an environment for implementing changes. Then, the data is sent back to the system. It is up to you, which piece of software to use for source control; for instance, it can be SVN or Git.
Pros Engaged in the Process
App development is not conducted by developers only, and there are the following specialists required for this purpose:
· Product Manager determines project requirements:
· Release Manager creates a release schedule;
· Developers write codes;
· Tester checks the quality of the app and its features;
· Salesforce consultant ensures optimal workflow.
Five Steps of App Development
The following are the steps required for building effective Salesforce Apps:
· Setting a source control repository;
· Development stage;
· Testing stage;
· Acceptance testing stage;
· Product release stage.
Setting up Repository
At this stage, a repository for the project is chosen. There will be a Master branch for storing metadata. Since there are different specialists involved in the work, the release manager helps in the creation of branches for each of them depending on their tasks. The manager also creates manifest (package.xml file) and adds metadata to the main branch. The migration tool is used for transferring data.
The Development Stage
First of all, sandboxes are created and stored separately from Salesforce production. This is required for effective work without risks of affecting the main production. Different specialists have their own sandboxes depending on their responsibilities.
IDE is used for connecting sandboxes and delivering metadata. After the code is produced and tested, it is sent to the repository. Then it migrates back to the sandbox for further development. If several people work on the same code simultaneously, it is sent to the repository after a thorough check.
The Testing Stage
At this stage, the product is tested to ensure the absence of errors. This work is done by the tester who works in his/her own sandboxes after the data have migrated from the repo. If partial testing is required, then Partial Copy Sandboxes are created. Such situations happen when the testing is needed only for certain features of the application. This way, the specialist focuses on testing certain parts of the app.
If it is a crucial feature requiring special attention, then the tester’s sandbox may be shared with other specialists. In case of any errors in coding, it is sent back to the developer for corrections. Once corrections are made, the piece of the code is checked again by the tester to ensure the absence of bugs.
The Acceptance Testing Stage
This is the last phase of testing, which is conducted by a group of specialists, including developers, product managers, testers, and others. It is carried out with the help of partial sandboxes. Those are usually created by the release manager.
At the same time, the project managers use the same sandboxes for ad hoc testing. Once this stage has been successfully completed, the product is ready for holding a presentation.
Sandboxes can be used by trainers as educational materials. If any problems have been found in the code, then the piece of the app goes back to the development stage for further corrections.
The Product Release Stage
The product is almost ready for release. The specialists conduct performance testing using additional sandboxes that have all the features of the application. The software goes through several stages of testing, including rigorous and regression testing. If no problems have been found, then the product is sent to the production environment. However, issues may still be found later, and they will be eliminated during patch releases. Usually, it is a quicker process than the standard Salesforce app development.