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teja adusumilli
teja adusumilli

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I Built a Full Apex IDE Inside a Chrome Extension (No Java, No Local Setup)

#salesforce #apex #chromeextension #devtools

The Problem with the Existing Apex Workflow

If you've done any meaningful Apex development, you know the drill:

  1. Open Salesforce Developer Console (slow, clunky, no PMD)
  2. Switch to VS Code + Salesforce Extension Pack (heavy, requires local setup)
  3. Run PMD separately with a Java runtime (extra install, extra config)
  4. Run tests via SFDX CLI (terminal required)
  5. Repeat across orgs

Every step is friction. And if you're working across multiple orgs or on a machine that isn't fully set up, that friction compounds fast.

I wanted something simpler: open Chrome, open my Salesforce org, start coding.

What I Built

ApexForge is a Chrome extension that brings a full Apex development environment directly into your browser. No IDE. No CLI. No Java.

Here's what it does:

📂 Apex File Explorer

Browse every Apex Class and Trigger in your connected org. Search, sort, open files in the editor, or jump to the Salesforce record page — all without leaving the extension.

✏️ Code Editor (VS Code-like)

A fully featured editor inside the popup:

  • Apex syntax highlighting (keywords, SOQL, methods)
  • Find (Ctrl+F) and Find & Replace (Ctrl+H)
  • Go to Line (Ctrl+G)
  • Minimap, Split View, Word Wrap
  • Format Document
  • Save & Deploy directly to your org
  • Refresh from org at any time

🔍 PMD Analysis — In the Browser, No Java Required

This was the hardest part to build. PMD normally requires a Java runtime and a JAR file. I ported 12 PMD rules across 6 categories to run entirely in JavaScript inside the extension:

Category Rules
Performance AvoidSoqlInLoops, AvoidDmlInLoops
Error Prone AvoidHardcodingId, EmptyCatchBlock, NullAssignment
Best Practices ApexUnitTestClassShouldHaveAsserts, AvoidGlobalModifier
Security ApexSharingViolations, ApexCRUDViolation
Code Size ExcessiveClassLength, TooManyFields
Design AvoidDeeplyNestedIfStmts

Run analysis on a single file or scan your entire org in one pass. Click any violation to jump to that exact line in the editor.

▶ Apex Test Runner

Execute unit tests without opening a terminal:

  • Async execution via runTestsAsynchronous with a live progress bar
  • Sync execution via runTestsSynchronous for quick feedback
  • Auto-detects test classes by naming convention
  • Pass / Fail / Skip badges with stack traces
  • Code coverage visualisation — per test class and aggregate

💡 Apex Advisor

Real-time analysis as you type. Detects:

  • Bulkification issues
  • Missing sharing declarations
  • SOQL/SOSL/DML patterns
  • Method signature problems

Comes with auto-fix suggestions and code snippet templates.

Security & Privacy

I care about this a lot, especially since the extension touches Salesforce session data:

  • Session IDs stored in chrome.storage.local — encrypted by the OS keychain
  • All API calls use HTTPS — no plaintext
  • No data sent to any third-party server. Ever.
  • No analytics. No telemetry. No backend services.
  • Network access scoped only to *.salesforce.com and *.force.com
  • The editor runs in a sandboxed iframe
  • Your Apex code never leaves your browser except to your own Salesforce org

How It Works

  1. Install ApexForge and pin it to your Chrome toolbar
  2. Open any Salesforce app from the App Launcher
  3. Click the ApexForge icon — it auto-detects your org from the active tab
  4. Browse, edit, analyse, and test your Apex

The only requirement is a valid Salesforce Session ID (obtainable from Developer Console, DevTools, or SFDX CLI) and API access enabled on your org.

Why I'm Sharing This

I built this as a personal tool and kept making it better. At some point it felt like something the Salesforce developer community could genuinely use — especially for quick edits, code reviews on the go, or orgs where you can't install a full local dev environment.

It's free and open source.

🔗 Install ApexForge on the Chrome Web Store

🌐 apexforge.free.nf

If you work with Salesforce Apex regularly, give it a try. I'd love feedback — what rules are missing from the PMD analyser, what editor features you'd want, anything.

Drop a comment or reach out directly. Happy to discuss the technical implementation too if anyone's curious how the browser-native PMD port works.

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