Asynchronous Apex in Salesforce

Asynchronous Apex enables Salesforce developers to run processes in the background, outside the standard request-response cycle. This is essential for handling long-running operations, integrating with external systems, and working with large data volumes without hitting governor limits.

Why Asynchronous Apex?

• Governor Limits: Synchronous code is subject to strict limits on CPU time, heap size, and DML operations. Asynchronous processing provides higher limits and avoids blocking user actions.
• Performance: Offload resource-intensive tasks to run in the background, improving user experience.
• Scalability: Process large data sets and complex logic efficiently.

Types of Asynchronous Apex

1. Future Methods

Future methods are simple to implement and ideal for callouts and lightweight background tasks.

@future(callout=true)
public static void updateExternalSystem(Id recordId) {
    // Logic to update external system
}

Limitations: No return values, limited parameter types, and no chaining.

2. Queueable Apex

Queueable Apex is more flexible, supports complex data types, and allows job chaining.

public class MyQueueableJob implements Queueable {
    public void execute(QueueableContext context) {
        // Your async logic here
    }
}
System.enqueueJob(new MyQueueableJob());

3. Batch Apex

Batch Apex is designed for processing large data volumes in manageable chunks.

public class MyBatchJob implements Database.Batchable<SObject> {
    // Implement start, execute, and finish methods
}
Database.executeBatch(new MyBatchJob());

4. Scheduled Apex

Scheduled Apex lets you run code at specific times or intervals.

public class MyScheduledJob implements Schedulable {
    public void execute(SchedulableContext context) {
        // Scheduled logic here
    }
}
// Schedule the job
String cron = '0 0 0 ? * MON-FRI';
System.schedule('My Job', cron, new MyScheduledJob());

When to Use Asynchronous Apex

• Integrating with external systems (API callouts)
• Processing large data sets
• Sending bulk emails
• Performing complex calculations
• Chaining jobs for multi-step processes

Best Practices

• Keep asynchronous jobs small and focused.
• Monitor jobs in Salesforce Setup > Apex Jobs.
• Handle errors and implement retry logic.
• Avoid hitting limits by batching and chaining jobs appropriately.
• Use custom settings or custom metadata to control job behavior if needed.

Conclusion

Asynchronous Apex is a cornerstone of scalable Salesforce development. By leveraging future methods, queueable, batch, and scheduled Apex, you can build robust, high-performance automations that keep your org running smoothly.

Ready to scale your Salesforce automation? Start using asynchronous Apex today!