How to Write Apex Class and Debug it

Apex is Salesforce’s programming language for automating processes and writing business logic. In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to execute Apex code directly in VS Code using the SFDX: Execute Anonymous Apex with Editor command and how to use System.debug() to debug your code.

If you haven’t set up VS Code for Salesforce development yet, check out my guide on How to Set Up VS Code for Salesforce Development.

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What is a Class in Apex?

In Apex, a class is a container for code that defines properties and methods. It is similar to classes in other programming languages like Java or C#. A class can contain variables, methods, and other logic to perform a specific function.

What is a Method in Apex?

A method is a block of code within a class that performs a specific action or task. It can take inputs (parameters) and can return a value. Methods are called to execute the logic defined within them.

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Step 1: Create an Apex Class

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (Mac) to open the Command Palette.
2. Type SFDX: Create Apex Class in the Command Palette and select it from the list.
3. When prompted, enter the class name (e.g., MyFirstApexClass).
4. After you hit Enter, the new Apex class file will be created under the force-app/main/default/classes
   

Open the newly created MyFirstApexClass.cls file and add the following code:

public class MyFirstApexClass {
    
    public static void greetUser(String userName) {
        System.debug('Hello, ' + userName + '!');
    }

}

This class defines a method greetUser that logs a greeting to the debug log.

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Step 2: Deploy the Apex Class to Your Salesforce Org

Before running the Apex code in Anonymous Apex, you need to deploy the class to your Salesforce org. Here’s how to do it easily in VS Code:

1. Right-click on the MyFirstApexClass.cls file in the Explorer pane.
2. Select Deploy to Org from the context menu.
3. The deployment will begin, and you’ll see the status in the Output panel.

Once the deployment is successful, the class will be available on your Salesforce org, and you can proceed with testing.

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Step 3: Execute Apex Code Using Ctrl + Shift + P

1. Create a new file with no extension and type the following code to call the greetUser method:
   MyFirstApexClass.greetUser('Himanshu');
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (Mac) to open the Command Palette in VS Code.
3. Type and select SFDX: Execute Anonymous Apex with Editor.
4. Press Enter or select the Execute option again to run the code. This will execute the anonymous Apex code.

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Step 4: View Debug Logs in VS Code

After executing the code, open the Output tab in VS Code.

Scroll through the output and you will find the System.debug() log, which will show the greeting message, such as:

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Conclusion

By following these steps, you’ve learned how to:

• Create an Apex class and method in VS Code.
• Easily deploy the class to your Salesforce org using Deploy to Org.
• Execute Apex code using SFDX: Execute Anonymous Apex with Editor.
• View System.debug() output in the Output Panel.

This approach makes it easy to write, test, and deploy Apex code directly from VS Code.

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