Trigger OperationType Archives

As we know that salesforce keeps updating 3 times a year. With these releases, Salesforce introduces many new features in the apex code also. Earlier I was using the following approach when writing a trigger on any object.

trigger AccountTrigger on Account (before insert, after insert, before update, after update, before delete, after delete, after undelete) {
	if(Trigger.isBefore && Trigger.isInsert) {
		// Before Insert
	}
	if(Trigger.isAfter && Trigger.isInsert) {
		// After Insert
	}
	if(Trigger.isBefore && Trigger.isUpdate) {
		// Before Update
	}
	if(Trigger.isAfter && Trigger.isUpdate) {
		// After Update
	}
	if(Trigger.isBefore && Trigger.isDelete) {
		// Before Delete
	}
	if(Trigger.isAfter && Trigger.isDelete) {
		// After Delete
	}
	if(Trigger.isAfter && Trigger.isUndelete){
		// After Undelete
	}
}

trigger AccountTrigger on Account (before insert, after insert, before update, after update, before delete, after delete, after undelete) {

if(Trigger.isBefore && Trigger.isInsert) {

// Before Insert

}

if(Trigger.isAfter && Trigger.isInsert) {

// After Insert

}

if(Trigger.isBefore && Trigger.isUpdate) {

// Before Update

}

if(Trigger.isAfter && Trigger.isUpdate) {

// After Update

}

if(Trigger.isBefore && Trigger.isDelete) {

// Before Delete

}

if(Trigger.isAfter && Trigger.isDelete) {

// After Delete

}

if(Trigger.isAfter && Trigger.isUndelete){

// After Undelete

}

But after getting Switch When and Trigger.operationType, I decided to use the below design for writing the trigger logic. This is more readable and looks more clear.

trigger AccountTrigger on Account (before insert, after insert, before update, after update, before delete, after delete, after undelete) {
    switch on Trigger.operationType {
        when BEFORE_INSERT {
            // Before Insert
        }
        when AFTER_INSERT {
            // After Insert
        }
        when BEFORE_UPDATE {
            // Before Update
        }
		when AFTER_UPDATE {
            // After Update
        }
		when BEFORE_DELETE {
            // Before Delete
        }
		when AFTER_DELETE {
            // After Delete
        }
		when AFTER_UNDELETE {
            // After Undelete
        }
    }
}

trigger AccountTrigger on Account (before insert, after insert, before update, after update, before delete, after delete, after undelete) {

switch on Trigger.operationType {

when BEFORE_INSERT {

// Before Insert

}

when AFTER_INSERT {

// After Insert

}

when BEFORE_UPDATE {

// Before Update

}

when AFTER_UPDATE {

// After Update

}

when BEFORE_DELETE {

// Before Delete

}

when AFTER_DELETE {

// After Delete

}

when AFTER_UNDELETE {

// After Undelete

}

Are you still writing two checks for detecting trigger events like before insert, before update, after update etc. For example Trigger.isInsert && Trigger.isBefore for before insert ? Now Salesforce made this easy to obtain the DML Operation Information.

Get more information here
Obtain DML Operation Information Using Trigger.operationType Context Variable

So basically this new context variable will make our code more readable and contains all information about DML Operations.

Earlier if we need to write trigger on the before insert event, then we need to use two context variables as below.

if(Trigger.isBefore && Trigger.isInsert){
    // Before Insert logic go here
}

if(Trigger.isBefore && Trigger.isInsert){

// Before Insert logic go here

}

Now after Trigger.operationType context variable. we just need to write only one check and its more user friendly.

if(Trigger.operationType == TriggerOperation.BEFORE_INSERT){
    // Before Insert logic go here
}

if(Trigger.operationType == TriggerOperation.BEFORE_INSERT){

// Before Insert logic go here

}

Similarly we can use for other trigger events.

Trigger.operationType returns the System.TriggerOperation enum, and System.TriggerOperation enum has following values : BEFORE_INSERT, BEFORE_UPDATE, BEFORE_DELETE,AFTER_INSERT, AFTER_UPDATE, AFTER_DELETE, and AFTER_UNDELETE.

Hope you will start using this new update in your next trigger task.

Apex Trigger’s New Design

Salesforce Spring ’19 Release Notes for Apex Trigger.operationType

Tag Archives: Trigger OperationType