Salesforce Platform Developer Practice Exam

What can a developer do to match records when loading data into an organization?

1. Match an external Id Text field

2. Match the Id field

3. Match the Name field

4. Match an auto-generated Number field

The correct answer is: Match an external Id Text field

A developer can effectively use an external Id text field to match records when loading data into an organization. External Id fields serve as a unique identifier for records coming from an external system, ensuring that they can be accurately matched with existing records during data import operations. This is particularly useful when integrating or migrating data from one system to Salesforce, as it allows for the identification of corresponding records without relying on Salesforce's standard Id fields. Utilizing external Ids helps maintain the integrity and accuracy of data by allowing existing records to be updated rather than inadvertently duplicated. This process helps preserve data relationships and prevent discrepancies within the Salesforce environment. Other methods of matching records have limitations. The Id field is unique and specific to Salesforce, making it challenging to use for data coming from external sources unless the data has already been imported and synced with Salesforce Ids. The Name field, while it can potentially match records, is often not unique and could lead to incorrect matches due to duplicate names. An auto-generated Number field, similar to the Id field, does not serve as an appropriate matching criteria for records from an external source since it lacks direct correlation unless both systems share the same auto-generated logic. Overall, external Id fields provide the functionality needed for external data integration, ensuring precise and