Salesforce Platform Developer Practice Exam

What is a primary consequence of deleting a parent record with associated child records in a master-detail relationship?

1. The child records are automatically deleted

2. The child records are converted to lookup relationships

3. The child records become orphaned

4. All child records are archived

The correct answer is: The child records are automatically deleted

In a master-detail relationship, the parent record and child records have a tightly coupled linkage. When a parent record is deleted, all associated child records are automatically deleted as well. This behavior upholds data integrity and maintains the hierarchical structure inherent to master-detail relationships. The automatic deletion ensures that there are no orphaned records left in the database that no longer have a corresponding parent. In contrast, options outlining the conversion of child records to lookup relationships or the idea that they become orphaned are not accurate within the context of a master-detail relationship. Similarly, archiving child records does not occur; they are fully removed from the database upon deletion of the parent. The specific cascading delete feature of the master-detail relationship is key in Salesforce, as it streamlines data management and prevents potential issues that could arise from orphaned records.