Salesforce Platform Developer Practice Exam

Which is a valid way to perform a bulk operation in Apex?

1. Using single DML statements for each record

2. Utilizing collections to group records

3. Performing DML operations inside loops

4. Executing multiple queries within a single transaction

The correct answer is: Utilizing collections to group records

Utilizing collections to group records is a valid strategy for performing bulk operations in Apex. When dealing with multiple records, especially in a bulk context, using collections like Lists, Sets, or Maps allows developers to aggregate records efficiently. This approach optimizes DML operations because it minimizes the number of database interactions. Instead of executing a separate DML statement for each record, which can quickly hit governor limits, you can add all records to a collection and then perform a single DML operation for the entire collection at once. For instance, instead of trying to insert each individual record separately, you would add all records to a List and then call a single insert statement for that List, such as `insert recordList;`. This method not only aligns with Salesforce best practices but also ensures that the code runs quickly and efficiently, making it suitable for handling larger data sets. This practice significantly reduces the strain on system resources and helps maintain performance, which is a crucial consideration in a platform with strict governor limits.