Named Credential Example with Apex Code in Salesforce

Introduction:

Named Credentials are a powerful feature in Salesforce that allow you to securely store authentication information for external services and provide a simplified way to make callouts to those services. By leveraging Named Credentials, developers can easily manage and update credentials without modifying the underlying code. In this blog post, we will explore an example of how to use Named Credentials with Apex code in Salesforce.

Prerequisites:

To follow along with this example, you should have a basic understanding of Salesforce development, Apex programming, and Named Credentials.

Step 1: Creating a Named Credential

The first step is to create a Named Credential in Salesforce. Go to Setup -> Named Credentials and click on "New Named Credential." Provide a label, name, and URL for the external service you want to connect to. Configure the authentication settings based on the requirements of the service, such as OAuth, Password Authentication, or Certificate Authentication.

Step 2: Writing Apex Code

Once the Named Credential is created, we can use it in Apex code to make callouts to the external service. Let's assume we want to make an HTTP GET request to the service and retrieve some data. Here's an example code snippet:

public class NamedCredentialExample {

    public static void makeCallout() {

        HttpRequest request = new HttpRequest();

        request.setEndpoint('callout:My_Named_Credential/some/path');

        request.setMethod('GET');

        

        HttpResponse response = new Http().send(request);

        if (response.getStatusCode() == 200) {

            // Process the response data

        }

    }

}

In the code above, we create an instance of the 'HttpRequest' class and set the endpoint using the Named Credential's developer name ('My_Named_Credential') followed by the specific path on the external service. We then specify the HTTP method as GET.

Step 3: Invoking the Apex Code

To invoke the 'makeCallout' method and trigger the callout, you can use various methods such as executing anonymous Apex, creating a trigger, or invoking it from another Apex class.

NamedCredentialExample.makeCallout();

Remember to provide appropriate error handling and additional processing logic based on your specific use case.

Conclusion:

Using Named Credentials in Salesforce provides a convenient and secure way to authenticate and make callouts to external services. By leveraging Named Credentials, you can centralize credential management and decouple authentication information from your Apex code. This example demonstrates a simple use case, but the concept can be extended to more complex scenarios with different authentication mechanisms.

Named Credentials help improve the security and flexibility of your integrations, making it easier to maintain and update authentication information without modifying your code. Start exploring Named Credentials in Salesforce today and unlock the full potential of secure external integrations.