Salesforce Validation Rules

Pulsar directly supports evaluating Salesforce validation rules both online and offline.

• Supports most Salesforce formulas (see more information about formula fields)
  

• Follow the processing steps on the Pulsar Settings Manager tab (NOTE: this is currently a limitation of the Salesforce platform, as we cannot directly sync validation rule metadata, but have to use the processing steps).

• Set pulsar.validation.enableSFDCValidationRules Pulsar Setting to TRUE to enable this functionality in the Pulsar mobile app

• NOTE: If a PSL BeforeSave setting exists on an object, it will be run BEFORE saving the object and BEFORE processing any Salesforce ValidationRules for that record.

PSL Validation Rules and Triggers

Pulsar originally did not support running Salesforce validation rules, and instead offered similar functionality through logic implemented in Pulsar Settings Language (PSL).  Because PSL leverages the power of raw SQL, you can create complex validation logic that exceeds what Salesforce formula validation rules can perform.  Despite (or frankly because of) the power of PSL validation rules and triggers, we recommend that you use Salesforce validation rules if possible before bringing PSL to bear on a thorny problem.

Admins can use Pulsar Settings to implement validation rules and triggers for the following execution points:

1. BeforeView (available in 14.0+)

2. BeforeEdit

3. BeforeSave 

4. BeforeDelete

5. OnCreate

6. OnSave

7. OnDelete

8. onBarcodeScan

Validation Rules and Trigger execution points are composed of three "post-action" execution points, OnCreate, OnSave, and OnDelete, where the create, save, or delete action has occurred or is certain to occur, and four "pre-action" execution points, BeforeView, BeforeEdit, BeforeSave, and BeforeDelete, where conditions can be validated before the actions occur. The differences between Validation Rules and Triggers actually have to do with the actions taken within the setting. Validation Rules will contain Alert actions that inform the user of a failed condition. Triggers will often update the current record or other records with no user interaction. Validation Rules and Triggers can be combined in Pulsar, and all of the logic for a particular object type and execution point can be contained in a single setting. 

Usage

Pulsar Setting Format

The Validation Rules and Triggers are defined using Pulsar Settings Language (PSL). The general format for such a setting is as follows:

Name:  <Object Type> – <execution point>
Key:     pulsar.<executionPoint>.<ObjectAPIName>
Value:  Pulsar Settings Language

Note, besides this single object format, the OnCreate setting also supports a parent/child format. See OnCreate Trigger section below for more information.

OnCreate Triggers

The OnCreate trigger executes whenever the plus button is tapped. There are two separate execution points that override the plus button on the listviews or on a specific child related list (see below for these two formats). When this setting is specified, the standard behavior to show the object in create mode is overridden with custom PSL code. This means that the PSL must ultimately handle how to respond to the plus button tap. For example, if the standard behavior is needed, the 'CreateAndMapFields' PSL action should be called as the last action in the custom PSL.

Single object setting (to override plus button action on the object’s listviews)

Setting Format :

Name:  <Object Type> – <execution point>
Key:     pulsar.onCreate.<Object API Name>
Value:  Pulsar Settings Language

The PSL context for the single object format is the newly initialized object itself (in memory only). Please note that specifying this setting does not imply a default for any of the object’s related lists. To override the standard plus button action there, the parent/child settings must also be explicitly specified.

Parent/Child object setting (to override plus button action for a child related list)

Setting Format:

Name:  <Parent>/<Child> – <execution point>
Key:     pulsar.onCreate.<Parent Object API Name>.<Child Object API Name>
Value:  Pulsar Settings Language

The PSL context for the parent/child format is the parent of the object to create.

Validation Rule Examples

beforeEdit

Name:   Order - Before Edit
Key:      pulsar.beforeEdit.Order__c
Value:   See the code below. This setting executes when the user tries to edit a record, and uses a query to determine if the user attempted to update a record that is already in status "Finalized" or "Cleared". If so, it alerts the user with the appropriate message.

DEFAULT{ 
Action=SetVar; 
VarName=Order_Id; 
VarValue=Id; 
| 
Action=SqlQuery; 
QueryString=SELECT Id FROM Order__c WHERE Id = '%%Order_Id%%' AND Status__c IN ('Cleared','Finalized'); 
QueryReturnFields=@@QueryCount; 
QueryTest=%%QueryCount%%=0; 
QueryTestTrue=SUCCESS; 
| 
Action=Alert; 
Message=Update is not allowed on Orders with status finalized, or cleared.; 
} 
SUCCESS 
{ 
}

beforeView (available in Pulsar 14.0+)

Name:   Service Appointment - Before View
Key:      pulsar.beforeView.<Object API Name> (e.g. pulsar.beforeView.ServiceAppointment)
Value:   This setting executes when a user tries to view a record. PSL can be used to implement business rule validations to determine if the current user can or cannot view an object.

DEFAULT{ 
Action=SetResult;
Result=Service Appointment viewing access denied.;
ResultValid=false;
}

Example Trigger

Name: On Save – Order Line Item

Key: pulsar.onSave.Order_Line_Item__c
Value:   See the code below. The following example  runs the code to update the total amount (Sub_Total__c) on the Order object when a line item is updated. This update is committed to the database when this setting executes, and this change will be pushed to the server upon the next sync. Note that this Trigger setting does not include any failure states (Alert actions).

DEFAULT{
Action=SetVar;
VarName=Order_Id;
VarValue=Order__c;
|
Action=SqlQuery;
QueryString=Select SUM ( CAST( Amount__c AS REAL ) ) AS SUM_ORDER_AMOUNT FROM Order_Line_Item__c WHERE Order__c = ‘%%Order_Id%%’;
QueryReturnFields=SUM_ORDER_AMOUNT;
|
Action=SqlQuery;
QueryString=Update Order__c SET Sub_Total__c = ‘%%SUM_ORDER_AMOUNT%%’ WHERE Id = ‘%%Order_Id%%’;
}

Special File Meta Object Usage for beforeSave and onSave

There is a special "FILE" meta object concept available as of Pulsar 9.0. It encapsulates and makes available data on all 3 content objects (ContentDocument, ContentVersion, and ContentDocumentLink),  within a single PSL beforeSave Validation Rule or PSL onSave Trigger, when saving files or attachments on other objects. For example, you could define a pulsar.beforeSave.File validation rule to restrict file types being added to Account Related Files.

The Full list of data available in pulsar.beforeSave.File or pulsar.onSave.File PSL follows:

Example of data available in PSL:

Example pulsar.beforeSave.File

The pulsar.beforeSave.File validation rule can be used with custom logic to prevent an end user from saving files. The example below restricts by file extension as well as size of the file.

DEFAULT {
Action=SetVar;
VarName=MaxFileSizeBytes;
VarValue=1000000;
|
Action=SetVar;
VarName=FileSizeBase64;
VarValue=ContentVersion_Base64ContentSize;
|
Action=SetVar;
VarName=Extension;
VarValue=ContentVersion_FileExtension;
|
Action=Log;
Message=FileSizeBase64 [%%FileSizeBase64%%] Extension [%%Extension%%];
|
Action=__CHECKFEXT;
|
Action=__CHECKSIZE;
}
CHECKSIZE {
Action=SqlQuery;
QueryString=SELECT %%FileSizeBase64%% AS TheValue;
QueryReturnFields=TheValue;
QueryTest=%%TheValue%% > %%MaxFileSizeBytes%%;
QueryTestTrue=CANTUPLOAD;
}
CHECKFEXT {
Action=SqlQuery;
QueryString=Select (CASE WHEN UPPER('%%Extension%%') IN ('ZIP','TXT','EXE','PY','PHP','ASP','ASPX','JAR','BAT','BIN','MSI','REG','VB','VBS','WS','SCR','PL','JSP') THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as ValidateFileTypeCheck;
QueryReturnFields=ValidateFileTypeCheck;
QueryTest=%%ValidateFileTypeCheck%%=1;
QueryTestTrue=BAD_FILE_EXTENSION;
}
BAD_FILE_EXTENSION{
Action=SetResult;
Result=Invalid File Type;
ResultValid=false;
}
CANTUPLOAD{
Action=SetResult;
Result=Max file size is 1 mb.;
ResultValid=false;
}

Example pulsar.onSave.File

The pulsar.onSave.File trigger can be used to perform custom logic after a file has been saved. The below example outputs some basic information to the log upon saving an Attachment or File on an object such as an Account or Contact object.

DEFAULT{
Action=SetVar;
VarName=ParentObjectId;
VarValue=LinkedEntityId;
|
Action=SetVar;
VarName=Extension;
VarValue=ContentVersion_FileExtension;
|
Action=SetVar;
VarName=ContentSizeMB;
VarValue=ContentVersion_ContentSizeMB;
|
Action=SetVar;
VarName=Base64ContentSizeMB;
VarValue=ContentVersion_Base64ContentSizeMB;
|
Action=SetVar;
VarName=ContentTitle;
VarValue=ContentVersion_Title;
|
Action=SetVar;
VarName=ContentDescription;
VarValue=ContentVersion_Description;
|
Action=Log;
Message="EXAMPLE: ParentObjectId: %%ParentObjectId%%, FileExt (%%Extension%%), SizeMB (%%ContentSizeMB%% , %%Base64ContentSizeMB%%), Title (%%ContentTitle%%), Description (%%ContentDescription%%)";
|
Action=GetObjectType;
ObjectId=%%ParentObjectId%%;
VarName=ParentObjectType;
|
Action=Log;
Message="EXAMPLE: ParentObjectType: %%ParentObjectType%%";
}

Field Triggers

Currently we only support the 'After Update' trigger type for reference fields only.  The trigger code can be any valid PSL and is executed only after a specified reference field has been updated.

After Update Field Trigger Setting (without record type)

Name:  Field AfterUpdate Trigger (<object name> : <field name>)
Key:     pulsar.<Object API Name>.<Field API Name>.afterUpdate
Value:  Pulsar Settings Language

After Update Field Trigger Setting (with record type)

Name:  Field AfterUpdate Trigger (<object name> : <record type> : <field name>)
Key:     pulsar.<Object API Name>.<Record Type Developer Name>.<Field API Name>.afterUpdate
Value:  Pulsar Settings Language

Example After Update Field Trigger

Name: Field AfterUpdate Trigger (Opportunity : AccountId)
Key: pulsar.Opportunity.AccountId.afterUpdate
Value:   See the code below. The following example runs the code to update the NextStep field to 'Create Quote' every time the Account lookup field on the Opportunity object is updated.

DEFAULT{
Action=SetFieldInMemory;
FieldType=General;
FieldName=NextStep;
FieldValue=Create Quote;
}