What is Salesforce CLI and How to Install It?

In today’s digital era, where time is key and efficiency paramount, the CLI (Command Line Interface) is increasingly used in software development and systems administration. The Salesforce CLI or SFDX CLI is one of the key tools in salesforce development. Developers and admins use it to streamline workflow perform automation tasks, or update Salesforce. In this blog, we will explain what Salesforce CLI is, how to get the download links for it along with the installation instructions, and, on top of that, how it can be used in your daily work.

What is CLI?

Command Line Interface (CLI) is a way to interact with software and/or operating systems via text. While graphical interfaces (GUIs) provide visual elements that can be clicked and manipulated, a CLI allows actions to be described in text form with a shared format both human users and scripts can interpret. This mode of interaction may seem primitive compared to many modern GUIs, but it remains efficient and powerful for a large number of tasks.

Importance of CLI

The CLI is a boon for developers and system admins who have been administering apps and systems iteratively. With the CLI, users can automate routine tasks via scripts; access and manipulate files more powerfully than from a graphical interface (GUI); and configure software that may not readily have an available GUI. It allows more fine-grained control because it cuts a straighter line to most systems and software.

CLI in Modern Development

The CLI is important in modern development environments, primarily related to DevOps and cloud computing. Indeed, tools such as Git, which is responsible for controlling all code repositories, Docker to oversee containers, and Kubernetes to manage clusters, provide powerful CLI utilities that developers can use. This article discusses how we can improve our productivity and save time during day-to-day software development using Salesforce CLI.

What is the Salesforce CLI?

It is another hot question among the commonly asked Salesforce Interview Questions. Salesforce Command-Line Interface (CLI) is a very useful tool that Salesforce provides for developers. It allows us to work with the Salesforce platform directly from our favorite command line or terminal. The Salesforce CLI (sfdx) allows you to automate many actions when developing on the platform, like creating and managing DX projects, pushing local files into organs, or setting up scratch orgs.

Features of Salesforce CLI

• Easily create and set up Salesforce DX projects.
• The information could be pushed or pulled synchronously: get from local off to server synchronization (pull), and put the code that is in synchronization on the remote point with our location (synchronization pull observed).
• Manage Environments: Create and manage scratch orgs, sandboxes, and production environments.
• Automation: For automated deployment, testing, and data load processes.
• Sigma Integration: Integrate Sigma with other CI/CD pipelines for better dev tools.

Reasons for Using Salesforce CLI

So, what exactly do developers and admins gain when utilizing the Salesforce CLI?

• Automation: Routine tasks should be automated, allowing you to do the actual thinking part.
• Consistency: Configuration and deployments are always consistent across all environments.
• Improved Communication: Standardized workflows foster clearer communication among team members.
• Productivity: Makes using Salesforce easier by providing a faster and more convenient path to access functions in Salesforce.

How Do I Download and Install the Salesforce CLI?

A Salesforce tutorial helps you download binary files and install Salesforce CLI on Windows, macOS, and Linux quite easily. A detailed guide for Salesforce CLI installation step by step is available.

1. Go to the Salesforce website CLI: Go here and download the correct installer for your operating system.
2. Download Installer: Get the installer for your OS (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
3. Install: Now, download that file and run through the on-screen prompts to get set up. The installer will guide you through the installation and set up all the environment variables for you.
4. Verify Installation: Once you’ve finished the installation, open cmd (Windows) or Terminal (Mac or Linux) and type sfdx—-version. This should show the Salesforce CLI version. If you successfully installed it, you should see the CLI version number.

If you want to learn more about CLI, it’s recommended that you join Salesforce Training today!

Additional Configuration

After installing the Salesforce CLI, you may need to perform additional configurations according to your development environment. This could include setting up authentication with your Salesforce org, configuring project settings, or installing other plugins to enhance functionality.

Troubleshooting Installation Issues

If you encounter any problems during installation, refer to the official Salesforce CLI documentation for troubleshooting. Common issues include missing dependencies, permission conflicts, or software coexistence problems.

How to Use the Salesforce CLI

Installation and Commands

First, you need to get the Salesforce CLI installed on your system. If you have Node with npm (Node Package Manager), a package manager for JavaScript, then the process can be handled by using npm. After the setup, you can type sf commands in a terminal. This is a full list of commands you can type—your toolbox for interacting with Salesforce.

Authentication

You will need to authenticate against your Salesforce org before running any commands. This sets up a secure connection that the CLI can use to interact with and modify data. The CLI provides commands to log in with a selection of authentication methods that split login into an environment-specific set of commands.

Project Setup

The CLI uses a project-oriented model for Salesforce. These are development projects; thus, each one represents a given programming effort. Build a new project layout via sfdx project:create. This organizes its source code, configuration files, and other project-related assets.

Data Manipulation

Working with data is one of the areas where the CLI shines. Need to export data out of a Salesforce org (for testing, backup, etc.)? To do this efficiently, the force:data:tree:export handles it. This defines a specific SOQL query (or queries from a file) for selective data extraction. On the other side of this, you can import data into your org with the force:data:tree:import command.

Development Powerhouse

Developers are empowered with the CLI for efficient code management. Use force:source:push to commit local changes to your org, and similarly, force:source:pull will get the latest code from your org to your laptop.

Testing is the King of Development

You run tests using the force:apex:test:run command, which makes it very easy via CLI. This single command governs all tests of Apex in the project directory to give useful feedback on how your code is performing.

Beyond the Basics

The Salesforce CLI offers an even more advanced array of features. Force: org: create and force: org: delete allow you to create and delete scratch orgs (temporary organs for development and testing). Commands like force:package:create and force:package:deploy drastically simplify package development and deployment.

Help and Resources

The Salesforce CLI has brilliant documentation. On the official Salesforce developer site, you will find guides (very useful for starting off), full command references, and troubleshooting tips. Moreover, the Salesforce community can provide extremely useful resources in terms of information about forums and tutorials to meet specific requirements.

3 Ways to Use the Salesforce CLI

The Salesforce Command-Line Interface (CLI) is a versatile tool that offers multiple functionalities beyond basic Salesforce DX project management. Here, we delve deeper into three primary ways to leverage the Salesforce CLI to enhance your Salesforce development and administrative tasks.

1. Development and Deployment

One of the primary uses of the Salesforce CLI is in the realm of development and deployment. It serves as a central hub for managing Salesforce DX projects, facilitating source code synchronization, and orchestrating deployments across different Salesforce environments.

Workflow Efficiency: Salesforce CLI enables developers to initialize projects (sfdx force:project:create), manage source code versions (sfdx force:source:push and sfdx force:source:pull), and deploy changes (sfdx force:mdapi:deploy) with ease. This streamlined workflow ensures that development teams can efficiently collaborate on projects, track changes, and deploy updates consistently.

Scratch Org Management: With commands like sfdx force:org:create and sfdx force:org:delete, developers can create temporary scratch orgs for development and testing purposes. Scratch orgs are disposable environments that mimic production orgs, allowing developers to work in isolated environments and test changes without affecting production data.

Continuous Integration (CI): Integrating Salesforce CLI into CI pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI) automates build, test, and deployment processes. Developers can script CLI commands to authenticate (sfdx auth:jwt:grant), deploy (sfdx force:source:deploy), and run tests (sfdx force:apex:test:run) as part of a CI/CD workflow, ensuring rapid feedback and reliable deployment of Salesforce applications.

2. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

Salesforce CLI plays a crucial role in enabling Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) practices within Salesforce development teams. CI/CD automates the software delivery process, from code integration and testing to deployment into production environments, ensuring faster delivery cycles and higher-quality software releases.

Automated Testing: Salesforce CLI facilitates automated testing (sfdx force:apex:test:run) of Apex classes and triggers, Lightning components, and declarative features. Integration with testing frameworks and reporting tools allows developers to execute tests programmatically, analyze test results, and identify potential issues early in the development lifecycle.

Deployment Automation: Using CLI commands such as sfdx force:source:deploy and sfdx force:mdapi:deploy, developers can automate the deployment of metadata components (e.g., Apex classes, Lightning components, custom objects) across different Salesforce environments. CI/CD pipelines orchestrate these deployments, ensuring consistency and reliability in deploying changes from development through to production environments.

Environment Configuration: Salesforce CLI enables developers to configure and manage Salesforce environments (sfdx force:config:set) using configuration files (project-scratch-def.json). These configuration files define the settings and features of scratch orgs, allowing developers to replicate production environments for testing and development purposes.

3. Data Management

Managing data in Salesforce is critical for maintaining data integrity, supporting business operations, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Salesforce CLI provides robust commands for importing, exporting, and manipulating data, facilitating efficient data operations across Salesforce environments.

Data Export and Import: Salesforce CLI supports data export (sfdx force:data:tree:export) and import (sfdx force:data:tree:import) operations, enabling developers to extract data from Salesforce orgs in JSON format, manipulate data locally, and synchronize changes back into Salesforce orgs. This capability is invaluable for data migration projects, data backup, and data seeding in development and testing environments.

Data Manipulation: CLI commands (sfdx force:data:soql:query and sfdx force:data:soql:execute) allow developers to execute SOQL queries and retrieve records from Salesforce orgs programmatically. Developers can use these commands to retrieve specific data subsets, perform data transformations, and analyze data for reporting and debugging purposes.

Conclusion

Salesforce CLI is a command line interface that developers use to streamline tasks. The CLI is crucial for developers and system administrators because it allows for more control and precision when managing systems and applications. 

FAQs

What is the Salesforce CLI?

The Salesforce CLI (Command-Line Interface) is a powerful tool that allows developers to interact with the Salesforce platform directly from the command line. It enables tasks such as project setup, source synchronization, and environment management.

Is Salesforce CLI free?

Yes, Salesforce CLI is free to use. Salesforce provides it as part of the Salesforce DX toolset to help developers streamline their development and administrative tasks.

What are the benefits of Salesforce CLI?

The benefits of using Salesforce CLI include increased efficiency, automation of repetitive tasks, better collaboration among team members, and enhanced control over development and deployment processes.

How to run sfdx CLI?

To run the sfdx CLI, open your command line or terminal and use the sfdx command followed by specific subcommands and options. For example, to check the version, you would run sfdx –version.