Comparison: Apex vs. Java Features

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Comparison: Apex vs. Java Features
# Feature Category Feature Name Description Description Sample (Apex)
1 Syntax & Structure Class Definition Uses the class keyword, similar to Java, but with specific modifiers like public, global, with sharing, without sharing. Uses the class keyword with modifiers like public, private, protected, final, abstract. Supports interfaces and inheritance.
public class MyApexClass {
public String name { get; set; }

public MyApexClass(String name) {
this.name = name;
}

public String greet() {
return 'Hello, ' + name + '!';
}
}
2 Syntax & Structure Variable Declaration Strongly-typed with primitive types (Integer, Decimal, Boolean, String, Date, Datetime, Time), sObject types (Account, Contact), and collections (List, Set, Map). Strongly-typed with primitive types (int, float, boolean, String, Date, LocalDateTime, etc.), object types, and a rich collections framework (List, Set, Map, etc.). Supports generics.
Integer count = 0;
String message = 'Welcome';
Account acc = new Account(Name='Test Account');
List<Contact> contacts = new List<Contact>();
3 Syntax & Structure Control Flow Supports if-else, for, while, do-while loops, similar to Java. Also includes for...each for collections. Supports if-else, for, while, do-while loops, and enhanced for loop (for-each) for collections and arrays. Also includes switch statements (with more features in newer Java versions).
Integer x = 5;
if (x > 0) {
System.debug('Positive');
} else {
System.debug('Non-positive');
}

List<Integer> numbers = new List<Integer>{1, 2, 3};
for (Integer num : numbers) {
System.debug(num);
}
4 Object-Oriented Inheritance Supports single inheritance for classes using the extends keyword. Supports single inheritance for classes using the extends keyword and multiple inheritance for types through interfaces using the implements keyword.
public class Animal {
public virtual void makeSound() {
System.debug('Generic animal sound');
}
}

public class Dog extends Animal {
public override void makeSound() {
System.debug('Woof!');
}
}
5 Object-Oriented Interfaces Supports interfaces using the interface and implements keywords. Supports interfaces using the interface and implements keywords, allowing classes to implement multiple interfaces. Interfaces can also have default methods (since Java 8).
public interface Speakable {
void speak();
}

public class Cat implements Speakable {
public void speak() {
System.debug('Meow!');
}
}
6 Object-Oriented Polymorphism Achieved through method overriding (using the override keyword) and interface implementation. Achieved through method overriding and interface implementation. Also through method overloading (different parameter lists).
Animal myDog = new Dog();
myDog.makeSound(); // Output: Woof!

Speakable myCat = new Cat();
myCat.speak(); // Output: Meow!
7 Interaction SOQL ( Object Query Language) A powerful language specifically for querying Salesforce data. Embedded directly within Apex code. Returns sObject records. Uses JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) and ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) frameworks like Hibernate or JPA (Java Persistence ) to interact with various databases. Queries return Java objects.
List<Account> accounts = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Industry = 'Technology' LIMIT 10];
for (Account acc : accounts) {
System.debug(acc.Name);
}
8 Database Interaction DML (Data Manipulation Language) Provides statements (insert, update, delete, upsert, undelete) for managing Salesforce records. Includes built-in transaction management and governor limits awareness. Uses JDBC for basic data manipulation and ORM frameworks for more complex operations. Transaction management is typically explicit.
Account newAccount = new Account(Name='New Corp');
insert newAccount;

newAccount.Description = 'Updated Description';
update newAccount;
9 Exception Handling Try-Catch-Finally Supports try, catch (for specific exception types like DmlException, QueryException), and finally blocks for handling runtime errors. Supports try, catch (for specific exception types like IOException, SQLException), and finally blocks for handling runtime errors. Supports checked and unchecked exceptions.
try {
Account acc = [SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Name = 'NonExistent'];
} catch (QueryException e) {
System.debug('Account not found: ' + e.getMessage());
} finally {
System.debug('This always executes');
}
10 Collections Lists Ordered collections of elements. Similar to Java’s List. Ordered collections of elements, providing implementations like ArrayList and LinkedList. Supports generics for type safety.
List<String> names = new List<String>{'Alice', 'Bob', 'Charlie'};
names.add('David');
System.debug(names[0]); // Output: Alice
11 Collections Sets Unordered collections of unique elements. Similar to Java’s Set. Unordered collections of unique elements, providing implementations like HashSet and TreeSet. Supports generics for type safety.
Set<Integer> uniqueNumbers = new Set<Integer>{1, 2, 2, 3};
uniqueNumbers.add(4);
System.debug(uniqueNumbers.size()); // Output: 3
12 Collections Maps Collections of key-value pairs where keys are unique. Similar to Java’s Map. Collections of key-value pairs where keys are unique, providing implementations like HashMap and TreeMap. Supports generics for type safety.
Map<String, Integer> ages = new Map<String, Integer>{'Alice' => 30, 'Bob' => 25};
ages.put('Charlie', 35);
System.debug(ages.get('Bob')); // Output: 25
13 Asynchronous Processing Future Methods Methods annotated with @future that run asynchronously. Primarily used for long-running operations that should not block the user interface or trigger governor limits. Cannot directly access sObject variables. Supports multi-threading using the Thread class and the Runnable interface. Provides more fine-grained control over thread management and resource sharing.
public class AsyncOperations {
@future(callout=true)
public static void makeHttpRequest(String url) {
Http http = new Http();
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
req.setEndpoint(url);
req.setMethod('GET');
HttpResponse res = http.send(req);
System.debug(res.getBody());
}
}

// Invocation:
AsyncOperations.makeHttpRequest('https://api.example.com/data');
14 Asynchronous Processing Queueable Apex Allows for more complex asynchronous operations than Future methods, including chaining of jobs and the ability to use sObject variables. Implements the Queueable interface. Achieved through thread pools (e.g., ExecutorService) and concurrent utilities in the java.util.concurrent package, offering more sophisticated control over task execution and resource management.
public class BatchProcessing implements Queueable {
public void execute(QueueableContext context) {
List<Account> accountsToUpdate = [SELECT Id, Description FROM Account WHERE Description = null LIMIT 200];
for (Account acc : accountsToUpdate) {
acc.Description = 'Processed by Queueable';
}
update accountsToUpdate;

// Optionally chain another job:
// System.enqueueJob(new AnotherBatchProcess());
}
}

// Invocation:
System.enqueueJob(new BatchProcessing());
15 Governor Limits Enforcement Apex code execution is strictly governed by a set of limits (CPU time, SOQL queries, DML statements, etc.) to ensure fair resource usage in the multi-tenant Salesforce environment. Exceeding these limits results in runtime exceptions. While Java applications also need to be mindful of resource usage (memory, CPU), the enforcement is typically at the operating system or JVM level, not through language-level governor limits like Apex.
Integer count = [SELECT COUNT() FROM Contact]; // SOQL query limit
if (count > 50000) {
System.debug('Warning: High contact count');
}

for (Integer i = 0; i < 150; i++) { // DML statement limit (typically 150 per transaction)
Account acc = new Account(Name='Temp ' + i);
insert acc;
}
16 Testing Built-in Framework Provides a built-in testing framework using the @isTest annotation, test methods, and assertion methods (System.assertEquals, System.assertNotEquals, etc.). Code coverage is a mandatory aspect of deployment. Supports various testing frameworks like JUnit and TestNG, which are external libraries. Code coverage analysis often requires separate tools.
@isTest
private class MyApexClassTest {
@isTest
static void testGreeting() {
MyApexClass myInstance = new MyApexClass('Test User');
System.assertEquals('Hello, Test User!', myInstance.greet());
}
}
17 Security Sharing Model Awareness Apex code can be executed in different sharing contexts (with sharing, without sharing) to enforce or bypass Salesforce’s record-level security. Java applications interacting with databases typically handle security through database user permissions and application-level authorization logic. No direct language-level concept equivalent to Salesforce’s sharing model.
public with sharing class SecureOperation {
public static List<Account> getMyAccounts() {
return [SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE OwnerId = :UserInfo.getUserId()];
}
}

public without sharing class AdminOperation {
public static void deleteAllAccounts() {
delete [SELECT Id FROM Account]; // Potentially bypasses sharing
}
}
18 Security SOSL (Salesforce Object Search Language) A language for performing text-based searches across multiple Salesforce objects. Java applications typically rely on database-specific full-text search capabilities or external search engines like Elasticsearch or Solr. No direct language-level equivalent to SOSL.
List<List<SObject>> searchResults = [FIND 'Acme*' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Account (Id, Name), Contact (Id, Name, Email)];
for (List<SObject> list : searchResults) {
for (SObject record : list) {
System.debug(record.get('Name'));
}
}
19 Web Services Callouts Provides built-in classes (Http, HttpRequest, HttpResponse) for making HTTP callouts to external web services (REST or SOAP). Governed by limits and requires explicit permission for external endpoints. Supports asynchronous callouts via @future(callout=true). Provides rich libraries for making HTTP requests (e.g., java.net.http.HttpClient, HttpClient). Handling asynchronous requests often involves using threads or reactive programming libraries.
Http http = new Http();
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
req.setEndpoint('https://api.example.com/users');
req.setMethod('GET');
HttpResponse res = http.send(req);
if (res.getStatusCode() == 200) {
System.debug(res.getBody());
}
20 Web Services Web Service Annotations Allows Apex classes and methods to be exposed as SOAP or REST web services using annotations like @RestResource and @HttpPost, @HttpGet, etc. Java provides frameworks like JAX-WS (for SOAP) and JAX-RS (for REST, with implementations like Jersey and RestEasy) to expose Java classes as web services using annotations.
@RestResource(urlMapping='/MyRestService/*')
global class MyRestService {
@HttpGet
global static String sayHello(String name) {
return 'Hello, ' + name + ' from Apex REST!';
}
}
21 Events Events A publish/subscribe mechanism for real-time event-driven architecture within Salesforce and with external systems. Defined as custom objects with specific data types. Java supports event-driven architectures through various frameworks and messaging systems like JMS (Java Message Service), Apache , and Spring Integration.
// Define a Platform Event:
// Create a custom object 'Cloud_News__e' with fields like 'Headline__c' (Text)

// Publishing an event:
Cloud_News__e event = new Cloud_News__e(Headline__c = 'New Product Launched!');
EventBus.publish(event);

// Trigger (e.g., Apex Trigger on Cloud_News__e):
trigger NewProductAlert on Cloud_News__e (after insert) {
for (Cloud_News__e news : Trigger.new) {
System.debug('New Product Alert: ' + news.Headline__c);
}
}
22 Events Apex Triggers Code that executes before or after specific data manipulation language (DML) events occur on Salesforce records (e.g., before insert, after update). Java doesn’t have a direct equivalent at the language level. Event handling in Java often involves listeners and event sources within specific frameworks (e.g., UI frameworks, application servers).
trigger AccountTrigger on Account (before insert, before update) {
for (Account acc : Trigger.new) {
if (String.isBlank(acc.Description)) {
acc.Description = 'Initial Description';
}
}
}
23 User Interface Visualforce A framework for building custom user interfaces within Salesforce using a tag-based markup language similar to HTML, often combined with Apex code for dynamic behavior. Java offers various UI frameworks like Swing, JavaFX, and web-based frameworks like Spring MVC, Jakarta Faces (JSF), and others for building user interfaces.
<apex:page controller="MyApexController">
<apex:form>
<apex:inputText value="{!name}" label="Enter Your Name"/>
<apex:commandButton value="Greet" action="{!greet}"/>
<apex:outputText value="{!greeting}"/>
</apex:form>
</apex:page>
24 User Interface Lightning Web Components (LWC) A modern, standards-based framework for building user interfaces on the Salesforce platform using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Apex is used to fetch and manipulate data. Modern Java web development often involves frontend frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js for building dynamic UIs, with Java primarily handling the backend logic and API development.
<!-- myGreeting.html -->
<template>
<lightning-card title="Greeting">
<div class="slds-p-around_medium">
Hello, {greeting}!
</div>
</lightning-card>
</template>

// myGreeting.js
import { LightningElement, api } from 'lwc';
export default class MyGreeting extends LightningElement {
@api greeting = 'World';
}
25 Deployment Salesforce Metadata API Deployment of Apex code and related metadata (objects, fields, etc.) to Salesforce organizations is typically done through the Metadata API using tools like Change Sets, Salesforce CLI, or CI/CD pipelines. Java application deployment involves packaging the application (e.g., as a JAR or WAR file) and deploying it to a Java runtime environment (JRE) or a Java application server (e.g., Tomcat, Jetty, WildFly). Deployment processes vary depending on the environment.
<!-- package.xml (example for Salesforce CLI) -->
<Package xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
<types>
<members>MyApexClass</members>
<name>ApexClass</name>
</types>
<version>58.0</version>
</Package>

Note: Apex is specifically designed for the Salesforce platform, while Java is a general-purpose programming language. This fundamental difference influences many of their features.

Agentic AI (26) AI Agent (22) airflow (4) Algorithm (34) Algorithms (27) apache (40) apex (11) API (106) Automation (25) Autonomous (26) auto scaling (3) AWS (40) aws bedrock (1) Azure (29) BigQuery (18) bigtable (3) blockchain (3) Career (5) Chatbot (17) cloud (79) code (28) cosmosdb (1) cpu (26) Cybersecurity (5) database (88) Databricks (14) Data structure (11) Design (74) dynamodb (4) ELK (1) embeddings (10) emr (4) examples (11) flink (10) gcp (18) Generative AI (10) gpu (10) graph (19) graph database (1) graphql (1) image (18) index (16) indexing (11) interview (7) java (36) json (58) Kafka (26) LLM (29) LLMs (9) Mcp (1) monitoring (68) Monolith (8) mulesoft (8) N8n (9) Networking (11) NLU (2) node.js (10) Nodejs (6) nosql (14) Optimization (41) performance (79) Platform (72) Platforms (46) postgres (19) productivity (9) programming (23) pseudo code (1) python (59) RAG (126) rasa (3) rdbms (2) ReactJS (1) realtime (1) redis (12) Restful (4) rust (10) salesforce (22) Spark (29) sql (49) time series (8) tips (2) tricks (14) use cases (62) vector (16) Vertex AI (15) Workflow (49)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *