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What to Look for in a Salesforce Code Scanner

Josh Rank
April 20, 2022

Sourcing DevSecOps tools isn’t as easy as going down to the store and seeing what’s on sale. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered to ensure each tool fits your needs. The very first step to building out your automated DevSecOps toolset is to figure out which tools you need.

A Salesforce code scanner is an essential aspect of a complete DevSecOps approach.

But that’s just the first step. Now that you’ve identified a code scanner as a necessary part of your DevSecOps approach, you need to find one that checks all your boxes. Your needs are not going to be addressed by every tool on the market. And likewise, you are not going to need every potential use for the available tools.

So how do you weed through the available options to find the choice that fits the overlap of offered functions and desired features?

We’ve put together a list of some of the most popular and useful functions of a Salesforce code scanner. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but every DevSecOps pipeline will be able to make use of all of these features.

Here are 7 factors that should be available in a Salesforce code scanner:

Supports Quality Standards
Integrates Seamlessly with Your Dev Environment
Offers Flexible Deployment Models
Compatible with Multiple Languages
Extensive Rules
Integrates with Other DevSecOps Tools
Provides Intuitive Dashboards and Reports

1. Supports Quality Standards

At its core, the basic goal of implementing a Salesforce code scanner is to improve the quality of the lines of code that make up your applications and updates. But who’s to say what constitutes high quality code?

Your code scanning tool should be aligned with quality standards such as OWASP, CWE, and SANS.

These quality standards were created to set a rubric by which your code can be based. And the more you are able to align with these standards, the better chances you have of creating a stable product.

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2. Integrates Seamlessly with Your Dev Environment

A Salesforce code scanner like static code analysis isn’t going to provide the benefits you’d like to see if it doesn’t properly integrate into your existing dev environment. These tools need to be able to maintain a real time view of your code. Incompatibilities get in the way of this.

Find a static code analysis tool that fits within your customizations, plugins, and overall environment in order to see the greatest benefits.

A seamless integration enables your developers to find and fix errors as they are written, which reduces the impact these errors would have if found later in the pipeline.

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3. Offers Flexible Deployment Models

Hosting options vary from company to company. It is even possible that the hosting model you currently use will change as your company continues to grow and evolve, altering your needs and expectations. A static code analysis tool that is able to be flexible in this respect keeps you connected no matter what your hosting situation may be.

The difference between self-hosting and working in the cloud will impact more than just your tooling—it will affect your data security as well.

Find a code scanner that offers multiple hosting options to ensure you are covered no matter how your environment is hosted.

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4. Compatible with Multiple Languages

Static code analysis won’t be able to flag your coding errors if it doesn’t understand the language in which your coders are working and writing. And while Salesforce might pride itself on a straightforward coding environment, the fact is that many developers use plugins to work in a language that is more comfortable for them.

A quality code scanner will be able to adapt its rules to multiple Salesforce languages and metadata such as Apex, Visualforce, Lightning Web Components, flows, and process builders.

As we mentioned in reference to hosting options, flexibility is a great asset for a code scanning tool.

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5. Extensive Rules

We’ve mentioned how static code analysis utilizes rulesets to gauge whether a line of code contains any errors. And the most rulesets included within a code scanner, the more thorough it will be for finding and flagging these errors.

And extensive list of flagged rules enables a Salesforce code scanner to provide the most comprehensive coverage possible.

These built-in rules detect bugs and vulnerabilities within the lines of code that have the potential to contribute to failed deployments, poor end user experience, and even data security vulnerabilities.

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6. Integrates with Other DevSecOps Tools

A code scanner is likely to be a contributing factor to an overall DevSecOps strategy. And if it’s not—it should be. These tools can work together to provide comprehensive coverage of your Salesforce dev pipeline by offering multiple quality checkpoints and automated processes that streamline operations.

Integrating static code analysis within a larger DevSecOps toolset optimizes development efforts to produce better products more quickly.

Combining the power of static code analysis with other tools such as CI/CD will drastically improve the quality of your code and the success of your dev pipeline.

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7. Provides Intuitive Dashboards and Reports

Ease of use is everything when it comes to incorporating a new tool into daily processes. A code scanner is no different. It needs to have an intuitive interface complete with dashboards and reports to see the most benefits.

Detailed reports offer a high-level analysis of code health—more information leads to better decisions and more successes.

Your Salesforce code scanner has the potential to offer great benefits to your DevSecOps team. However, there are differences between the many options available on the market. Make the best choice for your needs but keep these factors in mind when making your selection.

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FAQs

What is covered with a static code analysis tool?

Existing technical debt, new lines of code, metadata, and popular IDE plugins are all addressed by a quality Salesforce static code analysis tool.

Can my team use a Salesforce code scanner at various stages of the DevOps pipeline?

Yes! A Salesforce code scanner is designed to maintain high quality standards for your code, whether it’s currently being written or already included in an application or update.

How does a Salesforce code scanner know when an error occurs?

A Salesforce code scanner will be configured with hundreds of rules for coding structures. It is able to detect when one of these rules is broken and sends an alert to the programmer.

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Tags: code scanning tool, salesforce DevSecOps, salesforce static code analysis tool

What to Look for in a Salesforce Code Scanner

1. Supports Quality Standards

2. Integrates Seamlessly with Your Dev Environment

3. Offers Flexible Deployment Models

4. Compatible with Multiple Languages

5. Extensive Rules

6. Integrates with Other DevSecOps Tools

7. Provides Intuitive Dashboards and Reports

FAQs

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