Salesforce’s Winter ’25 release introduces some key changes to how SOQL behaves, especially regarding error handling and functionality. These updates aim to provide clearer error messages, making it easier to debug your Dynamic SOQL queries and update existing code. In this blog post, we’ll explore the most important changes and provide examples to help you understand how they can impact your code. Join us to Understanding SOQL Errors and Functionality Changes in Winter ’25 Release.
Note: In this Release, updates may affect existing Apex code that depends on Older SOQL error messages and behaviours, especially for code parsing error messages from dynamic SOQL queries. It is crucial to review these updates and make necessary adjustments to your code to avoid any disruptions.
1. Support for Negative Currency Values in Multi-Currency Orgs
One of the key updates is the ability to query negative currency values directly in multi-currency orgs. Before Winter ‘25, this wasn’t supported, and you would need to handle negative values using custom logic.
Example:
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query('SELECT AnnualRevenue from Account where AnnualRevenue < USD-500');This query filters Account where the AnnualRevenueis less than -500 USD. It’s a simple yet powerful update for those working in multi-currency environments.
2. Clearer Error Messages for Invalid SOQL Queries
In Winter ’25, Salesforce has improved the clarity of error messages returned by invalid SOQL queries. Below are examples of old error messages and the new, more detailed ones.
Example Queries:
- SELECT Id FROM Account where everything
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query('SELECT Id FROM Account where everything);Old Error Message: unexpected token: ‘<EOF>’
New Error Message: unexpected token: ‘everything’
In the above query everything is invalid. With the new error message, Salesforce highlights the specific issue, making it easier to debug.
- SELECT ParentId FROM InteractionRefOrValue WHERE ParentId IN ()
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query('ELECT ParentId FROM InteractionRefOrValue WHERE ParentId IN ()');
- SELECT FROM Account
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query(SELECT FROM Account');
- SELECT Id FROM $casecomment WHERE isdeleted = false
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query(SELECT Id FROM $casecomment WHERE isdeleted = false');
In the Above example the object $casecomment is invalid in SOQL, and the new error message explicitly flags the $ sign as the issue.
- SELECT lastmodifieddate, companyna fr$om user
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query('SELECT lastmodifieddate, companyna fr$om user');
3.New error message when using NULL literals in WHERE statements with the LIKE keyword in dynamic SOQL queries.
SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE name LIKE NULL
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query( SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE name LIKE NULL');Old Error Message: invalid operator
New Error Message: unexpected token: ‘NULL’
4. New error message when using more than two nested functions in dynamic SOQL queries.
SELECT convertCurrency(calendar_year(convertTimezone(lastmodifieddate))) FROM Account
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query(SELECT convertCurrency(calendar_year(convertTimezone(lastmodifieddate))) FROM
Account);
5.New error messages with invalid datetime literals in dynamic SOQL queries.
SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE SystemModstamp > 2020-12-12t12:12:00-25:00
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query(SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE SystemModstamp > 2020-12-12t12:12:00-25:00');
6. New error message when there isn’t a valid bind variable reference after a colon in dynamic SOQL queries.
SELECT Id FROM Custom_User_Attribute__c WHERE User__c =:0050W000007Jz7jQAC
List<sobject> sobjectList = Database.query('SELECT Id FROM Custom_User_Attribute__c WHERE User__c =: 0050W000007Jz7jQAC');
Different types of Exceptions in Salesforce.
Conclusion
The Winter ’25 release brings significant improvements to how Salesforce handles SOQL errors, providing clearer and more informative messages. These updates make it easier to identify and resolve issues with dynamic SOQL queries, which will save developers valuable time when troubleshooting. By reviewing and updating your existing Apex code to accommodate these changes, you can ensure that your queries continue to run smoothly in the new release.
Make sure to test your code and update any SOQL queries that rely on older error messages to prevent potential issues after the Winter ’25 update.
