Unlocking the potential of Salesforce relationships can drastically improve your data model. Understanding the nuanced differences between Master-Detail and Lookup relationships is crucial for architecting robust, scalable Salesforce solutions. Here’s a distilled summary of the five key areas you need to focus on:
1. Relationship Type
– Master-Detail creates a tight coupling between objects, with the detail record’s existence dependent on the master.
– Lookup defines a more relaxed association, allowing records to exist independently of the parent.
2. Record Ownership and Security
– Master-Detail inherits the master’s sharing settings, ensuring aligned access.
– Lookup allows for separate sharing rules, giving flexibility in record visibility and editing permissions.
3. Deletion Behavior
– In Master-Detail, deleting the master cascades to delete all detail records automatically.
– Lookup permits detail records to remain when the referenced record is deleted, although cascade delete option can be configured.
4. Reporting and Roll-Up Summaries
– Master-Detail enables cross-object reporting and the use of roll-up summary fields to aggregate child data.
– Lookup does not inherently support roll-up summaries but can leverage custom solutions like triggers or third-party tools to mimic this functionality.
5. Conversion and Re-parenting
– Master-Detail relationships are rigid; once set, you cannot convert them to lookups without significant data restructuring.
– Lookup is flexible, allowing parent records to be easily reassigned or the relationship type changed with less impact.
By sharpening your grasp of these areas, you can craft data models that are not only efficient but also finely tuned to the specific needs of your Salesforce environment. Whether you’re aiming for stringent data integrity or seeking more relaxed data relations, the choice between Master-Detail and Lookup relationships will be a foundational decision in your architectural strategy.
You can read it here: https://sfdc.blog/SxgQn
Source from asagarwal(dot)com