Salesforce version control is a critical piece of an optimized DevOps approach that reduces errors and streamlines processes, but only with the right approach.
Why It Matters: Minimizing errors in the DevOps pipeline reduces rework and supports a well-functioning, secure application. Version control aligns the efforts of multi-developer teams for reliable results.
- A study by garden.io found that respondents spent more than 15 hours every week on tasks outside of writing application code, which could be costing companies up to $61 billion per year.
- Any time spent not actively furthering a DevOps project reduces the ROI of the entire enterprise and hurts the flexibility of an organization.
Here are six Salesforce version control mistakes that kill productivity:
1. Not Using Version Control at All
The mistake DevOps teams with version control is to fail to utilize it at all. This seems simple, but it’s the biggest mistake teams can make.
Working without version control leaves teams vulnerable to losing work, introducing errors, and mismanaging contributions.
Failing to implement a version control strategy sets your DevOps team up to fail. Mistakes are going to happen, and without the infrastructure to properly manage them, you’re guaranteeing wasted time.
2. Failing to Leverage Static Code Analysis
Salesforce version control works best as a piece to a larger puzzle. Your development team can be made even stronger by providing the tools they need to introduce reliable, secure code.
Static code analysis strengthens the version control strategy by immediately notifying developers the moment an error is introduced into the coding repository.
This additional line of defense against errors keeps projects moving and DevOps teams productive.
3. Infrequent Commits
Have you ever played a video game that doesn’t allow you to save your progress? All of a sudden, your character falls off a cliff and you’re forced to go back and redo huge sections of the game. Failing to commit your coding changes works in much the same way.
Infrequent commits result in massive changes that are difficult to track, debug, or revert when something goes wrong.
Communicate the importance of frequent commits to developers, so they don’t have to start over when something goes wrong.
4. Sloppy Branching Strategies
There needs to be a clear way to organize a multi-developer team’s efforts when working on a single project. Feature branching and trunk-based development are common ways to accomplish this.
Avoiding proper branching strategies can result in messy collaborations and an increased chance of overwriting or duplicating work.
Intentional approaches to utilizing Salesforce version control tools help teams stay on track and get things done right the first time.
5. Neglecting to Test Before Committing
The stability of your code equates to the stability of your update. Static code analysis will help developers ensure their commits are error-free, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle—they must also ensure their commits work alongside the rest of the update.
Committing untested code risks breaking the build or introducing bugs that waste everyone’s time.
Multiple layers of testing with CI/CD tools ensure smooth deployments that won’t need to be reworked in the future.
6. Editing Directly on the Main Branch
The main branch is often the source of truth for deployments. It needs to be preserved and free from untested changes to keep everything aligned.
Making changes directly in the main branch bypasses review processes, increases risk, and disrupts stability.
Without the isolation of feature or development branches, changes cannot undergo proper code reviews, testing, or validation against other updates. This increases the risk of conflicts and regressions. It also eliminates the ability to maintain a clean history of incremental changes, making it much more difficult to troubleshoot.
Next Step…
Avoiding mistakes is one way to increase productivity when using Salesforce version control tools. Take your productivity to the next level with intentional tactics and processes.
Check out our infographic with 6 Ways Version Control Maximizes Productivity in Salesforce DevOps to learn more.