Salesforce Record Inspector — User Guide

The Salesforce Record Inspector is a VS Code extension that lets you quickly inspect, edit, and analyze Salesforce records and Apex debug logs without leaving your editor. This guide explains every feature step-by-step.

Prerequisites

• VS Code 1.80.0 or newer.
• Salesforce CLI (sf) installed and accessible in your PATH.
• A default org set: in the terminal run: sf config set target-org <aliasOrUsername>.
• Open your project folder in VS Code.

If sf isn’t found or no default org is set, the extension will show helpful error messages.

Core Concepts

• Inspect Mode (LIVE): View and edit a Salesforce record by ID.
• Log Mode (LOG): Analyze variable assignments across an Apex debug log.
• Presets: Save commonly used field values and apply them later.
• History: Navigate back to previous views.

Commands and Context Menu

• Inspect Salesforce Record: Command Palette or editor context menu.
• Inspect Salesforce Record (from Clipboard): Uses the latest copied text.
• Save Salesforce Record: Appears in the panel while editing.
• Scan Log Variable History: Command Palette or context menu on .log files.

Tip: Right-click in the editor to use context menu options. For .log files, you’ll see “Scan Log Variable History.”

Inspecting a Record (LIVE Mode)

1. Select a Salesforce ID (15 or 18 characters) in the editor and run “Inspect Salesforce Record.”
   • Or copy an ID to your clipboard and run “Inspect Salesforce Record (from Clipboard).”
   • The extension auto-detects the object using the ID prefix (e.g., 001 → Account).
2. The panel opens beside your editor showing:
   • Title: Object API name and the record ID.
   • Optional record name (if the “Name” field exists).
   • All fields and their values, sorted alphabetically.
   • Quick copy buttons for field names and values.
   • A filter box to quickly search by field name or value.

Actions in LIVE Mode

• Edit: Switches the panel to editable mode.
• Open in Org: Opens the record in your connected Salesforce org.
• Log History: Jump to log analysis (LOG Mode).

Editing Fields

Click “Edit” to enable editing. You’ll see:

• Inputs based on field types:
  • Checkbox for boolean
  • Dropdown for picklist
  • Number inputs for numeric fields
  • Date picker for date fields
  • Textarea for long text
  • Text input for other types
• Only updateable fields are editable. Locked fields show a lock icon when editing is on.
• You can:
  • Save: Applies only modified fields and reloads fresh record data.
  • Cancel: Exits editing without changes.
  • Save Preset: Save current input values as a reusable preset.
  • Load Preset: Apply a previously saved preset to inputs.

Safety:

• If the org is Production, you’ll get a confirmation dialog before saving.

Save Presets

• Save Preset:
  • Choose “Save All” (all visible inputs) or “Save Modified” (only changed inputs).
  • Name your preset (e.g., “Standard Setup”).
• Load Preset:
  • Choose from saved presets for the current object.
  • Values are applied to inputs and highlighted.

Presets are stored per object type in VS Code’s global state, scoped by your org user.

Navigation

• Back: Return to the previous view (e.g., prior record or log analysis).
• Inspect linked IDs: Any field value that looks like a Salesforce ID is clickable. Click to drill into that record.

Scanning Apex Debug Logs (LOG Mode)

Use this when you have a .log file open or selected.

1. Open your .log file in VS Code.
2. Run “Scan Log Variable History.”
   • If you selected text in the editor, it will pre-fill the variable name.
   • Otherwise, enter the variable name (e.g., newAccountList).
3. The panel displays versions of the variable over time:
   • History selector: Choose a specific version by timestamp and line number.
   • Ignore Nulls: Hide entries where the variable value is null.
   • New Scan: Start another scan on the current/open log.

Data display:

• If the assignment looks like JSON, it’s parsed and shown as a structured object.
• If it’s a list, the first item is shown for quick inspection.
• Non-JSON values are shown as “Value: ”.
• Changes between versions are highlighted. Hover to see the previous value.

Tip: You can filter field names or values with the search box, even in LOG Mode.

Status and Output

• Progress notifications: Shown while identifying object, fetching data, saving, and scanning logs.
• Output Channel “SF Inspector Debug”: Shows command errors or details if something fails.
• Clear system messages guide you if:
  • No default org is set.
  • The ID is invalid.
  • The record is not found.
  • The sf CLI isn’t available.

Troubleshooting

• “VS Code cannot find the 'sf' command.”:
  • Ensure Salesforce CLI is installed and added to PATH.
  • On macOS (zsh), restart your terminal after installation.
• “No default Salesforce Org found.”:
  • Run: sf config set target-org <aliasOrUsername>.
• Record shows no data:
  • Verify the ID is correct and accessible in the target org.
• Log scan finds no versions:
  • Confirm the log contains VARIABLE_ASSIGNMENT lines for your variable.
  • Make sure the variable name matches exactly.

Where things run

• All Salesforce interactions happen via the sf CLI in your workspace folder.
• The panel is a Webview beside your editor, with copy, search, edit, and navigation controls.

Quick Usage Flow

• Inspect from selection or clipboard → View fields → Edit if needed → Save or open in org.
• Open a .log → Scan for variable → Browse versions → Filter or rescan as needed.

That’s it. You can now inspect, edit, and analyze Salesforce data directly in VS Code with confidence.