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This is my first time working with salesforce and I'm having a hard time finding information on what I can and can't do. I have professional edition.

Here's what I'm trying to do:

I have a group of fields that only apply to certain account types. There seems to be "record type" functionality for enterprise but since I don't have that I'm trying to do it with objects.

So when adding or editing an account I want a button to add a custom object that will be linked to the account, or if one already exists to simply edit the object. I'm able to define objects but I don't understand how to create an instance and link it to the account in question. I was able to create an instance of my object via a chatter action and link it manually with it's id and a lookup field but that's way too complicated for users. How do I make a "Add/Edit Object" button or link that takes care of this?

Also is there a decent resource for learning this stuff that I should go through? Everything I've found seems unrelated to the level of customization I'm attempting.

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Generally speaking, a Professional Edition (PE) Org doesn't have access to Apex, Triggers or workflow rules that could be used to automate the creation and association of the custom object.

If you can get the Org updated to an Enterprise Edition (EE) Org you can create apex code behind the button or a trigger to perform the required actions. Of course, if that was the case you could use record types as you have already noted.

You might be able to hack something together using an OnClick JavaScript Custom Button with the optional Professional Edition API purchase. See also: OnClick JavaScript in PE

If you just want to allow users to associate the Account with a custom object you can create a lookup relationship between the two. See Overview of Object Relationships.

Even something like related lists for these objects would kind of work I guess

A Master Detail relationship from your custom object to Account will give you default controls like related lists. It does restrict your custom objects to only being related to a single Account though, so you can't reuse them across multiple Accounts.

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  • So is there no way to use custom objects in the same way one uses the contacts object, for example? I don't understand what the point is of having them if you can't link them to other objects without forcing the user to jump through tons of confusing hoops just to use them. Even something like related lists for these objects would kind of work I guess, but I can't figure out how to link the objects to accounts in any sensible way.
    – Syntax Error
    Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 3:09
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    Ah, what you want it a lookup relationship from Account to your custom object.
    – Daniel Ballinger
    Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 4:02
  • I stated in my original question that I have a lookup relationship, but if a corresponding object doesn't exist it seems complicated to make one, which makes it unusable. For example if my object is "book" - how do I perform the action "make a new book and link it with this account". The lookup relationship appears to only let me find an existing book, not create one.
    – Syntax Error
    Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 16:34
  • @SyntaxError For that type of object creation Apex, Triggers and Workflows are really the tools of choice. I don't know of any other straight forward options. I've always assumed Salesforce excludes these features from PE intentionally to push most people towards having an EE org.
    – Daniel Ballinger
    Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 18:25
  • Ok thank you. I'll post back with what I find and if I dead end I'll be sure to come back and accept your answer.
    – Syntax Error
    Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 21:39

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