Master-detail relationship SOQL query works in dev console but not Apex

Question

I have a junction object that links a meeting note to contacts who attended the meeting. It is a master-detail relationship.

How do I get the name of the linked contact too in Apex? It works in developer console query editor, but not in Apex.

This returns the contact names in Developer Console's query editor corectly:

SELECT Meeting_Note__c, Contact__c, Contact__r.Name 
FROM Contact_Note_Relation__c 
WHERE Meeting_Note__c = 'a000l00000ED5aJAAT'

However this Apex does not work correctly:

System.debug([
  SELECT Meeting_Note__c, Contact__c, Contact__r.Name
  FROM Contact_Note_Relation__c
  WHERE Meeting_Note__c = 'a000l00000ED5aJAAT']);

In Apex the name is not returned. I just get this:

Contact_Note_Relation__c:{
    Meeting_Note__c=a000l00000ED5aJAAT, 
    Contact__c=0030l00000WIAYBAA5, 
    Id=a060l000005TKgeAAG,
    CurrencyIsoCode=USD
}

FYI a060l000005TKgeAAG is the Id of the Contact Note Relation record.

EDIT: I was able to resolve it by adding a Contact Name formula field to the Contact Note Relation object, but I would rather understand how to do this without adding a formula field if possible.

Answer 1

system.debug() may or may not display the related data, but it is indeed there.

If you System.debug([SELECT Meeting_Note__c, Contact__c, Contact__r.Name FROM Contact_Note_Relation__c WHERE Meeting_Note__c = 'a000l00000ED5aJAAT'][0].Contact__r.Name); you should see the data you're looking for.

You could also have system.debug() print out the entire related record like so:

Contact_Note_Relation__c myRel = [
  SELECT Meeting_Note__c, Contact__c, Contact__r.Name
  FROM Contact_Note_Relation__c
  WHERE Meeting_Note__c = 'a000l00000ED5aJAAT'];

// Contact__r is an embedded SObject, and can be pretty much treated like any
//   other SObject record.
system.debug(myRel.Contact__r);