Manage Trigger Handlers for NPSP

Manage Trigger Handlers

Trigger Handler records are a fundamental part of Table-Driven Trigger Management (TDTM). The Trigger Handler object is a Salesforce object like any other (Accounts, Contacts, etc.). Fields on the object manage the behavior of the triggers built within the TDTM framework. With just a few clicks, you can change the way your code behaves.

For example, the Active field specifies if a piece of code, an Apex class, runs when it's called by the trigger. Load Order controls the sequence in which Apex classes for the same object run. Usernames to Exclude deactivates an Apex class, but only for the users you specify. These and other settings are controlled through fields on Trigger Handler records.

Your NPSP package includes a Trigger Handler record for each of the package's Apex classes; you don't have to create them when you install NPSP. For any custom Apex class that you plan to include in the TDTM framework, create a Trigger Handler record that references it so that you can accurately control the behavior of your code. We won't go into the details of how to create Apex classes for TDTM here—just remember that when you do, Trigger Handlers are part of the deployment process.

To prevent duplication of the automation caused by reentrancy, maintain one trigger per object.

Note In Developer and Developer Pro sandboxes, you must prompt NPSP to create the default Trigger Handler records. You can either:

• Load the NPSP Settings page.
• Create a record in one of the objects managed by TDTM such as a Contact, Account, Opportunity, etc.

For more information, see Table-Driven Trigger Management (TDTM) .

Prerequisites for Managing Trigger Handlers

Before you can manage Trigger Handlers, make sure they are set up correctly in your org and are ready to use.

• Enable Administrator Access to Trigger Handler Fields
• Verify Fields on Trigger Handler Layout
• Create a Tab
• Edit List View

Create a Trigger Handler Tab

Create a Tab for the Trigger Handler object so you can edit Trigger Handler records. (If you're not sure how to create Tabs, refer to Create a Custom Object Tab in the Salesforce Help.)

Note We recommend that you assign Tab Visibility only to the System Administrator profile. No one except your administrator should work with Trigger Handler records. Ensure that the tab is hidden for all other profiles. For more information on Tab settings, see View and Edit Tab Settings in Permission Sets or Profiles in the Salesforce Help.

View Trigger Handlers

Trigger Handlers are records just like any other, so you can create list views to filter and sort the records. Access the Trigger Handler records via the Trigger Handlers tab.

1. Click the Trigger Handlers tab.
   

   Note Sometimes the Trigger Handler tab isn't visible by default. If you don't see it, click the More tab. If you still don't see it, from the App Launcher, find and select Trigger Handlers. (Items are listed alphabetically.) Only System Administrators should have access to the Trigger Handler tab. As a best practice, remove access for all other Profiles.
2. Select the All list view to see the full list of Trigger Handler records.
   

Note You can also view (but not edit) your Trigger Handler records in NPSP Settings | System Tools | Trigger Configuration.

Edit a Trigger Handler

An administrator can edit Trigger Handler records to deactivate them, change their load order, change which users will execute the Apex class, and so on. A common reason to edit a Trigger Handler is to disable it.

For more information, read Disable Table-Driven Trigger Management .

1. Click the Trigger Handler Tab.

2. Click the name of the Trigger Handler you want to edit.

3. Click Edit.

   

   You can edit these Trigger Handler details:

   

   Trigger Handler Name (1)—Trigger Handlers provided with NPSP use a record ID for the record name. If you create new Trigger Handler records via NPSP Settings, they will also use a record ID for the name. If you create them through the Trigger Handler tab, you can follow your own naming convention.

   Class (2)—Name of the Apex class this Trigger Handler manages. If the class exists within a managed package you created, include the namespace prefix.

   Object (3)—Name of the object, that when modified, runs the Apex class. For NPSP custom objects, omit the namespace prefix (that is, use Address__c, not npsp__Address__c).

   Trigger Action (4)—Trigger actions that this Apex class runs on. Before Insert, After Update, and so on.

   Load Order (5)—Order in which Apex classes for the same object run. Use sequential whole numbers starting with 0.

   Active (6)—Indicates whether the Trigger Handler is active or not.

   Asynchronous After Events (7)—Allows this Apex class to run asynchronously. Requires that your Apex class supports asynchronous processing. NPSP classes are not designed to run asynchronously. Test thoroughly if you enable this option.

   User Managed (8)—Indicates that your org has customized this Trigger Handler and prevents it from reverting to default settings during a package upgrade. Enable User Managed on any packaged Trigger Handlers that you have modified to preserve your changes.

   Usernames to Exclude (9)—A list of semicolon-separated Salesforce usernames that this Apex class should NOT run for. Leave this field blank to allow the class to run for all users.

   

4. Remember to Save your changes.

   

Important Be careful when changing NPSP Trigger Handler records. They are designed to work in conjunction with each other and changing or disabling them can lead to undesirable results. Always test in a Sandbox environment before changing Trigger Handlers in production!

Create a New Trigger Handler

Review the steps to add a custom Apex class to the TDTM architecture.

• Coding your custom Apex class.

• Writing a test Apex class.

• Creating a Trigger Handler for your custom Apex class.

• Testing in a sandbox environment.

• Deploying to production.

Creating custom Apex classes is beyond the scope of this article. For a detailed walk-through, see Deploy a Custom Apex Class in the TDTM Framework for NPSP.

Monitor TDTM Framework Changes

If you've created custom triggers, stay current with product releases to identify any changes to our TDTM framework that might require changes to your custom triggers.

For example, if we release Trigger Handlers for objects for which you had previously created custom triggers, we recommend deleting your custom triggers. Maintaining one trigger for each object helps avoid re-entrancy issues.