2nd Rule of Acquisition - Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to (Part 2)

While I have not been updating the blog I have been busy during the quarantine. I obtained my Advanced Administrator certification and have been studying to pass the the Platform I developer. I don't think I will be a developer, but it's required for both Architect certifications. My intent is to know enough about coding to understand when it is appropriate (i.e., clicks not code) and to understand and troubleshoot automations that others write.

Per my last post and in keeping with the 2nd Rule of Acquisition, I have been trying to find a lot of low cost ways to learn to code. The most I spent was $200 on a Salesforce Bootcamp. There are a lot of Udemy courses out there and I found this article from Salesforce Ben on how to get started. I did try the Apex Academy and while the courses were good, given my schedule, I ended up paying a lot for Pluralsight and not using it. So if you go that route make sure you are ready to review it. I think the author gives a free version of his stuff here. There are also some free Salesforce videos that you can find here.

Here's what I have done so far (with links - which may require you to log into Udemy) and what I plan to do. There are a few, uh, provisos, a, a couple of quid pro quos:

1. Most training assumes you know Java and focuses on syntax and not coding. I tried to use using Apex only stuff when practical

2. Many training guides/videos are focused on passing the PD1 exam and provide some tangential training about Apex, etc.

3. Most examples are simple classes to insert data

Course	Date Completed	Notes	Link
Salesforce Developer Bootcamp	9/19/0	Geared towards passing the Platform Developer I exam. Not too much coding is required for this. Assumes you know Java or Apex. Moderate depth into PD1 exam. It has been on sale for $200. Try to find a coupon.	Link
Salesforce Development Training for Beginners	10/16/20	No Java experience required. High level overview with examples	Link
Salesforce Developer Training with Real Time Project	10/25/20	Simple app with REST API. Emphasis on REST API and reading data from an SF org, not sending it to another platform	Link
Salesforce Development for Intermediate Developers		Have not started but highly recommend this instructor	Link
Introduction to Salesforce DX and Visual Studio Code	8/21/20	Overview and set up of VS Code. He has a newer class, which I have not seen yet, but the instructor produces high quality materials	Link
Salesforce Integration with External Systems		Have not started but highly recommend this instructor	Link
Complete Salesforce Certified Platform Developer Course		Have not started but highly recommend this instructor	Link
Preparation for Your Platform Developer Certification	10/28/20	Preparation for exam; condensed version of the Bootcamp (Certification Days)	Link
Salesforce DX The Complete Guide		Have not started but highly recommend this instructor	Link
Prakiseth M Developer Videos	June 2020	Series of introductory videos about apex	Link
Salesforce Certified Platform Developer Part  1		Have not started but highly recommend this instructor	Link