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hardis:doc:data-dictionary

Description

Command Behavior

Generates an Excel (.xlsx) data dictionary for one or more Salesforce objects, read live from the target org.

This command describes the selected objects and exports their definitions into a single multi-sheet workbook, useful for documentation, audits, and onboarding.

The Index sheet lists every documented object with its field, validation rule and record type counts, and links to each object sheet.

Data dictionary index sheet

Each object sheet details its fields (type, required, unique, reference target, picklist values, and more).

Data dictionary object fields sheet

  • Target Org: Use --target-org to pick the org connection context.
  • Object selection: Provide one or more API names via --objects (comma-separated, e.g. Account,Contact,MyObject__c). If omitted in interactive mode, a prompt lists available objects.
  • Customized objects only: Use --customizedonly to exclude objects that have no local customizations. This drops standard objects without custom fields and managed package objects without local custom fields, while keeping local custom objects and any object that has at least one local custom field. In interactive mode, a prompt offers the same filter.
  • Workbook structure: One Index sheet listing the objects, one fields sheet per object, plus consolidated Validation Rules and Record Types sheets.
  • Navigation: The Index sheet links to each object, Validation Rules and Record Types sheet, and every other sheet has a "Back to Index" link below its data.
  • Fields detail: API name, label, type, required, unique, external id, length/precision, reference target, picklist values, default value, formula, help text, description, and custom flag. Fields are sorted alphabetically by API name.
  • Output: The XLSX is generated alongside the intermediate CSV files in the report directory. Use --outputfile to force the consolidated report path.
Technical explanations
  • Fields: Retrieved with connection.describe(objectName), then sorted alphabetically by API name. Field types are mapped to their Salesforce names (e.g. reference becomes Lookup or MasterDetail, int/double become Number), and formula / roll-up summary fields are tagged. Required is derived from nillable === false; picklist values are the active values, capped at 50 with an overflow note.
  • Validation Rules: Retrieved via the Metadata API (metadata.list then metadata.read in batches of 10) to include the error condition formula, which is not exposed by describe.
  • Record Types: Retrieved with a single SOQL query on RecordType filtered by SobjectType.
  • Reporting: Each sheet is first written as a CSV, then consolidated into one XLSX via createXlsxFromCsvFiles, with explicit worksheet names.
  • Resilience: Objects that cannot be described, and validation rule / record type retrieval failures, are logged as warnings and skipped without aborting the run.

Agent Mode

Supports non-interactive execution with --agent:

sf hardis:doc:data-dictionary --agent --objects Account,Contact

In agent mode: - The --objects flag is required (no interactive prompt for object selection). - No other prompt is displayed; the workbook is generated directly. - Pass --customizedonly to restrict the workbook to objects that have local customizations (the prompt is skipped).

Parameters

Name Type Description Default Required Options
agent boolean Run in non-interactive mode for agents and automation
customizedonly boolean Exclude objects that have no local customizations (standard objects without custom fields and managed package objects without local custom fields). Local custom objects and objects with at least one local custom field are kept.
flags-dir option undefined
json boolean Format output as json.
objects
-o		 option Comma-separated API names of the objects to document (e.g. Account,Contact,CustomObject__c). If omitted, an interactive prompt lists available objects.
outputfile
-f		 option Force the path and name of the consolidated output report file (the XLSX is generated alongside)
skipauth boolean Skip authentication check when a default username is required
target-org
-o		 option undefined
websocket option Websocket host:port for VsCode SFDX Hardis UI integration

Examples

$ sf hardis:doc:data-dictionary

$ sf hardis:doc:data-dictionary --objects Account,Contact

$ sf hardis:doc:data-dictionary --target-org myOrgAlias --objects CustomObject__c

$ sf hardis:doc:data-dictionary --customizedonly

$ sf hardis:doc:data-dictionary --agent --objects Account,Contact --customizedonly