function readOnly(count){ }
Sign Up ›
Starting November 20, the site will be set to read-only. On December 4, 2023,
forum discussions will move to the Trailblazer Community.
Learn More

Browse by Topic
ShowAll Questionssorted byDate Posted
+ Start a Discussion
Dman100Dman100 

update contact reference field on case

I have a trigger that I am firing on cases before update.  After the contacts are created, I am trying to update the contact lookup (reference) field on the case.

 

Here is what I am trying:

 

trigger InsertCaseContact on Case (before update) {

    //Create a new list for caseIds
    List<Id> caseIds = new List<Id>{};
    
    //Loop through the Cases we're adding and build a list of Ids
    for(Case cas: Trigger.new) 
        caseIds.add(cas.Id);
    
    List<Contact> addContacts = new List<Contact>();
 
    // Loop through the Trigger.new array of Cases.
    for(Case cas:Trigger.new){
            if (cas.SuppliedName != null)
            {
                addContacts.add(new Contact (LastName = cas.SuppliedName, Email = cas.SuppliedEmail, Phone = cas.SuppliedPhone, Email_ExtID__c = cas.SuppliedEmail));
                
            }
    }
    upsert addContacts Email_ExtID__c;
    
    // loop thru contacts to retrieve contact ids
    List<Contact> newContacts = new List<Contact>();
    
    for (Contact c: addContacts)
    {
    	newContacts.add(c);
    }
    
    List<Case> cases = new List<Case>{};
    
    for (Case c : Trigger.new)
    {
    	c.ContactId = newContacts.Id;
    	cases.add(c);	
    }
    update cases;
}
 

Save error: Initial term of field expression must be a concrete SObject: LIST:SOBJECT:Contact
 
How can I update the contact reference field in the cases with with the list of new contacts?
 
Thanks for any help.


Best Answer chosen by Admin (Salesforce Developers) 
pchadha20pchadha20
// Create list of cases of the trigger
    List<Case> cases = new List<Case>();
 
// Loop through the cases and add to list
    for(Case c : Trigger.new) 
        cases.add(c);
 
 //Now in the last section do the changes
    for(Integer i=0; i<newcontact.size(); i++)
    {
       Case c1 = caese.get(i);
       c1.contactId = newcontact[i] .Id;
    } 


All Answers
SuperfellSuperfell
On what line number ?


Dman100Dman100
It occurs in the very last loop in the trigger:
 
for (Case c : Trigger.new)
    {
    	c.ContactId = newContacts.Id;
    	cases.add(c);	
    }

 
 
 
On this line:
 
c.ContactId = newContacts.Id;


SuperfellSuperfell
Because newContacts is a list of contacts, not a contact itself. (and for a before trigger, there's no need to call update, just update the trigger.new collection, and those values will go on to the db.


Dman100Dman100
I cannot get the before insert trigger to update the contact (reference field) on the case to update in my trigger.  I tried an after insert and the record is read only so that did not work either.
 
Here are both triggers that I attempted.  Maybe someone can point out how I can accomplish this?
 
Before insert trigger:
 
trigger InsertCaseContact on Case (before insert) {
	
	//Create a new list for caseIds
    List<Id> caseIds = new List<Id>{};
    
    //Loop through the Cases we're adding and build a list of Ids
    for(Case cas: Trigger.new) 
        caseIds.add(cas.Id);
    
    List<Contact> addContacts = new List<Contact>();
 
    // Loop through the Trigger.new array of Cases.
    for(Case cas:Trigger.new){
            if (cas.SuppliedName != null)
            {
                addContacts.add(new Contact (LastName = cas.SuppliedName, Email = cas.SuppliedEmail, Phone = cas.SuppliedPhone, Email_ExtID__c = cas.SuppliedEmail));
                
            }
    }
    upsert addContacts Email_ExtID__c;
    
    // loop thru contacts to retrieve contact ids
    //Set<Id> ConIds = new Set<Id>();
    List<Contact> newContacts = new List<Contact>();
    
    for (Contact c: addContacts)
    {
        newContacts.add(c);
    }
    
    List<Case> cases = new List<Case>{};
    
    for (Case c : Trigger.new)
    {
        for (Integer i=0; i < newContacts.size(); i++)
        {
            c.ContactId = newContacts[i].Id; 
        }
    }
}
 
 
After insert trigger:
 
trigger InsertCaseContact on Case (after insert) {
	
	//Create a new list for caseIds
    List<Id> caseIds = new List<Id>{};
    
    //Loop through the Cases we're adding and build a list of Ids
    for(Case cas: Trigger.new) 
        caseIds.add(cas.Id);
    
    List<Contact> addContacts = new List<Contact>();
 
    // Loop through the Trigger.new array of Cases.
    for(Case cas:Trigger.new){
            if (cas.SuppliedName != null)
            {
                addContacts.add(new Contact (LastName = cas.SuppliedName, Email = cas.SuppliedEmail, Phone = cas.SuppliedPhone, Email_ExtID__c = cas.SuppliedEmail));
                
            }
    }
    upsert addContacts Email_ExtID__c;
    
    // loop thru contacts to retrieve contact ids
    //Set<Id> ConIds = new Set<Id>();
    List<Contact> newContacts = new List<Contact>();
    
    for (Contact c: addContacts)
    {
        newContacts.add(c);
    }
    
    List<Case> cases = new List<Case>{};
    
    for (Case c : Trigger.new)
    {
        for (Integer i=0; i < newContacts.size(); i++)
        {
            c.ContactId = newContacts[i].Id; 
            cases.add(c); 
        }
    }
    update (cases);

}
 
Is the reason the before insert does not work is because I'm creating new contacts and then trying to add those ids into a case that hasn't been created yet?
 
Is there a solution?


pchadha20pchadha20
// Create list of cases of the trigger
    List<Case> cases = new List<Case>();
 
// Loop through the cases and add to list
    for(Case c : Trigger.new) 
        cases.add(c);
 
 //Now in the last section do the changes
    for(Integer i=0; i<newcontact.size(); i++)
    {
       Case c1 = caese.get(i);
       c1.contactId = newcontact[i] .Id;
    } 
This was selected as the best answer