Describe Field Result Methods

The following table describes the methods available as part of the field describe result. The following is an example of how to instantiate a field describe result object:

Schema.DescribeFieldResult F = Account.AccountNumber.getDescribe();

None of the methods take an argument.

Name	Data Type	Description
`getByteLength`	Integer	For variable-length fields (including binary fields), returns the maximum size of the field, in bytes
`getCalculatedFormula`	String	Returns the formula specified for this field
`getController`	Schema.sObjectField	Returns the token of the controlling field
`getDefaultValue`	Object	Returns the default value for this field
`getDefaultValueFormula`	String	Returns the default value specified for this field if a formula is not used
`getDigits`	Integer	Returns the maximum number of digits specified for the field. This method is only valid with Integer fields
`getInlineHelpText`	String	Returns the content of the field-level help. For more information, see Defining Field-Level Help.
`getLabel`	String	Returns the text label that is displayed next to the field in the Salesforce user interface. This label can be localized.
`getLength`	Integer	For string fields, returns the maximum size of the field in Unicode characters (not bytes)
`getLocalName`	String	Returns the name of the field, similar to the `getName` method. However, if the field is part of the current namespace, the namespace portion of the name is omitted.
`getName`	String	Returns the field name used in Apex
`getPicklistValues`	List <Schema.PicklistEntry>	Returns a list of PicklistEntry objects. A runtime error is returned if the field is not a picklist.
`getPrecision`	Integer	For fields of type Double, returns the maximum number of digits that can be stored, including all numbers to the left and to the right of the decimal point (but excluding the decimal point character)
`getReferenceTo`	List <Schema.sObjectType>	Returns a list of Schema.sObjectType objects for the parent objects of this field. If the `isNamePointing` method returns `true`, there is more than one entry in the list, otherwise there is only one.
`getRelationshipName`	String	Returns the name of the relationship. For more information about relationships and relationship names, see Understanding Relationship Names in the Web Services API Developer's Guide.
`getRelationshipOrder`	Integer	Returns 1 if the field is a child, 0 otherwise. For more information about relationships and relationship names, see Understanding Relationship Names in the Web Services API Developer's Guide.
`getScale`	Integer	For fields of type Double, returns the number of digits to the right of the decimal point. Any extra digits to the right of the decimal point are truncated. This method returns a fault response if the number has too many digits to the left of the decimal point.
`getSOAPType`	Schema.SOAPType	Returns one of the SoapType enum values, depending on the type of field. For more information, see Schema.SOAPType Enum Values.
`getSObjectField`	Schema.sObjectField	Returns the token for this field
`getType`	Schema.DisplayType	Returns one of the DisplayType enum values, depending on the type of field. For more information, see Schema.DisplayType Enum Values.
`isAccessible`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the current user can see this field, `false` otherwise
`isAutoNumber`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field is an Auto Number field, `false` otherwise. Analogous to a SQL IDENTITY type, Auto Number fields are read-only, non-createable text fields with a maximum length of 30 characters. Auto Number fields are used to provide a unique ID that is independent of the internal object ID (such as a purchase order number or invoice number). Auto Number fields are configured entirely in the Salesforce user interface.
`isCalculated`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field is a custom formula field, `false` otherwise. Note that custom formula fields are always read-only.
`isCascadeDelete`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the child object is deleted when the parent object is deleted, `false` otherwise.
`isCaseSensitive`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field is case sensitive, `false` otherwise
`isCreateable`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field can be created by the current user, `false` otherwise
`isCustom`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field is a custom field, `false` if it is a standard object
`isDefaultedOnCreate`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field receives a default value when created, `false` otherwise. If `true`, Salesforce implicitly assigns a value for this field when the object is created, even if a value for this field is not passed in on the create call. For example, in the Opportunity object, the Probability field has this attribute because its value is derived from the Stage field. Similarly, the Owner has this attribute on most objects because its value is derived from the current user (if the Owner field is not specified).
`isDependentPicklist`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the picklist is a dependent picklist, `false` otherwise
`isDeprecatedAndHidden`	Boolean	Reserved for future use.
`isExternalID`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field is used as an external ID, `false` otherwise
`isFilterable`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field can be used as part of the filter criteria of a `WHERE` statement, `false` otherwise
`isGroupable`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field can be included in the `GROUP BY` clause of a SOQL query, `false` otherwise. This method is only available for Apex classes and triggers saved using API version 18.0 and higher.
`isHtmlFormatted`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field has been formatted for HTML and should be encoded for display in HTML, `false` otherwise. One example of a field that returns `true` for this method is a hyperlink custom formula field. Another example is a custom formula field that has an `IMAGE` text function.
`isIdLookup`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field can be used to specify a record in an `upsert` method, `false` otherwise
`isNameField`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field is a name field, `false` otherwise. This method is used to identify the name field for standard objects (such as `AccountName` for an Account object) and custom objects. Objects can only have one name field, except where the FirstName and LastName fields are used instead (such as on the Contact object). If a compound name is present, for example, the Name field on a person account, isNameField is set to `true` for that record.
`isNamePointing`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field can have multiple types of objects as parents. For example, a task can have both the Contact/Lead ID (`WhoId`) field and the Opportunity/Account ID (`WhatId`) field return `true` for this method. because either of those objects can be the parent of a particular task record. This method returns `false` otherwise.
`isNillable`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field is nillable, `false` otherwise. A nillable field can have empty content. A non-nillable field must have a value for the object to be created or saved.
`isPermissionable`	Boolean	Returns `true` if field permissions can be specified for the field, `false` otherwise.
`isRestrictedDelete`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the parent object can't be deleted because it is referenced by a child object, `false` otherwise.
`isRestrictedPicklist`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field is a restricted picklist, `false` otherwise
`isSortable`	Boolean	Returns `true` if a query can sort on the field, `false` otherwise
`isUnique`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the value for the field must be unique, `false` otherwise
`isUpdateable`	Boolean	Returns `true` if the field can be edited by the current user, `false` otherwise
`isWriteRequiresMasterRead`	Boolean	Returns `true` if writing to the detail object requires read sharing instead of read/write sharing of the parent.

Schema.DisplayType Enum Values

A Schema.DisplayType enum value is returned by the field describe result's getType method. For more information, see Field Types in the Web Services API Developer's Guide. For more information about the methods shared by all enums, see Enum Methods.

Type Field Value	What the Field Object Contains
`anytype`	Any value of the following types: `String`, `Picklist`, `Boolean`, `Integer`, `Double`, `Percent`, `ID`, `Date`, `DateTime`, `URL`, or `Email`.
`base64`	Base64-encoded arbitrary binary data (of type base64Binary)
`Boolean`	Boolean (`true` or `false`) values
`Combobox`	Comboboxes, which provide a set of enumerated values and allow the user to specify a value not in the list
`Currency`	Currency values
`DataCategoryGroupReference`	Reference to a data category group or a category unique name.
`Date`	Date values
`DateTime`	DateTime values
`Double`	Double values
`Email`	Email addresses
`EncryptedString`	Encrypted string
`ID`	Primary key field for an object
`Integer`	Integer values
`MultiPicklist`	Multi-select picklists, which provide a set of enumerated values from which multiple values can be selected
`Percent`	Percent values
`Phone`	Phone numbers. Values can include alphabetic characters. Client applications are responsible for phone number formatting.
`Picklist`	Single-select picklists, which provide a set of enumerated values from which only one value can be selected
`Reference`	Cross-references to a different object, analogous to a foreign key field
`String`	String values
`TextArea`	String values that are displayed as multiline text fields
`Time`	Time values
`URL`	URL values that are displayed as hyperlinks

Schema.PicklistEntry Methods

Picklist fields contain a list of one or more items from which a user chooses a single item. They display as drop-down lists in the Salesforce user interface. One of the items can be configured as the default item.

A Schema.PicklistEntry object is returned from the field describe result using the getPicklistValues method. For example:

Schema.DescribeFieldResult F = Account.Industry.getDescribe();
List<Schema.PicklistEntry> P = F.getPicklistValues();

You can only use 100getPicklistValue method calls per Apex request. For more information about governor limits, see Understanding Execution Governors and Limits.

The following table describes the methods available as part of the PicklistEntry object. None of the methods take an argument.

Name	Data Type	Description
`getLabel`	String	Returns the display name of this item in the picklist
`getValue`	String	Returns the value of this item in the picklist
`isActive`	Boolean	Returns `true` if this item must be displayed in the drop-down list for the picklist field in the user interface, `false` otherwise
`isDefaultValue`	Boolean	Returns `true` if this item is the default value for the picklist, `false` otherwise. Only one item in a picklist can be designated as the default.

Schema.sObjectField

A Schema.sObjectField object is returned from the field describe result using the getControler and getSObjectField methods. For example:

Schema.DescribeFieldResult F = Account.Industry.getDescribe();
Schema.sObjectField T = F.getSObjectField();

The following table describes the method available as part of the sObjectField object. This method does not take an argument.

Name	Data Type	Description
`getDescribe`	Schema.DescribeFieldResult	Returns the describe field result for this field.

Schema.sObjectType

A Schema.sObjectType object is returned from the field describe result using the getReferenceTo method, or from the sObject describe result using the getSObjectType method. For example:

Schema.DescribeFieldResult F = Account.Industry.getDescribe();
List<Schema.sObjectType> P = F.getReferenceTo();

The following table describes the methods available as part of the sObjectType object.

Name	Argument	Data Type	Description
`getDescribe`		Schema.DescribeSObjectResult	Returns the describe sObject result for this field.
`newSObject`		sObject	Constructs a new sObject of this type. For an example, see Creating sObjects Dynamically.
`newSObject`	Id `Id`	sObject	Constructs a new sObject of this type, with the specified ID. For the argument, pass the ID of an existing record in the database. After you create a new sObject, the sObject returned has all fields set to `null`. You can set any updateable field to desired values and then update the record in the database. Only the fields you set new values for are updated and all other fields which are not system fields are preserved.

Name

Argument

Data Type

Description

getDescribe

Schema.DescribeSObjectResult

Returns the describe sObject result for this field.

newSObject

sObject

Constructs a new sObject of this type.

For an example, see Creating sObjects Dynamically.

newSObject

Id Id

sObject

Constructs a new sObject of this type, with the specified ID.

For the argument, pass the ID of an existing record in the database.

After you create a new sObject, the sObject returned has all fields set to null. You can set any updateable field to desired values and then update the record in the database. Only the fields you set new values for are updated and all other fields which are not system fields are preserved.

Schema.SOAPType Enum Values

A schema.SOAPType enum value is returned by the field describe result getSoapType method.

For more information, see SOAPTypes in the Web Services API Developer's Guide. For more information about the methods shared by all enums, see Enum Methods.

Type Field Value	What the Field Object Contains
`anytype`	Any value of the following types: `String`, `Boolean`, `Integer`, `Double`, `ID`, `Date` or `DateTime`.
`base64binary`	Base64-encoded arbitrary binary data (of type base64Binary)
`Boolean`	Boolean (`true` or `false`) values
`Date`	Date values
`DateTime`	DateTime values
`Double`	Double values
`ID`	Primary key field for an object
`Integer`	Integer values
`String`	String values
`Time`	Time values