Why is a field not groupable in SOQL?

Question:

I am trying to use an aggregate query in Salesforce, but one of the fields I want to group by is not groupable. I noticed this when I received a SOQL error, and later, I verified that the field’s groupable attribute is set to false in the metadata. The field is a number type that holds an integer value (e.g., 2 or 0). Is there a trick or workaround to make this field groupable? I want to avoid writing a large amount of code just to average a list by this field.

Answer:

In Salesforce, certain fields are not groupable in aggregate queries. This limitation generally applies to fields that either:

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1. Are not supported by SOQL for aggregation:

Certain field types are not supported by SOQL for aggregation, meaning they cannot be used in aggregate queries such as GROUP BY. These typically include formula fields with complex logic, multi-select picklists, and encrypted fields. Such fields either have limitations in how they store or process data, preventing their use in group operations.

2. Have incompatible field types:

Certain field types in Salesforce are inherently incompatible with grouping in aggregate queries. This includes fields like auto-number fields, long text areas, and multi-select picklists. These fields cannot be used in grouping operations due to their structure or the way they store data, which prevents meaningful aggregation.

In your case, if the field is a number field, it should normally be groupable unless it’s part of a formula field with complex calculations or functions that prevent grouping, or if the field type or metadata has constraints that restrict aggregation. These factors can cause the field to be marked as “not groupable” in SOQL queries, even though it appears to be a simple number field.

Workaround:

If you need to group by a number field and it’s not groupable due to its metadata settings or field type restrictions, you can try the following approaches:

1. Create a Custom Formula Field:

Creating a custom formula field can help convert a non-groupable field into a groupable one, such as changing a number into a text value. This allows the field to be used in aggregate SOQL queries while maintaining its original data for other operations. Simple formulas, like TEXT(Number_Field__c), can make the field compatible with grouping.

Example of creating a formula field to convert a number into text:

TEXT(Number_Field__c)

2. Process the Data in Apex:

If you can’t group the field directly, consider querying the data normally and then using Apex to perform the aggregation or grouping logic after retrieval. Here’s an example where you retrieve the records and then group them by the number field in Apex:

List<Account> accounts = [SELECT Id, Number_Field__c FROM Account];
Map<Decimal, List<Account>> groupedAccounts = new Map<Decimal, List<Account>>();

for (Account acc : accounts) {
    if (!groupedAccounts.containsKey(acc.Number_Field__c)) {
        groupedAccounts.put(acc.Number_Field__c, new List<Account>());
    }
    groupedAccounts.get(acc.Number_Field__c).add(acc);
}

Explanation: The code retrieves a list of Account records, selecting their Id and a custom number field (Number_Field__c). It then creates a map (groupedAccounts) where each key is a unique value from the Number_Field__c, and the value is a list of Account records. The loop iterates over the accounts, grouping them by the Number_Field__c value by adding each Account to the corresponding list in the map.

3. Check Field Metadata:

Ensure that the field metadata doesn’t have any custom settings or permissions that prevent it from being grouped in SOQL. Sometimes, administrative configurations might restrict its use in aggregate queries.

By using these methods, you should be able to group or average based on the number field without needing excessive code, as long as the field’s type and metadata allow it.

Summing Up

Fields in Salesforce are not groupable in aggregate queries due to their type, metadata restrictions, or specific field characteristics like formula or auto-number fields. To work around this, you can either create a custom formula field to convert the number into a groupable type or handle the aggregation in Apex. Ensuring the field is appropriately configured in metadata is key to enabling grouping in SOQL.

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