David announces the retirement of SFDC99 and reflects on a decade of free Apex tutorials aimed at point-and-click admins. This post gathers key links, resources, and next steps for the Salesforce community.
SFDC99 was a widely-read site providing approachable Apex and Visualforce tutorials for admins and new developers. In a heartfelt farewell posted on September 5, 2024, David (the site’s founder) announced he is stepping away to focus on family and new priorities after running the site for over a decade.
What happened
David shared that his life circumstances have changed — he has a young family and different priorities — and decided it was time to close this chapter of SFDC99. He expressed gratitude for the community, the readers’ success stories, and the meaningful impact the site had on many careers.
Key resources from SFDC99
If you relied on SFDC99, the site remains a helpful archive. Below are direct links to the most-used sections:
- Beginner Tutorials — Apex, Visualforce, and video lessons for beginners
- Apex Academy — Structured lessons to learn Apex step-by-step
- Certifications guide — Advice on Salesforce certification paths
- Career advice — Tips for finding Salesforce developer roles
- Visualforce tutorials — Legacy UI development tutorials
- Now a Salesforce MVP — David’s community recognition
- Original farewell post (full text and comments)
Takeaways and next steps
- Bookmark or export any tutorials or posts you rely on — the archive is a rich learning resource.
- Follow David on Twitter (@dvdkliu) for occasional updates or community sightings like Dreamforce.
- Seek complementary learning platforms for advanced topics (Trailhead, official docs, community blogs, and local user groups).
Why this matters for Salesforce admins, developers, and business users
SFDC99 lowered the barrier to entry for many admins who wanted to learn Apex without formal computer science training. The site’s approachable, example-driven lessons helped people pass exams, automate processes, and move into developer and architect roles. Its closure is a reminder to preserve community knowledge and continue mentoring the next generation of Salesforce professionals.
Thank you, David, for a decade of clear, patient teaching. The community will continue to build on the solid foundation you created.