For developers building .NET applications that rely on CRM data, integrating with Salesforce is often a priority. Yet working directly with Salesforce APIs can introduce complexity — from managing authentication flows to parsing JSON responses. A more efficient path combines the flexibility of SQL with the simplicity of object mapping. This is where Dapper and dotConnect for Salesforce become a powerful duo, more details here: https://www.devart.com/dotconnect/salesforce/dapper-salesforce-using.html

Dapper is a lightweight, high-performance micro-ORM widely used in the .NET ecosystem. Unlike traditional ORMs, Dapper doesn’t try to abstract away SQL — instead, it embraces it. It allows developers to execute SQL queries directly while automatically mapping the results to C# objects. The result is a performant, transparent, and easy-to-maintain data access layer.

To connect Dapper to Salesforce, a reliable ADO.NET provider is required. This is where dotConnect for Salesforce plays a critical role. It provides native .NET connectivity to Salesforce, allowing you to treat Salesforce data as if it were stored in a relational database. Developers can work with familiar SQL-like queries without dealing with Salesforce’s REST or SOAP APIs directly.

The integration between Dapper and dotConnect makes it possible to:

• Access Salesforce objects such as Accounts, Leads, and Contacts using SQL.
  
  
• Perform operations like data retrieval, filtering, and sorting directly within the query.
  
  
• Map results to domain-specific C# classes without writing additional parsing code.
  
  

This approach benefits developers in multiple ways. First, it speeds up development by removing the need to learn Salesforce-specific API structures. Second, it keeps the application architecture clean and focused on business logic. And finally, it allows teams already using Dapper in their data access layer to maintain a consistent coding style across all data sources, including Salesforce.

In short, using Dapper with dotConnect for Salesforce provides a developer-friendly and efficient way to integrate CRM data into .NET applications. It bridges the gap between cloud-based data and high-performance local access, letting teams focus on building value rather than wrestling with APIs.