Trigger Context Variables

This table is a comprehensive list of all context variables available for triggers.

VariableUsage
isExecutingReturns true if the current context for the Apex code is a trigger, not a Visualforce page, a Web service, or an executeanonymous() API call.
isInsertReturns true if this trigger was fired due to an insert operation, from the Salesforce user interface, Apex, or the API.
isUpdateReturns true if this trigger was fired due to an update operation, from the Salesforce user interface, Apex, or the API.
isDeleteReturns true if this trigger was fired due to a delete operation, from the Salesforce user interface, Apex, or the API.
isBeforeReturns true if this trigger was fired before any record was saved.
isAfterReturns true if this trigger was fired after all records were saved.
isUndeleteReturns true if this trigger was fired after a record is recovered from the Recycle Bin. This recovery can occur after an undelete operation from the Salesforce user interface, Apex, or the API.
newReturns a list of the new versions of the sObject records.This sObject list is only available in insertupdate, and undelete triggers, and the records can only be modified in before triggers.
newMapA map of IDs to the new versions of the sObject records.This map is only available in before updateafter insertafter update, and after undelete triggers.
oldReturns a list of the old versions of the sObject records.This sObject list is only available in update and delete triggers.
oldMapA map of IDs to the old versions of the sObject records.This map is only available in update and delete triggers.
operationTypeReturns an enum of type System.TriggerOperation corresponding to the current operation.Possible values of the System.TriggerOperation enum are: BEFORE_INSERTBEFORE_UPDATEBEFORE_DELETE,AFTER_INSERTAFTER_UPDATEAFTER_DELETE, and AFTER_UNDELETE. If you vary your programming logic based on different trigger types, consider using the switch statement with different permutations of unique trigger execution enum states.
sizeThe total number of records in a trigger invocation, both old and new.