Why is my Queueable job failing to call a batch process?

Question

Why Am I Getting “Method Does Not Exist or Incorrect Signature” When a Queueable Job Calls a Batch Process?

I am encountering the error:

Method does not exist or incorrect signature: void DeliveryScheduleSync_batch() from the type DeliveryScheduleSync

Here’s the code in my Queueable:

public void execute(QueueableContext context) {
    Boolean isRunning = Utils.deliveryScheduleProcessing;
    if (!isRunning && myContext.triggerType == 'Delivery_Schedule__c' && myContext.isAfter) {
        isRunning = true;
        Database.executeBatch(DeliveryScheduleSync_batch());
    }
}

And the code for the Batch:

global DeliveryScheduleSync_batch() {
    global void createQueryString() { 
        Id masterScheduleRTId = Utils.getRecordTypeId('Delivery_Schedule__c', 'Master Schedule');
        Date yesterday = System.today().addDays(-1);
        query = 'SELECT Id, RecordTypeId, AssetId__c, Contact__c ' + 
                'FROM Delivery_Schedule__c ' +
                'WHERE LastModifiedDate > :' + yesterday + 
                'AND RecordTypeId == ' + masterScheduleRTId + 
                'OR Master_Schedule__c <> null';
    }
    
    global Database.Querylocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc) {
        createQueryString();        
        return Database.getQueryLocator(query);
    }
    
    global void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc, List<Delivery_Schedule__c> oDeliverySchedules) {
        // Logic to process Delivery Schedules
    }
}

Issue:

The Queueable is trying to call the Batch class, but it throws the error “Method does not exist or incorrect signature.”

Question Reformulation:

• Why am I seeing this error?
• How do I correctly initialize and execute a batch class within a queueable job?

Keywords:

Apex, Queueable, Batchable, Database.executeBatch, Salesforce, method signature error, Salesforce error handling, Queueable calling Batch process.

Answer

I have a Queueable job that attempts to call a batch process under certain conditions, but it’s not working as expected. Here’s the code for the Queueable job:

public void execute(QueueableContext context) {
    Boolean isRunning = Utils.deliveryScheduleProcessing;
    if(!isRunning && myContext.triggerType == 'Delivery_Schedule__c' && myContext.isAfter){
        isRunning = true;
        Database.executeBatch(DeliveryScheduleSync_batch());
    }
}

global class DeliveryScheduleSync_batch implements Database.Batchable<SObject> {
    global void createQueryString() { 
        // Retrieve any Delivery Schedules that have changed recently
        //  that are either Master Schedules or linked to one
        Id masterScheduleRTId = Utils.getRecordTypeId('Delivery_Schedule__c', 'Master Schedule');
        
        Date yesterday = System.today().addDays(-1);
        query = 'SELECT Id, RecordTypeId, AssetId__c, Contact__c ' + 
                'FROM   Delivery_Schedule__c ' +
                'WHERE  LastModifiedDate > :' + yesterday + 
                'AND    RecordTypeId == ' + masterScheduleRTId + 
                'OR     Master_Schedule__c <> null';
    }
    
    global Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc) {
        createQueryString();        
        return Database.getQueryLocator(query);
    }
    
    global void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc, List<Delivery_Schedule__c> oDeliverySchedules) {
        // Batch execution logic
    }
}

The issue lies in the way you’re calling Database.executeBatch(). The method Database.executeBatch() expects an instance of a class that implements the Database.Batchable interface. In your code, you’re passing the class itself, rather than an instance of the class.

To fix this, you need to create a new instance of the DeliveryScheduleSync_batch class before passing it to Database.executeBatch(). Here’s the corrected line of code:

Database.executeBatch(new DeliveryScheduleSync_batch());

This ensures that an instance of DeliveryScheduleSync_batch is created and passed into the batch execution method.

Explanation for the code change:

The Database.executeBatch() method needs an object (instance) that implements the Database.Batchable interface, not the class definition itself. By creating an instance with new, you’re providing the necessary object for batch processing.

Here’s the corrected code for your Queueable class:

public void execute(QueueableContext context) {
    Boolean isRunning = Utils.deliveryScheduleProcessing;
    if (!isRunning && myContext.triggerType == 'Delivery_Schedule__c' && myContext.isAfter) {
        isRunning = true;
        Database.executeBatch(new DeliveryScheduleSync_batch());
    }
}

The reason for this is that DeliveryScheduleSync_batch() is interpreted as a method call rather than an instantiation of the batch class. Thenew keyword is necessary to create an instance of the class.

If there are any additional issues, such as missing methods in your DeliveryScheduleSync_batch class, ensure the batch class correctly implements the Database.Batchable interface. Below is an example of what your batch class might look like:

global class DeliveryScheduleSync_batch implements Database.Batchable<SObject> {
    global String query;

    global void createQueryString() { 
        Id masterScheduleRTId = Utils.getRecordTypeId('Delivery_Schedule__c', 'Master Schedule');
        Date yesterday = System.today().addDays(-1);
        query = 'SELECT Id, RecordTypeId, AssetId__c, Contact__c ' + 
                'FROM   Delivery_Schedule__c ' +
                'WHERE  LastModifiedDate > :yesterday ' + 
                'AND    RecordTypeId = :masterScheduleRTId ' + 
                'OR     Master_Schedule__c <> null';
    }
        
    global Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext bc) {
        createQueryString();        
        return Database.getQueryLocator(query);
    }
    
    global void execute(Database.BatchableContext bc, List<SObject> scope) {
        // Your batch execution logic here
    }
    
    global void finish(Database.BatchableContext bc) {
        // Optional final logic
    }
}

Alternative Approach: Checking for Syntax Issues
Ensure that you are not mistakenly using == for equality comparison in SOQL queries. Instead, use = as in:

'AND RecordTypeId = :masterScheduleRTId'

Summing Up

To resolve the error “Method does not exist or incorrect signature” when calling a batch job, ensure that you create an instance of the batch class using the new keyword, like this: Database.executeBatch(new DeliveryScheduleSync_batch());. The error occurs because the Database.executeBatch method expects an instance of a class implementing the Database.Batchable interface, not a direct method call.

Additionally, confirm that your batch class properly implements the Database.Batchable interface with the required start, execute, and finish methods. Use proper SOQL syntax in the query, particularly replacing == with = for equality checks. Following these steps will fix the issue and ensure your Queueable job can successfully call the batch process.

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