User Mode Database Operations

// Runs in system mode by default — ignores CRUD/FLS entirely
Account acc = new Account(Name = 'Test', AnnualRevenue = 999999);
insert acc; // succeeds even if the running user can't normally edit AnnualRevenue

Every plain SOQL query and DML statement written throughout this course, by default, runs in system mode — full object and field access, completely ignoring the running user's actual CRUD/FLS permissions (sharing, from the earlier lesson, is still respected by default; CRUD/FLS is not). This is a historical Apex default, not something this course has been doing wrong — but it means every field-level security check has needed to be added manually, as the previous two lessons showed.

Account acc = new Account(Name = 'Test', AnnualRevenue = 999999);
insert as user acc; // now enforces the running user's actual CRUD/FLS automatically

insert as user (and the equivalent update as user, delete as user, and SELECT ... FROM Account WITH USER_MODE in SOQL) tells Apex to enforce object and field-level permissions automatically — if the running user can't actually set AnnualRevenue, this throws a clear error instead of silently succeeding.

List<Account> accounts = [SELECT Id, Name, AnnualRevenue FROM Account WITH USER_MODE];

Explicit user mode means CRUD/FLS enforcement happens automatically, everywhere, without needing to remember Security.stripInaccessible or manual Schema.sObjectType checks at every single query and DML statement — for new Apex code, defaulting to user mode (rather than system mode plus manual checks) is generally the safer starting point.