Metadata API Developer Guide

Getting Started
Understanding Metadata API
Supported Salesforce Editions
Development Platforms
Standards Compliance
Metadata API Support Policy
Related Resources
Quick Start
Using Metadata API
Reference
Appendices
Glossary
PDF

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Development Platforms

Metadata API supports both file-based and CRUD-based development.

File-Based Development

The declarative or file-based asynchronous Metadata API deploy() and retrieve() operations deploy or retrieve a .zip file that holds components in a set of folders, and a manifest file named package.xml. For more information, see Deploying and Retrieving Metadata. The easiest way to access the file-based functionality is to use the Force.com IDE or Force.com Migration Tool.

CRUD-Based Development

The CRUD Metadata API calls act upon the metadata components in a manner similar to the way synchronous API calls in the enterprise WSDL act upon objects. For more information about the enterprise WSDL, see the SOAP API Developer's Guide.