When to Use Declarative vs. Programmatic Tools to Create Salesforce1 Apps

Salesforce1 features built with declarative tools:

• Are usually faster and cheaper to build.
• Generally require less maintenance.
• Receive automatic upgrades when the tools are improved.
• Aren’t subject to governor limits.

Common declarative tools you can use in your Salesforce1 apps include:

• Quick Actions
• Page layout customization
• Formula fields and roll-up summary fields
• Validation rules
• Workflows and approval processes
• Custom fields and objects

Before you commit to developing a new feature using programmatic tools such as Visualforce, consider whether you can implement your feature with declarative tools instead.

Of course, some apps can’t be built with declarative tools. Programmatic tools are often required for features that:

• Support specialized or complex business processes.
• Provide highly customized user interfaces or customized click-through paths.
• Connect to or integrate with third-party systems.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for when to choose clicks over code. When choosing, consider the problems you’re trying to solve and resources available to solve them.