---
schema_version: "1"
id: d8d777d13f6642f51fe17ae2db9584dd4bb702ce8d128d97ac6c3aa769c0af43
title: Development Platforms
collection: legacydeveloper
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/legacydeveloper/current/en-us/api_meta/meta_dev_platforms.md
canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_dev_platforms.htm
source_site: developer.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 770b06d1c1f79ce76baaca7815a4e0e17fb7610553ae5481d7c2ea52c8ae50f7
---
# Development Platforms

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

## File-Based Development

The declarative or file-based asynchronous Metadata API [deploy()](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_deploy.htm "Uses file representations of components to create, update, or delete those components in a Salesforce org.") and [retrieve()](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_retrieve.htm "The retrieve() call retrieves XML file representations of components in an organization.") 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](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/file_based.htm). The easiest way to access the file-based functionality is to use the Salesforce Extensions for Visual Studio Code or Salesforce CLI.

## CRUD-Based Development

The [CRUD Metadata API calls](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_crud_based_calls_intro.htm "Use CRUD-based calls to work with metadata components in a manner similar to how synchronous API calls in the enterprise WSDL act upon objects.") 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 Guide](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.264.0.api.meta/api/ "HTML (New Window)").