Introduction - Why are we even doing it like this
Salesforce deployments are essential for managing and evolving Salesforce environments, especially in a consulting company setting. There are several methods for deploying metadata between organizations, including Change Sets, the Metadata API, and the Salesforce Command Line Interface (CLI). Each method has its unique advantages, but the introduction of Salesforce DX (SFDX) has revolutionized the process, making SFDX-based deployments the standard for the future.
The main reasons are because it is easy to deploy, and easy to revert to a prior version of anything you deploy as well - proper CI/CD depends on GIT being used, which ensures that everything you do can be rolled back in case of bugs.
| Deployment Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Change Sets |
- Easy to use with a graphical interface - No additional setup required |
- Limited to connected orgs - Manual and time-consuming - No version control - Can be done ad-hoc |
| Metadata API |
- Supports complex deployments - Can be automated - Broad coverage |
- Requires programming knowledge - Steeper learning curve |
| Salesforce CLI (SFDX) |
- Advanced automation - Supports modern DevOps practices - Version control |
- Steeper learning curve - Initial setup and configuration required - Requires trained staff to maintain |
| Third-Party Tools |
- User-friendly interfaces - Advanced features and integrations |
- Additional costs - May have proprietary limitations |
To stay fact-based: SFDX deployments allow deploying multiple times a week in a few minutes per deployment. This allows very easy user testing, and also allows finding why a specific issue cropped up. You can check the Examples section to see how and why this is useful.
It is perfectly true that these deployments require more technical knowledge than third-party tools like Gearset or Changesets. It is our opinion that the tradeoff in productivity is worth the extra training and learning curve.