Which type of metadata does Salesforce primarily use?

Salesforce primarily uses XML for its metadata, which serves as a structured format for storing and transferring data. In the context of Salesforce, XML is utilized for defining various metadata components, such as custom objects, fields, page layouts, and more. This format is both human-readable and machine-readable, making it highly suitable for API interactions and deployment processes within Salesforce.

Using XML enables Salesforce to effectively manage complex data structures, ensuring that the metadata can be easily interpreted by the Salesforce platform during processes like deployment and version control. This inherent versatility of XML allows for the capture of hierarchy and relationships between different metadata components, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the Salesforce environment.

The other formats listed—JSON, CSV, and HTML—serve different purposes and are not primarily used for Salesforce metadata. JSON, while increasingly popular for data exchange and APIs, lacks the structural depth required for complex metadata representation as found in XML. CSV is generally used for flat, tabular data storage, which does not align with the diverse and hierarchical nature of Salesforce metadata. HTML is a markup language suited for web pages, not for the structured representation of metadata within Salesforce.