What is the function of the Destructive Changes operation in Copado?

The function of the Destructive Changes operation in Copado focuses on the deletion of components from the repository. It is specifically designed to handle changes that involve removing elements from your Salesforce environment, such as classes, triggers, fields, or other metadata. This operation is critical for maintaining the integrity and organization of development work, particularly when components need to be removed as part of an overall cleanup or reorganization strategy.

Destructive Changes are typically managed through a dedicated changeset or pipeline that indicates exactly what needs to be removed, ensuring that there's a clear and controlled process for deletion. This operation helps to avoid any unintended consequences that may occur if components were simply deleted directly, as it provides a structured way to manage and track deletions within the system. This is particularly essential in collaborative environments where multiple team members are managing components and changes in the repository.

Other operations, such as updating existing fields or creating new feature branches, serve different purposes and do not relate directly to the specific action of removing components from the repository.