SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR GENERATING A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS TO AN ON-DEMAND DATABASE SERVICE

• US 20090276405A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Weissman, Craig, Waite, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45508 Runtime interpretation or emulation, e g. emulator loops, bytecode interpretation

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for generating a set of instructions to an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for generating a set of instructions to an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to generate instructions capable of operating on objects, without having any knowledge of the objects on which the instructions are going to operate, until runtime. The ability of embodiments to provide this instruction generation may allow generic instructions to be generated, independent of the objects on which they will operate.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at a platform supporting applications built by third parties, at least one programming language instruction associated with at least one custom object;

determining a shape for the at least one custom object based upon a runtime instance of the at least one custom object; and

generating, based on the at least one programming language instruction, a set of instructions to an on-demand database service, the set of instructions configured to operate upon the runtime instance of the at least one custom object based upon the shape.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying the set of instructions to the on-demand database service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein applying the set of instructions to the on-demand database service affects a result in accordance with the at least one programming language instruction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a user of the on-demand database service with a list of entity types.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the list further includes a plurality of fields.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a selection of one or more of the plurality of fields or the entity types.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating the set of instructions based on the selection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions includes a query.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising executing the set of instructions.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying results of the execution of the set of instructions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the shape is determined utilizing one or more tokens.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one custom objects are capable of accessing the one or more tokens.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more tokens represent at least one entity type.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more tokens represent at least one field.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more tokens are utilized to separate a discovery phase from an information acquisition phase, the discovery phase and the acquisition phase being associated with the generating.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein data manipulation language (DML) updates associated with the on-demand database service are based on the one or more tokens.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, determining, and generating are performed for a plurality of organizations simultaneously.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-demand database service includes a multi-tenant on-demand database service.

19. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving at a platform supporting applications built by third parties, at least one programming language instruction associated with at least one custom object;

determining a shape for the at least one custom object based upon a runtime instance of the at least one custom object; and

generating, based on the at least one programming language instruction, a set of instructions to an on-demand database service, the set of instructions configured to operate upon the runtime instance of the at least one custom object based upon the shape.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving at a platform supporting applications built by third parties, at least one programming language instruction associated with at least one custom object;

determining a shape for the at least one custom object based upon a runtime instance of the at least one custom object; and

generating, based on the at least one programming language instruction, a set of instructions to an on-demand database service, the set of instructions configured to operate upon the runtime instance of the at least one custom object based upon the shape.

21. A method for transmitting code for use in a multi-tenant database system on a transmission medium, the method comprising:

transmitting code for receiving at a platform supporting applications built by third parties, at least one programming language instruction associated with at least one custom object;

transmitting code for determining a shape for the at least one custom object based upon a runtime instance of the at least one custom object; and

transmitting code for generating, based on the at least one programming language instruction, a set of instructions to an on-demand database service, the set of instructions configured to operate upon the runtime instance of the at least one custom object based upon the shape.