SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING MULTI-APPLICATION TABS AND TAB SETS

• US 20110071996A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bezar, Eric David, Fisher, Steve, Gross, Adam, Hu, George, Swinson, Ian, Oikawa, Yoshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/957,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20110071996A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A sharing model enables users to easily and conveniently create and share standard and custom database objects, and applications, among users or groups of users. The sharing model includes systems and methods that allow users to conveniently create and customize tabs and tab sets that define relationships between custom objects and fields, standard objects and fields, and applications. A tab visually represents a user interface into an element of an application or into a database object. Selection of a tab provides a user access to the object or element of the application represented by the tab. A tab set is a group of related tabs that work as a unit to provide application functionality. New tabs and tab sets may be defined and tab set views may be customized so that an end user can easily and conveniently switch between the various objects and application elements represented by the displayed tabs and tab set views.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for providing an interface, comprising:

providing, to an end user of a user system, a list of a plurality of tabs that are available for selection by a user, wherein the plurality of tabs is selected from a group including tabs for accessing at least one element of each of at least two applications;

receiving, from the user system, one or more of said plurality of tabs; and

storing, as at least a portion of the interface, at least one tabset definition defining a tabset corresponding to the one or more of said plurality of tabs.

2. A computer-based method according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the tabs in the list of a plurality of tabs provides for accessing an element of a first application; and

at least one of the tabs in the list of a plurality of tabs provides for accessing an element of a second application.

3. A computer-based method according to claim 1, wherein the list of a plurality of tabs is selected from a group that further includes tabs for accessing one or more data objects.

4. A computer-based method according to claim 3, wherein the data object includes a database object.

5. A computer-based method according to claim 4, wherein the database object is selected from a group including tables, entities and objects.

6. A computer-based method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the tabset and at least one of the plurality of tabs provides for switching between the applications.

7. A computer-based method according to claim 1, wherein the applications are selected from a group including standard applications provided by a multiple-application host, and custom applications created by one or more users of the multi-application host and shared with other multiple-application host users.

8. A computer-based method according to claim 3, wherein the at least one of the data objects is selected from a group including standard data objects provided by an multiple-application host, and custom data objects created by one or more users of the multi-application host and shared with other multiple-application host users.

9. A computer-based method according to claim 8, wherein the custom data objects include standard data objects that are customized by a user.

10. A computer-based method according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the tabset and at least one of the plurality of tabs provides for switching between the one or more data objects.

11. A computer-based method according to claim 1, further comprising defining, by respective ones of the user of a multiple application host, users that can see a corresponding tabset.

12. A computer-based method according to claim 1, further comprising defining, by respective ones of a multiple application host and a tabset creating user, users that can see a corresponding tab when the interface is presented.

13. A computer-based method according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether to provide access by a user to an applications, an application element or a data object according to a capacity of a user system used by the user.

14. A computer-based method according to claim 13, further comprising determining the capacity of the user system according to a permission of the user system user.

15. A computer-based system, comprising:

means for providing, to an end user of a user system, a list of a plurality of tabs that are available for selection by a user, wherein the plurality of tabs is selected from a group including tabs for accessing at least one element of each of at least two applications;

means for receiving, from the user system, one or more of said plurality of tabs; and

means for storing, as at least a portion of the interface, At least one tabset definition defining a tabset corresponding to the one or more of said plurality of tabs.

16. A computer-based system according to claim 15, wherein:

at least one of the tabs in the list of a plurality of tabs provides for accessing an element of a first application; and

at least one of the tabs in the list of a plurality of tabs provides for accessing an element of a second application.

17. A computer-based system according to claim 15, wherein the list of a plurality of tabs is selected from a group that further includes tabs for accessing one or more data objects.

18. A computer-based system according to claim 15, wherein the data object includes a database object.

19. A computer-based system according to claim 15, wherein one or more of the tabset and at least one of the plurality of tabs provides for switching between the applications.

20. A computer-based system according to claim 18, wherein:

the applications are selected from a group including standard applications provided by an multiple-application host, and custom applications created by one or more users of the multi-application host and shared with other multiple-application host users; and

the database objects are selected from a group including standard database objects provided by an multiple-application host, and custom database objects created by one or more users of the multi-application host and shared with other multiple-application host users.

21. A computer readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

providing, to an end user of a user system, a list of a plurality of tabs that are available for selection by a user, wherein the plurality of tabs is selected from a group including tabs for accessing at least one element of each of at least two applications;

receiving, from the user system, one or more of said plurality of tabs; and

storing, as at least a portion of the interface, At least one tabset definition defining a tabset corresponding to the one or more of said plurality of tabs.