Method and system for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service

• US 20120054593A1
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Naderi, Nadia
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service in a database system. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to provide users with an efficient form wizard for filling electronic forms. The ability of embodiments to provide a form wizard can enable users to efficiently accomplish the rapid filling of multiple forms without the need to scroll through the electronic forms and entering the same information repeatedly.

Claims

1. A method for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service in a machine resident database system for a multi-tenant database system, the method comprising:

receiving at a machine resident database system, a request from a user machine to fill at least one form field using a form wizard;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard user interface to fill the at least one form field by the form wizard;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, specifying information to fill the at least one form field using the form wizard; and

sending to the user machine an updated form reflecting the filling of the at least one form field.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to set up the form wizard;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information for setting up the form wizard user interface; and

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface enables navigation of the form fields without benefit of a pointing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface is capable of filling form fields without benefit of a pointing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one form field is a mandatory form field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one form field is an optional form field.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface automatically contains mandatory form fields.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface automatically adopts an application user interface design standard of the mandatory form fields.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the information received contain optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard contains instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface allows a user to designate default values for form fields, the default values allowing the user to quickly fill form fields of a same type.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the form wizard setup interface is accessible only to users having appropriate privileges.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to set up the form wizard user interface;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard containing instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information for setting up the form wizard user interface; and

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the information received containing optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface.

14. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to set up the form wizard user interface;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard containing instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information for setting up the form wizard user interface; and

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the information received containing optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface, the form wizard user interface

allowing a user to designate default values for form fields, the default values allowing the user to quickly fill form fields of a same type,

enabling navigation of the form fields without benefit of a pointing device,

capable of filling form fields without benefit of a pointing device,

automatically contains mandatory form fields, and

automatically adopts an application user interface design standard of the mandatory form fields.

15. A machine-readable medium storing thereon one or more instructions, which when implemented cause a processor to implement a method for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service, the method comprising:

receiving at a machine resident database system, a request from a user machine to fill at least one form field using a form wizard;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard user interface to fill the at least one form field by the form wizard;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, specifying information to fill the at least one form field using the form wizard; and

sending to the user machine an updated form reflecting the filling of the at least one form field.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to set up the form wizard user interface;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard containing instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information for setting up the form wizard user interface; and

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the information received containing optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to set up the form wizard user interface;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard containing instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information for setting up the form wizard user interface; and

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the information received containing optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface, the form wizard user interface

allowing a user to designate default values for form fields, the default values allowing the user to quickly fill form fields of a same type,

enabling navigation of the form fields without benefit of a pointing device,

capable of filling form fields without benefit of a pointing device,

automatically contains mandatory form fields, and

automatically adopts an application user interface design standard of the mandatory form fields.

18. A machine resident host system for simplifying form filling in an on-demand service in a multi-tenant database system, the host system comprising:

a processor system,

a memory system including at least volatile memory, and non-volatile memory;

the non-volatile memory including at least one machine readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which when implemented causes the processor system to implement a method comprising;

receiving, at a machine resident database system, a request from a user machine to fill at least one form field using a form wizard;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard user interface to fill the at least one form field by the form wizard;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, specifying information to fill the at least one form field using the form wizard; and

sending to the user machine an updated form reflecting the filling of the at least one form field.

19. The machine resident host system of claim 18, the method further comprising

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to set up the form wizard user interface;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard containing instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information for setting up the form wizard user interface; and

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the information received containing optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface.

20. The machine resident host system of claim 18, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to set up the form wizard user interface;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard containing instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information for setting up the form wizard user interface; and

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the information received containing optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface, the form wizard user interface

allowing a user to designate default values for form fields, the default values allowing the user to quickly fill form fields of a same type,

enabling navigation of the form fields without benefit of a pointing device,

capable of filling form fields without benefit of a pointing device,

automatically contains mandatory form fields, and

automatically adopts an application user interface design standard of the mandatory form fields.