METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DESIGNING AND BUILDING A SCHEMA IN AN ON-DEMAND SERVICES ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130046799A1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hale, Shannon Patricia, Sundaravaradan, Barathkumar, Lulewicz, Joshua, Appler, Justin, Musthyala, Kavitha, Li, Edward, McGee-Tubb, Cordelia, Giavelli, Luc Marcel, Roe, Joshua M., Wolverton, Shawna A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for displaying a graphical representation of data objects of a schema using an online tool. In an embodiment, the online tool may be used to create or modify a schema. Modifying a schema may include adding or modifying or deleting data objects. Modifying data objects may include adding or modifying or deleting data fields. The online tool may be used to define relationships between data objects. In an embodiment, user permissions may be set for data objects. In an embodiment, the graphical representations of data objects may be selected and placed is a different location.

Claims

1. A method for defining a database schema comprising:

receiving, at a host machine, user input from a client machine in the form of altering a graphical element of a graphical representation of a database schema, the host machine including at least a processor system having one or more processors, a memory system;

in response to the input, the processor system automatically altering the database schema;

the machine computing an update to the graphical representation of the database schema to graphically represent the change to the database schema, the update including placing at least one object in a position that was not explicitly determined by the user; and

the machine sending rendering information to the client machine for rendering a display of the graphical representations of the database schema after being updated.

2. The method of claim 1, the sending of the rendering information for rendering a display of the graphical representations of the database schema including sending rendering information for at least a graphical representation of the data object with a graphical representation of at least one data field.

3. The method of claim 1, the altering of the database schema further comprises adding at least a data object by adding a graphical representation of the data object.

4. The method of claim 1, the altering of the database schema further comprises deleting at least a data object by deleting a graphical representation of the data object.

5. The method of claim 4, the altering at least a data object further includes adding at least a data field by at least adding a graphical representation of the a data field to a graphical representation of the data object.

6. The method of claim 1, the sending of the rendering information for rendering a display of the graphical representations of the database schema including sending rendering information for at least rendering a rectangular box representing a data object.

7. The method of claim 6, the sending of the information for rendering a display of the graphical representation of the database schema including sending information for at least rendering the rectangular box including a rectangular region representing a field.

8. The method of claim 1, the sending of the information for rendering a display of the graphical representation of the database schema including sending information for at least rendering two graphical representations of data objects and a line joining the two graphical representations of the data objects, the line representing a relationship between two data objects.

9. The method of claim 8, the line touching the graphical representation of at least one object at a location that is closest to a graphical representation of a field that is affected by the relationship.

10. The method of claim 8, the line representing a lookup relationship;

the lookup relationship is a relationship between a first of the two data objects object and a second of the two data objects;

the first data object having at least one field that receives values from at least one field of the second data object.

11. The method of claim 8, the line representing a master-detail relationship;

the master-detail relationship is a relationship between a first of the two data objects and a second of the two data objects;

the second data object containing detailed information about the first data object;

the second data object is a child of the first data object;

the second data object having at least one usage constraint defined by the first data object.

12. The method of claim 1,

the sending of the rendering information for rendering a display of the graphical representation of the database schema including sending rendering information for at least rendering two graphical representations of a first pair of data objects and a first type of line joining the two representations of the data objects, the first type of line representing a first relationship between the first pair of data objects;

and

the sending of the rendering information for rendering a display of the graphical representation of the database schema including sending information for at least rendering two graphical representations of a second pair of data objects and a second type of line joining the two representations of the second pair of data objects, the second type of line representing a second relationship between the second pair of data objects.

13. The method of claim 12, the first relationship being a master-detail relationship, and the second relationship being a lookup relationship;

the master-detail relationship is a relationship between a first object of the first pair of data objects and a second object of the first pair of data objects;

the second data object containing detailed information about the first data object;

the second data object is a child of the first data object;

the second data object having at least one usage constraint defined by the first data object;

the lookup relationship is a relationship between a first object of the second pair of data objects and a second object of the second pair of data objects;

the first data object having at least one field that receives its values from at least one field of the second data object.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the sending of the rendering information for rendering a display of the graphical representation of the database schema including sending information for at least rendering the rectangular box;

including a rectangular region representing a field.

15. The method of claim 1, the altering of the database schema further comprises setting user permission to access the database schema.

16. A method of claim 1, further comprises sending rendering information for rendering a map of the graphical representation of the schema with a portion of the map highlighted, the portion of the map highlighted being the portion of the graphical representation of the schema that is displayed on the graphical canvas, the scale of the map being smaller than the scale of the graphical representation of the schema.

17. A method of claim 1, further comprises adding a schema element in response to retrieving information generated by dragging and dropping a corresponding graphical elements from a menu to the canvas.

18. A computer readable media storing one or more machine instructions, which when invoked carry out the method of claim 1.

19. A method of claim 1, the host system hosting a multi-tenant database.

20. A host system comprising:

a processor system including at least one processor;

an interface for connection with a network;

a memory system storing one or more instructions for implementing a method including at least

receiving, at the host machine, user input from a client machine in the form of altering a graphical element of a graphical representation of a database schema;

in response to the input, the processor system automatically altering the database schema;

the machine computing an update to the graphical representation of the database schema to graphically represent the change to the database schema; and

the machine sending rendering information to the client machine for rendering a display of the graphical representations of the database schema after being updated.