Validating visual components

• US 8,566,792 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Chasman, Doug, Ma, Billy
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US12/943,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44589 Program code verification, e.g. Java bytecode verification, proof-carrying code high-level semantic checks G06F8/43; testing and debugging software G06F11/36

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable media for validating components of a dynamic user interface in an on-demand multi-tenant service environment are disclosed. Organizations corresponding to tenants in the on-demand multi-tenant service environment are identified. A multi-tenant database system residing on multiple servers is provided for each of the identified organizations. Dynamic user interface pages associated with the organizations are identified. First and second compilation outputs based upon respective first and second invocations of a compiler configured to compile the one or more dynamic user interface pages are produced with reference to respective first and second builds of computer program code. Differences between the first and second compilation outputs are identified and presented in a user interface on a display device of the multi-tenant service environment. The differences can be identified by performing a comparison and selecting one or more differences that match a pattern specifier.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of validating components of a dynamic user interface in an on-demand multi-tenant service environment including a multi-tenant database system residing on a plurality of servers the method comprising:

identifying one or more dynamic user interface pages associated with an identified organization, the identified one or more pages referencing one or more visual components of the multi-tenant service environment;

producing first and second compilation outputs based upon respective first and second invocations of a compiler configured to compile the identified one or more pages and associated page program code with reference to respective first and second builds of computer program code implementing at least a portion of the multi-tenant service environment;

performing a comparison to identify one or more textual differences between the first and second compilation outputs;

selecting one or more matching differences from the one or more textual differences, wherein the one or more matching differences match a pattern specifier; and

presenting the one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs including the one or more matching differences in a user interface displayed on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second compilation outputs include representations of respective first and second objects, and wherein identifying one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs comprises:

creating first and second database objects in the multi-tenant database system via a parser, the parser translating the representations of the first and second objects from a compiler-generated format to the respective first and second database objects; and

comparing the first database objects to the second database objects, wherein the one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs comprise one or more differences between the first database objects and the second database objects.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more related objects that are related to the first and second compilation outputs, wherein the related objects comprise one or more standard page objects representing the one or more dynamic user interface pages for which the compiler produces the first and second compilation outputs; and

presenting the related objects in the user interface in association with the first and second compilation outputs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic user interface pages comprise one or more tag specifications that reference the one or more visual components, and the one or more visual components are configured to send and receive data to and from the multi-tenant database system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating failure information with the one or more pages when the one or more pages fail to compile, wherein the failure information includes an error message generated by the compiler.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second builds comprise first and second sets of computer-executable instructions that implement at least portions of the dynamic user interface.

7. One or more computer readable media having instructions stored thereon for validating components of a dynamic user interface in an on-demand service environment including a multi-tenant database system residing on a plurality of server machines, the instructions executable by a processor at one of the server machines to enable the server machine to:

identify one or more dynamic user interface pages associated with an identified organization, the identified pages referencing one or more visual components of the multi-tenant service environment;

produce first and second compilation outputs based upon respective first and second compiles of the identified one or more pages and associated page program code with reference to respective first and second builds of computer program code implementing at least a portion of the multi-tenant service environment;

identify one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs;

perform a comparison to identify one or more textual differences between the first and second compilation outputs;

select one or more matching differences from the one or more textual differences, wherein the one or more matching differences match a pattern specifier; and

present the one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs in a user interface displayed on a display device.

8. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the first and second compilation outputs include representations of respective first and second objects, and the instructions further enable the server machine to:

create first and second database objects in the multi-tenant database system via a parser, the parser translating the representations of the first and second objects from a compiler-generated format to the respective first and second database objects; and

compare the first database objects to the second database objects, wherein the one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs comprise one or more differences between the first database objects and the second database objects.

9. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the instructions further enable the server machine to:

identify one or more related objects that are related to the first and second compilation outputs, wherein the related objects comprise one or more standard page objects representing the one or more dynamic user interface pages for which the compiler produces the first and second compilation outputs; and

present the related objects in the user interface in association with the first and second compilation outputs.

10. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the dynamic user interface pages comprise one or more tag specifications that reference the one or more visual components, and the one or more visual components are configured to send and receive data to and from the multi-tenant database system.

11. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the instructions further enable the server machine to associate failure information with the one or more pages when the one or more pages fail to compile, and the failure information includes an error message generated by the compiler.

12. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the first and second builds comprise first and second sets of computer-executable instructions that implement at least portions of the dynamic user interface.

13. A data processing apparatus for validating components of a dynamic user interface in an on-demand service environment including a multi-tenant database system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored instructions which, when executed by the processor, enable the processor to;

identify one or more dynamic user interface pages associated with an Identified organization, the identified one or more pages referencing one or more visual components of the multi-tenant service environment;

produce first and second compilation outputs based upon respective first and second compiles of the identified one or more pages and associated page program code with reference to respective first and second builds of computer program code implementing at least a portion of the on-demand service environment;

identify one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs;

perform a comparison to identify one or more textual differences between the first and second compilation outputs;

select one or more matching differences from the one or more textual differences, wherein the one or more matching differences match a pattern specifier; and

present the one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs in a user interface displayed on a display device.

14. The data processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second compilation outputs include representations of respective first and second objects, and the instructions further enable the server machine to:

create first and second database objects in the multi-tenant database system via a parser, the parser translating the representations of the first and second objects from a compiler-generated format to the respective first and second database objects; and

compare the first database objects to the second database objects, wherein the one or more differences between the first and second compilation outputs comprise one or more differences between the first database objects and the second database objects.

15. The data processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions further enable the processor to:

identify one or more related objects that are related to the first and second compilation outputs, wherein the related objects comprise one or more standard page objects representing the one or more dynamic user interface pages for which the compiler produces the first and second compilation outputs; and

present the related objects in the user interface in association with the first and second compilation outputs.

16. The data processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the dynamic user interface pages comprise one or more tag specifications that reference the one or more visual components, and the one or more visual components are configured to send and receive data to and from the multi-tenant database system.

17. The data processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions further enable the processor to associate failure information with the one or more pages when the one or more pages fail to compile, and the failure information includes an error message generated by the compiler.

18. The data processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second builds comprise first and second sets of computer-executable instructions that implement at least portions of the dynamic user interface.