Methods and systems for providing schema layout in an on-demand services environment

• US 8,676,864 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Lulewicz, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US13/314,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 707/790, 707/803, 707/805, 707/999.1, 715/800, 715/762, 715/763
• 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 automatically arranging graphical representations of objects on a canvas. Optionally, the automatic arrangement of the graphical representation of the object may be performed in an on demand, multi-tenant database as part of a tool for creating and displaying schema. A data object with more connections to other data objects may tend to be placed closer to other objects, where as data objects with fewer connections may tend to be placed further apart. The algorithm for placement is based on computations of pseudo-forces between objects. The pseudo force on an object from all other objects is calculated in a given time step and when the force is less than a threshold value, the positions of the objects is updated based on the forces. When the computed displacements are less than a threshold, the objects are in equilibrium.

Claims

1. A method for placing data objects of a database schema using an online tool, the method comprising:

receiving input at a system, about a schema, the system including at least a processor system having at least a processor, and a memory system having one or more computer readable media;

determining, by the processor system, relationships between objects of the schema;

determining, by the system, positions on a graphical canvas of graphical representations of the objects based on the relationships between the objects by at least performing an iterative computation having one or more iterations,

for each iteration, computing a net force on each graphical representation of one of the objects, for each object, after a net force is computed for that graphical representation, checking if a sum of an absolute value of a first component of the net force and an absolute value of a second component of the net force that is orthogonal to first component is less than a threshold value;

if the sum is less than the threshold, not updating the position; and

if the sum is greater than the threshold, updating the position;

wherein the computation reduces the net forces on the graphical representation of the objects; and

automatically displaying the positions of each graphical representation of one the objects on a graphical canvas.

2. The method of claim 1, the determining of the positions of the graphical representation of the objects being performed by at least calculating any attractive forces and any repulsive forces between the graphical representation of the objects and adjusting the positions to reduce the net forces on the graphical representation of the objects.

3. The method of claim 2, each of the repulsive forces between a pair of the objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between graphical representations of the pair of objects.

4. The method of claim of 2, further comprising:

for each object repeating the computing of the net force, the sum, and the checking until the sum is less than the threshold value for all graphical representations of objects in a view of the schema.

6. The method of claim 1, the receiving of the input at the system further comprises:

receiving an input from a user system, the system hosts a multi-tenant database.

7. The method of claim 1, the receiving of the input at the system further comprises:

receiving an input being due to a change in the schema.

8. The method of claim 1, the receiving of the input at the system further comprises:

receiving an indication of a change in viewing options.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprises selecting objects for displaying the graphical representations of the objects on the graphical canvas.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprises selecting viewing options for displaying the graphical representations of the objects on the graphical canvas.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprises sending from the system having the database system to a user system a portion of the graphical canvas and a map of the graphical canvas, the map having a navigable representation of the schema and a selected region representing a current viewing scope of the graphical canvas, which is a representation of the portion of the graphical canvas.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprises receiving a selection of an object on the graphical canvas, and in response automatically highlighting the graphical representation of the object and the connections of the object on the graphical canvas.

13. The method of claim 1, the displaying of the positions of objects on a graphical canvas of graphical representations of the objects in a first view including at least changing the selection of objects for display and automatically rearranging the selection of objects in a second view such that at least one object of the second view appears in the first view.

15. The method of claim 1, the force having two components, including at least the first component being proportional to

(x₁−

x₂)/[(x₁−

x₂)²+(y₁−

y₂)²],

and

the second component being proportional to

(y₁−

y₂)/[(x₁−

x₂)²+(y₁−

y₂)²].

16. The method of claim 1, the force on a given graphical representation of a given object being computed by adding only forces from other objects that are within a predetermined radius of the given object.

17. The method of claim 1, the force between two objects, which are separated by a distance, being inversely proportional to the distance.

5. A non-transitory computer readable media storing one or more machine instructions, which when invoked carry out a method comprising:

receiving input at a system, about a schema, the system including at least a processor system having at least a processor, and a memory system having one or more computer readable media;

determining, by the processor system, relationships between objects of the schema;

determining, by the system, positions on a graphical canvas of graphical representations of the objects based on the relationships between the objects by at least performing an iterative computation having one or more iterations,

for each iteration, computing a net force on each graphical representation of one of the objects, for each object, after a net force is computed for that graphical representation, checking if a sum of an absolute value of a first component of the net force and an absolute value of a second component of the net force that is orthogonal to first component is less than a threshold value;

if the sum is less than the threshold, not updating the position; and

if the sum is greater than the threshold, updating the position;

wherein the computation reduces the net forces on the graphical representation of the objects; and

automatically displaying the positions of each graphical representation of one the objects on a graphical canvas.

14. A system comprising:

a processor system including at least one processor;

an interface for connection with a network; and

a memory system storing a schema and an algorithm for determining position of objects in the schema and placing the objects on a canvas, the algorithm implementing a method including at least receiving input at a system, about a schema, the system including at least a processor system having at least a processor, and a memory system having one or more computer readable media;

determining, by the processor system, relationships between objects of the schema;

determining, by the system, positions on a graphical canvas of graphical representations of the objects based on the relationships between the objects by at least performing an iterative computation having one or more iterations,

for each iteration, computing a net force on each graphical representation of one of the objects, for each object, after a net force is computed for that graphical representation, checking if a sum of an absolute value of a first component of the net force and an absolute value of a second component of the net force that is orthogonal to first component is less than a threshold value;

if the sum is less than the threshold, not updating the position; and

if the sum is greater than the threshold, updating the position;

wherein the computation reduces the net forces on the graphical representation of the objects; and

automatically displaying the positions of each graphical representation of one the objects on a graphical canvas.