Custom application creation in multi-tenant systems

• US 8,966,440 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: No, Jamie, Donovan, Daniel Jacob, Moses, Evan Michael, Scotton, Mary Kathryn, Jowitt, Michelle Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Ziaul A
• Application Number:
  US13/445,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for creating custom applications that integrate custom objects in a multi-tenant system. One exemplary method for creating a custom application involves an application server providing a graphical user interface on a client device. The graphical user interface includes a graphical user interface element for receiving an input value for an attribute of the custom application, wherein the application server generates the custom application having the attribute equal to the input value indicated by the graphical user interface element to a client device.

Claims

1. A method for creating a new custom application, the method comprising:

providing, by an application server, a graphical user interface on a client device coupled to the application server, the graphical user interface including a graphical user interface element for receiving an input value for an attribute of the new custom application;

creating, by the application server, first metadata in a database, the first metadata defining a structure for the new custom application, the first metadata including a field corresponding to the attribute, wherein the field of the first metadata is equal to the input value;

providing a second graphical user interface element within the graphical user interface for receiving a second input value for a second attribute of a new custom object type to be integrated with the new custom application;

creating, by the application server, second metadata in the database, the second metadata defining a structure for the new custom object type, the second metadata including a second field corresponding to the second attribute, the second field of the second metadata being equal to the second input value, wherein the first metadata maintains an association between the second metadata and third metadata in the database, the third metadata corresponding to a second object; and

generating, by the application server, the new custom application having the attribute equal to the input value, wherein the new custom object type is integrated with the new custom application by displaying a tabbed interface on the client device including a first tab corresponding to the new custom object type and a second tab corresponding to the second object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

providing the graphical user interface comprises displaying a modal window including the graphical user interface element on the client device; and

generating the new custom application comprises displaying the new custom application on the client device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a selectable graphical user interface element within the modal window, wherein the new custom application is displayed in response to selection of the selectable graphical user interface element.

4. The method of claim 1, the second input value comprising an object name, wherein the first tab comprises a custom object tab having the object name.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a third field of the second metadata to a default value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the new custom application is only available to a subset of users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second object is available to all users; and

the new custom object type is only available to a subset of the users.

8. A method of creating applications in a multi-tenant system, the multi-tenant system including an application server providing the applications to a plurality of tenants, the method comprising:

providing, by the application server, a first graphical user interface element for receiving a custom application name on a client device coupled to the application server over a network;

providing, by the application server, a second graphical user interface element for receiving a custom object name on the client device;

creating, by the application server, first metadata for a new custom object type in a multi-tenant database coupled to the application server, the first metadata including a first field equal to the custom object name;

creating, by the application server, second metadata defining a structure for a new application in the multi-tenant database, the second metadata including a second field equal to the custom application name, the second metadata maintaining an association between the first metadata and third metadata maintained in the multi-tenant database, the third metadata corresponding to a second object tab; and

generating, by the application server, the new custom application having the custom application name by displaying a tabbed interface on the client device, the tabbed interface including a custom object tab having the custom object name and the second object tab.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a selectable graphical user interface element on the client device, wherein the first metadata and the second metadata are automatically created in response to selection of the selectable graphical user interface element.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing, within the new custom application, a third graphical user interface element for creating a new instance of the new custom object type in the multi-tenant database when the custom object tab is activated.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein creating the first metadata comprises assigning a default value to a second field of the first metadata.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a selectable graphical user interface element on the client device, wherein generating the application comprises displaying the tabbed interface on the client device in response to selection of the selectable graphical user interface element, the tabbed interface including the custom object tab.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the new custom object type is only available to users associated with a particular tenant of the plurality of tenants.

14. A computer system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory comprises computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to:

provide a graphical user interface including a first graphical user interface element for receiving a custom application name, a second graphical user interface element for receiving a custom object name, and a selectable graphical user interface element;

automatically create first metadata defining structure for a new custom object type and second metadata defining structure for a new custom application in a multi-tenant database in response to selection of the selectable graphical user interface element, the first metadata including a first field equal to the custom object name and the second metadata including a second field equal to the custom application name, the second metadata maintaining an association between the first metadata and third metadata maintained in the multi-tenant database corresponding to a second object tab; and

automatically generate a new custom application having the custom application name by displaying a tabbed interface including the second object tab and a custom object tab having the custom object name in response to selection of the selectable graphical user interface element.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the computer system to:

assign a default value to a third field of the first metadata.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the computer system to provide a third graphical user interface element for creating a new instance of the new custom object type in the multi-tenant database when the custom object tab is activated.