Method and system for exploring objects in a data dictionary

• US 8,972,439 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Mathew, Reena, Zheng, Zuye
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US13/106,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769, 707/758, 707/760, 707999003-999005, 707/756, 707/955, 707/960, 715/762
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence

Abstract

Mechanisms and methods for exploring objects in a data dictionary may enable embodiments to provide a simple and efficient tool for understanding dependencies between entities. The ability to provide a visual format for representing dependency information of entities may enable database developers to efficiently explore objects in a data dictionary and better understand the dependencies of entities in the database. In an embodiment, methods for exploring objects in a database can be applied to multi-tenant database systems.

Claims

1. A method for exploring a data dictionary of a database, comprising:

sending from a host system, a page with a user interface having an input area that receives input data related to an identity of an entity object, the entity object being one of a collection of objects that perform database related activities, the entity objects in the collection facilitate writing code for performing the database related activities without having to interact with the database directly, the host system including one or more machines including a processor system having at least one or more processors and a memory system that stores the database, and metadata associated with the entity object;

receiving, by the host system, the page with a selection of the entity object;

retrieving, by the processor system, metadata of a set of one or more entity objects from the collection based on the input data related to the identity; and

sending, from the host system, a data description of at least one of the entity object associated with the entity object selected including at least the metadata of the entity object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the page with the user interface is customizable, having a header section that is collapsible, the header section including a pull down menu for entering a layer in which the entity object is available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the page with the user interface is interactive, and includes a field for entering an organization identifier that the entity object is associated with.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the data description includes sending information that causes nodes to have a visual coding, such that nodes of standard entity objects that are provided to all tenants have a first type of visual appearance, and nodes of custom entity objects that are created for a specific tenant have a second type of visual appearance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the data description includes sending information that causes nodes to have a color coding, such that nodes of standard entity objects that are provided to all tenants are colored with first color, and nodes of custom entity objects that are created for a specific tenant colored with a second color.

6. The method of claim 1, the sending of the data description includes sending a value representing how many child nodes are dependent on a given node, and sending information causing the value to be displayed next to the given node.

7. The method of claim 1, the retrieving of the metadata includes retrieving data that is updated in real time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending information that causes a question mark to be displayed, instead of a value representing how many nodes, next to a node in a graph for which metadata was not retrieved that is adequate for determining how many nodes depend from the object entity represented by the node in the graph.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting to a user a choice of direction of relationships of nodes for the user to choose.

10. The method of claim 1, the metadata includes dependencies of the entity object and a direction of the dependencies.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dependencies of at least the entity object and the direction of the dependencies include dependencies of objects that are specific to a particular tenant of the multitenant database.

12. The method of claim 1, the data description sent includes a graphical format with the entity object as a node and dependent objects as child nodes.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the metadata includes at least a representation of a standard entity object that is provided to multiple tenants, and a representation of a custom entity object that is specific to a tenant;

wherein the page with the user interface is customizable having a tool to change a direction of the dependencies displayed, includes a field for entering an organization identification number and page displays data of the organization; and

wherein the data description sent including the graphical format includes, nodes containing the metadata and a relationship of the metadata, and the nodes are color coded with different colors representing at least standard metadata, custom metadata, standard relationship and custom relationship, the metadata being retrieved from a location at which the metadata is updated in real time, and next to each node, number is displayed representing how many child nodes are associated with each node if information has been retrieved which allows a number of child nodes to be determined and next to nodes for which information has not been retrieved allowing a number of child nodes to be determined, a question mark is displayed.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is in a multi-tenant database system.

15. A machine comprising:

nontransitory machine readable media, storing thereon one or more instructions for implementing a web application that includes one or more instructions that cause the processor system to perform a method including at least;

sending from a host system, a page with a user interface having an input area that receives input data related to an identity of an entity object, the entity object being one of a collection of objects that perform database related activities, the entity objects in the collection facilitate writing code for performing the database related activities without having to interact with the database directly, the host system including one or more machines including a processor system having at least one or more processors and a memory system that stores the database, and metadata associated with the entity object;

receiving, by the host system, the page with the selection of the entity object;

retrieving, by the processor system, metadata of a set of one or more entity objects from the collection based on the input data related to the identity; and

sending, from the host system, a data description of at least one of the entity object associated with the entity object including at least the metadata of the entity object.

16. A nontransitory machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for implementing a method for providing an interface for object relationships, the method comprising:

sending from a host system, a page with a user interface having an input area that receives input data related to an identity of an entity object, the entity object being one of a collection of objects that perform database related activities, the entity objects in the collection facilitate writing code for performing the database related activities without having to interact with the database directly, the host system including one or more machines including a processor system having at least one or more processors and a memory system that stores the database, and metadata associated with the entity object;

receiving, by the host system, the page with the selection of the entity object;

retrieving, by the processor system, metadata of a set of one or more entity objects from the collection based on the input data related to the identity; and

sending, from the host system, a data description of at least one of the entity object associated with the entity object including at least the metadata of the entity object.