Mechanism for facilitating management and customization of lightweight objects in an on-demand services environment

• US 8,996,553 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Gary, Agrawal, Sonali
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US13/691,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for facilitating management and customization of lightweight objects in an on-demand services environment. In one embodiment and by way of example, a method includes receiving, at a first computing device, a request a file having data and associated metadata in a format that is not supported by default objects of a software application. The method may further include generating one or more dynamic objects to support the requested format, generating the requested format using the one or more dynamic objects, and providing the file in the requested format via the software application.

Claims

1. A database system-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device by and incorporating into the database system, a request for one or more of data and metadata in one or more formats that are different from and independent of a default format supported by default objects of a software application;

generating, in runtime by the database system, one or more dynamic objects;

generating, in runtime by the database system, the one or more formats by associating the one or more of the data and the metadata with the one or more dynamic objects; and

providing, by the database system and via the software application, the one or more of the data and the metadata in the one or more formats based on the one or more dynamic objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is placed, via a user interface, at a second computing device including a client computing device having a mobile computing device, wherein the request is placed by a user as an individual or serving as a representative of an organization, wherein the organization includes a customer of a service provider that owns the software application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application comprises one or more of a business software application, a business networking website, and a social networking website.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device comprises a server computing device coupled to the second computing device over a network, wherein the network includes one or more of a cloud-based network, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating, in real-time by the database system, the request prior to processing the request; and

determining, by the database system, whether the request format is supported by the default objects, prior to generating the one or more dynamic objects.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the format is compatible with one or more of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, and a presentation application, a database application, and wherein the file comprises one or more of a word processing file, a spreadsheet file, a presentation file, and a database file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing, by the database system, the data and the associated metadata stored at a database, wherein the database is coupled to the first computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the file comprises displaying or sharing the file via the software application via a user interface including an Internet browser, and wherein providing the file further comprises generating a report relating to the file, and wherein the report is displayed or shared via the software application via the user interface.

9. A system comprising:

a processor, and a memory to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive, at a first computing device, a request for one or more of data and metadata in one or more formats that are different from and independent of a default format not supported by default objects of a software application;

generate, in runtime, one or more dynamic objects

generate, in runtime, the one or more formats by associating the one or more of the data and the metadata with the one or more dynamic objects; and

provide, by the database system and via the software application, the one or more of the data and the metadata in the one or more formats based on the one or more dynamic objects.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the request is placed, via a user interface, at a second computing device including a client computing device having a mobile computing device, wherein the request is placed by a user as an individual or serving as a representative of an organization, wherein the organization includes a customer of a service provider that owns the software application.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the software application comprises one or more of a business software application, a business networking website, and a social networking website.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first computing device comprises a server computing device coupled to the second computing device over a network, wherein the network includes one or more of a cloud-based network, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive, at a first computing device, a request for one or more of data and metadata in one or more formats that are different from and independent of a default format not supported by default objects of a software application;

generate, in runtime, one or more dynamic objects;

generate, in runtime, the one or more formats by associating the one or more of the data and the metadata with the one or more dynamic objects; and

provide, by the database system and via the software application, the one or more of the data and the metadata in the one or more formats based on the one or more dynamic objects.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the request is placed, via a user interface, at a second computing device including a client computing device having a mobile computing device, wherein the request is placed by a user as an individual or serving as a representative of an organization, wherein the organization includes a customer of a service provider that owns the software application.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the software application comprises one or more of a business software application, a business networking website, and a social networking website.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first computing device comprises a server computing device coupled to the second computing device over a network, wherein the network includes one or more of a cloud-based network, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the machine is further to:

authenticate, in real-time, the request prior to processing the request; and

determine whether the request format is supported by the default objects, prior to generating the one or more dynamic objects.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the format is compatible with one or more of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, and a presentation application, a database application, and wherein the file comprises one or more of a word processing file, a spreadsheet file, a presentation file, and a database file.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the machine is further to access the data and the associated metadata stored at a database, wherein the database is coupled to the first computing device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein providing the file comprises displaying or sharing the file via the software application via a user interface including an Internet browser, and wherein providing the file further comprises generating a report relating to the file, and wherein the report is displayed or shared via the software application via the user interface.