Customizing standard formula fields in a multi-tenant database system environment

• US 9,244,954 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Ziemann, Tyler, Levine, Susan S., Ahuja, Neeraj
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US14/485,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20150006590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries

Abstract

In a method, system, and computer-readable medium having instructions for customizing standard formula fields, at least a portion of a formula is received for a standard database field of a standard database entity in a multi-tenant database and the standard database entity is used by a plurality of tenants, a date range is stored for maintaining at least the portion of the formula, information on one or more variables of the formula is received, a value is calculated for the standard database field with at least the portion of the formula and information on the one or more variables of the formula and one or more database entities depend on the value for the standard database field, and the value is stored for the standard database field.

Claims

1. A method for customizing standard formula fields in a database system, the method comprising:

receiving at least a portion of a formula for a standard database field of a standard database entity in a database system;

storing a date range for maintaining at least the portion of the formula;

calculating a value for the standard database field with at least the portion of the formula and information on one or more variables of the formula, wherein one or more database entities depend on the value for the standard database field; and

storing the value for the standard database field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the portion of the formula is a formula for a variable for a total price value in a customer relationship management database entity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a formula for the standard database field valid for a current date.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suppressing execution of at least a portion of user defined code, where the portion of user defined code produces unexpected results with the value calculated for the standard database field.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the value after executing user defined code for the standard database field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a database entity that depends on the value for the standard database field is a forecasting database entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the portion of the formula is a formula for a total price value in a customer relationship management database entity.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having one or more instructions thereon for customizing formula fields in a database system, the instructions when executed by one or more processors causing the one or more processors to implement a method comprising:

receiving at least a portion of a formula for a database field of a database entity in a database system;

storing a date range for maintaining at least the portion of the formula;

calculating a value for the database field with at least the portion of the formula and information on one or more variables of the formula, wherein one or more database entities depend on the value for the database field; and

storing the value for the database field.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein at least the portion of the formula is a formula for a variable for a total price value in a customer relationship management database entity.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method implemented by the instructions further comprises:

retrieving a formula for the database field valid for a current date.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method implemented by the instructions further comprises:

suppressing execution of at least a portion of user defined code, where the portion of user defined code produces unexpected results with the value calculated for the database field.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method implemented by the instructions further comprises:

storing the value after executing user defined code for the database field.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein a database entity that depends on the value for the database field is a forecasting database entity.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein at least the portion of the formula is a formula for a total price value in a customer relationship management database entity.

15. A computer-based system for customizing standard formula fields in a tenant database system, the computer-based system comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement a method comprising;

receiving at least a portion of a formula for a standard database field of a standard database entity in a database;

storing a date range for maintaining at least the portion of the formula;

calculating a value for the standard database field with at least the portion of the formula and information on one or more variables of the formula, wherein one or more database entities depend on the value for the standard database field; and

storing the value for the standard database field.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein at least the portion of the formula is a formula for a variable for a total price value in a customer relationship management database entity.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the method implemented by the instructions further comprises:

retrieving a formula for the standard database field valid for a current date.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the method implemented by the instructions further comprises:

suppressing execution of at least a portion of user defined code, where the portion of user defined code produces unexpected results with the value calculated for the standard database field.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the method implemented by the instructions further comprises:

storing the value after executing user defined code for the standard database field.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein a database entity that depends on the value for the standard database field is a forecasting database entity.