Filtering objects in a multi-tenant environment

• US 9,292,181 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, David, Rana, Neelav, Schneider, Donovan, Koosel, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US13/874,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20130246951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

Various techniques and procedures related to filtering objects in a virtual application within a multi-tenant system are provided. One approach involves providing a first graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first filtering criterion and a second graphical user interface element enabling indication of a second filtering criterion within the virtual application being accessed over a network from a client device. After indication of the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion, a filtered set of objects is identified based on the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion. At least a portion of the filtered set of objects may then be presented within the virtual application on a client device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

providing by a system a first graphical user interface element capable of being used by a user to indicate one of a first plurality of possible object types for filtering a plurality of objects stored by the system;

receiving by the system from the user via the first graphical user interface element an indication of a first object type from the first plurality of possible object types;

after receiving the indication of the first object type, determining by the system a second plurality of possible object types as a function of the first object type, the second plurality of possible object types being different from the first object type;

providing by the system a second graphical user interface element capable of being used by the user to indicate one of the second plurality of possible object types for filtering the plurality of objects;

receiving by the system from the user via the second graphical user interface element an indication of a second object type from the second plurality of possible object types; and

providing by the system a third graphical user interface element having a plurality of possible types of association to be used for filtering the plurality of objects and capable of being used by the user to indicate one of the plurality of possible types of association to be used for filtering the plurality of objects, the plurality of possible types of association including an associative association and a dissociative association;

receiving by the system from the user via the third graphical user interface element an indication of a type of association from the plurality of possible types of association;

after receiving the indication of the first object type, the indication of the second object type, and the indication of the type of association, identifying by the system a filtered set of objects of the first object type, wherein;

the filtered set comprises a subset of the plurality of objects that are of the first object type, and

and each object of the subset has the type of association with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type including;

when the type of association is the associative association, then each object of the subset has an association within the system with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type, and

when the type of association is the dissociative association, then each object of the subset does not have an association within the system with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting at least a portion of the filtered set of objects within a virtual application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of possible object types are determined as a function of the first object type by identifying each of the second plurality of possible object types as capable of being associated with the first object type.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the second plurality of possible object types are identified as capable of being associated with the first object type using one or more fields of the first object type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the object types define respective fields of one or more objects of the plurality of objects stored by the system having that object type, wherein values for the respective fields of the one or more objects of the plurality of objects having the object type are maintained as metadata in the system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the object types has at least one field indicating a relationship between objects of that object type with objects of another one of the object types.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects are those that are accessible to the user.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions causing a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

providing by a system a first graphical user interface element capable of being used by a user to indicate one of a first plurality of possible object types for filtering a plurality of objects stored by the system;

receiving by the system from the user via the first graphical user interface element an indication of a first object type from the first plurality of possible object types;

after receiving the indication of the first object type, determining by the system a second plurality of possible object types as a function of the first object type, the second plurality of possible object types being different from the first object type;

providing by the system a second graphical user interface element capable of being used by the user to indicate one of the second plurality of possible object types for filtering the plurality of objects;

receiving by the system from the user via the second graphical user interface element an indication of a second object type from the second plurality of possible object types; and

providing by the system a third graphical user interface element having a plurality of possible types of association to be used for filtering the plurality of objects and capable of being used by the user to indicate one of the plurality of possible types of association to be used for filtering the plurality of objects, the plurality of possible types of association including an associative association and a dissociative association;

receiving by the system from the user via the third graphical user interface element an indication of a type of association from the plurality of possible types of association;

after receiving the indication of the first object type, indication of the second object type, and the indication of the type of association, identifying by the system a filtered set of objects of the first object type, wherein;

the filtered set comprises a subset of the plurality of objects that are of the first object type, and

and each object of the subset has the type of association with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type including;

when the type of association is the associative association, then each object of the subset has an association within the system with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type, and

when the type of association is the dissociative association, then each object of the subset does not have an association within the system with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor of a system for;

providing by the system a first graphical user interface element capable of being used by a user to indicate one of a first plurality of possible object types for filtering a plurality of objects stored by the system;

receiving by the system from the user via the first graphical user interface element an indication of a first object type from the first plurality of possible object types;

after receiving the indication of the first object type, determining by the system a second plurality of possible object types as a function of the first object type, the second plurality of possible object types being different from the first object type;

providing by the system a second graphical user interface element capable of being used by the user to indicate one of the second plurality of possible object types for filtering the plurality of objects;

receiving by the system from the user via the second graphical user interface element an indication of a second object type from the second plurality of possible object types; and

providing by the system a third graphical user interface element having a plurality of possible types of association to be used for filtering the plurality of objects and capable of being used by the user to indicate one of the plurality of possible types of association to be used for filtering the plurality of objects, the plurality of possible types of association including an associative association and a dissociative association;

receiving by the system from the user via the third graphical user interface element an indication of a type of association from the plurality of possible types of association;

after receiving the indication of the first object type, indication of the second object type, and the indication of the type of association, identifying by the system a filtered set of objects of the first object type, wherein;

the filtered set comprises a subset of the plurality of objects that are of the first object type, and

and each object of the subset has the type of association with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type including;

when the type of association is the associative association, then each object of the subset has an association within the system with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type, and

when the type of association is the dissociative association, then each object of the subset does not have an association within the system with another object of the plurality of objects that is of the second object type.