FILTERING OBJECTS IN A MULTI-TENANT ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120144313A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Rana, Neelav, Schneider, Donovan, Park, David, Koosel, Marko
• Granted Patent: US 9,069,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• 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 of filtering a plurality of objects associated with a virtual application in a multi-tenant system, the method comprising:

providing a first graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first filtering criterion of a first plurality of possible filtering criteria;

providing a second graphical user interface element enabling indication of a second filtering criterion of a second plurality of possible filtering criteria; and

after indication of the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion, identifying a filtered set of objects based on the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion, the filtered set comprising a subset of the plurality of objects.

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

3. The method of claim 2, the virtual application being accessed by a client device over a network, wherein:

providing the first graphical user interface element comprises displaying the first graphical user interface element within the virtual application on the client device;

providing the second graphical user interface element comprises displaying the second graphical user interface element within the virtual application on the client device; and

presenting at least the portion of the filtered set of objects comprises displaying at least the portion of the filtered set of objects within the virtual application on the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a third graphical user interface element enabling indication of a selected filtering operation from a plurality of possible filtering operations, wherein identifying the filtered set of objects comprises identifying the filtered set of objects based on the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion using the selected filtering operation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, when the selected filtering operation is a dissociative filtering operation, the step of identifying the filtered set of objects comprises selecting each object of the plurality of objects that satisfies the first filtering criterion and is not associated with another object of the plurality of objects that satisfies the second filtering criterion.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, when the selected filtering operation is an associative filtering operation, the step of identifying the filtered set of objects comprises selecting each object of the plurality of objects that satisfies the first filtering criterion and is associated with another object of the plurality of objects that satisfies the second filtering criterion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first graphical user interface element enables selection of a first object type of a plurality of object types supported by the virtual application; and

the second graphical user interface element enables selection of a second object type of a second plurality of object types supported by the virtual application, each object type of the second plurality of object types being capable of being associated with the first object type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the filtered set of objects comprises selecting, from the plurality of objects, each object of the first object type that is associated with an object of the second object type.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the filtered set of objects comprises selecting, from the plurality of objects, each object of the first object type that is not associated with an object of the second object type.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a third graphical user interface element to enable provision of a qualifying filtering criterion for a field of the second object type.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the filtered set of objects comprises selecting, from the plurality of objects, each object of the first object type that is associated with an object of the second object type having a value for the field that satisfies the qualifying filtering criterion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the filtered set of objects comprises selecting, from the plurality of objects, each object of the first object type that is not associated with an object of the second object type having a value for the field that satisfies the qualifying filtering criterion.

13. 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 first graphical user interface element to enable selection of a first filtering criterion from a first plurality of possible filtering criteria for a plurality of objects maintained by the computer system;

provide a second graphical user interface element to enable selection of a second filtering criterion from a second plurality of possible filtering criteria for the plurality of objects;

provide a third graphical user interface element to enable selection of a filtering operation from a plurality of possible filtering operations; and

identify a filtered subset of the plurality of objects based on the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion using the selected filtering operation.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the computer system to generate a virtual application, the plurality of objects being associated with the virtual application.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the virtual application comprises a customer relationship management application.

16. The computer system of claim 14, the virtual application being provided to a client device over a network, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the computer system to display the first graphical user interface element, the second graphical user interface element, and the third graphical user interface element within the virtual application on the client device.

17. The computer system of claim 14, the virtual application being provided to a client device over a network, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the computer system to display at least a portion of the filtered subset on the client device.

18. A method of filtering a plurality of objects associated with a virtual application provided to a client device over a network, the method comprising:

providing a first graphical user interface element within the virtual application, the first graphical user interface element enabling selection of a first filtering criterion from a first plurality of possible filtering criteria for the plurality of objects;

providing a second graphical user interface element within the virtual application, the second graphical user interface element enabling selection of a second filtering criterion from a second plurality of possible filtering criteria for the plurality of objects;

providing a third graphical user interface element within the virtual application, the third graphical user interface element enabling selection of a filtering operation from a plurality of possible filtering operations; and

after selection of the first filtering criterion, the second filtering criterion, and the filtering operation;

identifying a filtered subset of the plurality of objects based on the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion using the selected filtering operation; and

presenting at least a portion of the filtered subset within the virtual application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein when the selected filtering operation is a dissociative filtering operation, the step of identifying the filtered subset comprises selecting each object of the plurality of objects that satisfies the first filtering criterion and is not associated with another object of the plurality of objects that satisfies the second filtering criterion.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a fourth graphical user interface element within the virtual application, the fourth graphical user interface element enabling selection of a third filtering criterion to qualify objects satisfying the second filtering criterion, wherein when the selected filtering operation is a dissociative filtering operation, the step of identifying the filtered subset comprises selecting each object of the plurality of objects that satisfies the first filtering criterion and is not associated with another object of the plurality of objects that satisfies the second filtering criterion and the third filtering criterion.