Structured data in a business networking feed

• US 9,824,082 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2017
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Agrawal, Sonali, Spraetz, Ryan, Porro, Cheryl
• Primary Examiner(s): ASPINWALL, EVAN S
• Application Number:
  US15/413,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20170199863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 707741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/219 Managing data history or versioning querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Disclosed are database systems, methods, systems, and computer program products for providing tabular data in a social network feed. In some implementations, a server of a database system stores, in a database, social network feed data comprising a plurality of feed items as data objects. The server also stores, in a database, tabular data as data objects. The server shares the social network feed data and the tabular data in a social network feed displayable to present the feed items and the tabular data in a user interface, the tabular data being presentable in the user interface in a tabular format. The user interface may receive shareable user commentary regarding the tabular data. The stored tabular data may be editable by users of the database system. The social network feed may be updated to comprise notifications of edits to the tabular data.

Claims

1. A database system for providing files in a conversation in a feed of a social networking system, the database system implemented using a server system, the database system configurable to cause:

processing a request from a first user of the social networking system to share a file with at least a first one of a plurality of groups of users of the social networking system, selection of the first group being controllable by the first user;

sharing, responsive to processing the request, the file with the first group, the sharing of the file causing the file to be editable by one or more of the users who are members of the first group;

displaying, in a user interface on a display of a device of a second user of the social network system, a first feed, the second user being a member of the first group, the first feed comprising a presentation of;

a plurality of messages, and

the file, the file being displayed in an editable format, the user interface capable of receiving user commentary from users regarding the file, the user commentary being shareable in the first feed as a message;

processing an edit to the file to provide an edited version of the file, the edit submitted by the second user;

updating, responsive to processing the edit, the first feed to include the edited version of the file.

2. The database system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

providing a selection in association with the file, the selection allowing users of the social networking system to discuss the file.

3. The database system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

providing a selection in association with the file, the selection allowing users of the social networking system to add content related to the file to the first feed.

4. The database system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

processing a request from a third user of the social networking system to follow the file; and

causing, responsive to processing the request, the third user to follow the file, the following of the file causing the third user to receive updates when the file is modified.

5. The database system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

processing a request, from a third user of the social networking system, to view an unedited version of the file; and

displaying, responsive to processing the request, the unedited version of the file on a display of a device of the third user.

6. The database system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

displaying, on a display of a device of a third user of the social networking system, a second feed, the second feed comprising a plurality of further messages and a preview selection, the preview selection comprising a visual representation of the file, selection of the preview selection allowing the third user to edit the file.

7. The database system of claim 1, wherein the file is one of:

an Excel file, a Word file, or a PowerPoint file.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions configurable to cause:

processing a request from a first user of a social networking system to share a file with at least a first one of a plurality of groups of users of the social networking system, selection of the first group being controllable by the first user;

sharing, responsive to processing the request, the file with the first group, the sharing of the file causing the file to be editable by one or more of the users who are members of the first group;

displaying, in a user interface on a display of a device of a second user of the social network system, a first feed, the second user being a member of the first group, the first feed comprising a presentation of;

a plurality of messages, and

the file, the file being displayed in an editable format, the user interface capable of receiving user commentary from users regarding the file, the user commentary being shareable in the first feed as a message;

processing an edit to the file to provide an edited version of the file, the edit submitted by the second user;

updating, responsive to processing the edit, the first feed to include the edited version of the file.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, the instructions further configurable to cause:

providing a selection in association with the file, the selection allowing users of the social networking system to discuss the file.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, the instructions further configurable to cause:

providing a selection in association with the file, the selection allowing users of the social networking system to add content related to the file to the first feed.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, the instructions further configurable to cause:

processing a request from a third user of the social networking system to follow the file; and

causing, responsive to processing the request, the third user to follow the file, the following of the file causing the third user to receive updates when the file is modified.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, the instructions further configurable to cause:

processing a request, from a third user of the social networking system, to view an unedited version of the file; and

displaying, responsive to processing the request, the unedited version of the file on a display of a device of the third user.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, the instructions further configurable to cause:

displaying, on a display of a device of a third user of the social networking system, a second feed, the second feed comprising a plurality of further messages and a preview selection, the preview selection comprising a visual representation of the file, selection of the preview selection allowing the third user to edit the file.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the file is one of:

an Excel file, a Word file, or a PowerPoint file.

15. A method comprising:

processing a request from a first user of a social networking system to share a file with at least a first one of a plurality of groups of users of the social networking system, selection of the first group being controllable by the first user;

causing sharing of, responsive to processing the request, the file with the first group, the sharing of the file causing the file to be editable by one or more of the users who are members of the first group;

causing display of, in a user interface on a display of a device of a second user of the social network system, a first feed, the second user being a member of the first group, the first feed comprising a presentation of;

a plurality of messages, and

the file, the file being displayed in an editable format, the user interface capable of receiving user commentary from users regarding the file, the user commentary being shareable in the first feed as a message;

processing an edit to the file to provide an edited version of the file, the edit submitted by the second user;

updating, responsive to processing the edit, the first feed to include the edited version of the file.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

providing a selection in association with the file, the selection allowing users of the social networking system to discuss the file.

17. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

providing a selection in association with the file, the selection allowing users of the social networking system to add content related to the file to the first feed.

18. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

processing a request from a third user of the social networking system to follow the file; and

causing, responsive to processing the request, the third user to follow the file, the following of the file causing the third user to receive updates when the file is modified.

19. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

processing a request, from a third user of the social networking system, to view an unedited version of the file; and

causing display of, responsive to processing the request, the unedited version of the file on a display of a device of the third user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the file is one of:

an Excel file, a Word file, or a PowerPoint file.