Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for allowing access to developed applications via a multi-tenant on-demand database service, in a controlled environment. These mechanisms and methods for providing such access can enable embodiments to provide additional control over the development process as well as the access of such developed applications. The ability of embodiments to provide such additional control may lead to an improved application development framework, etc.

Abstract: A method for automatically reconfiguring a webpage is provided. The web page may include a plurality of sections, and each section may include at least one aspect related to a particular topic, such as customer support and an option for casting a vote for a topic posted. A vote may be received vote for at least one of the plurality of sections. A Total Qualitative Management Criterion (TQMC) may be determined for each section of the website. An increasing function of time may be applied to newer votes to enable relative weightings of older votes to diminish over time without requiring computing a decaying time function to determine weightings for each vote. The webpage may be reconfigured based on ranking the sections according to the TQMC for each section.

Abstract: A site is maintained that allows consumers to suggest, comment on and/or vote on ideas about a product or service. Some site embodiments can enable sponsoring organizations (customers) to maintain their own sites for displaying articles and allowing multiple viewers to vote on these articles. Site information for multiple tenants may be maintained in a common multi-tenant system. Votes may indicate a variety of different types of criteria, such as the importance, correctness, and/or user preference for the articles or other Qualitative Management Criteria (QMC) for determining the merit of an idea or an article. The votes may be tallied into an overall Total Qualitative Management Criterion (TQMC) for the idea or article. Newer votes may be adjusted according to an increasing function of time to enable the relative weightings of the older votes to diminish over time without having to compute a decaying time function to determine weightings for each vote.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing license objects to applications in an application platform database system. The method includes associating an LMA with an application installed to the application platform by a developer, notifying a license manager to which the license manager application is installed of the installation of the application to the application platform, and managing subscriber access to the application using the license manager application.

Abstract: Systems and methods for installing and upgrading application packages to an application platform. The systems and methods are particularly useful in an on-demand database service. Application packages may be uploaded to a directory by developing users (developers) for installation by subscribing users (subscribers). Alternatively, a developer may send identification information to a subscribing user to allow that user to access and install that application package created by the developer. Application packages may also be upgraded. If a developer changes the original source package, a subscriber can choose to pull into their organization the change(s) made by the publisher while preserving any data rows the subscriber had created since first importing the package. One or more flags may be set in the package definition to determine whether and to what extent customizations to a package may be made and upgraded by the subscriber and/or developer.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a user is provided with a data representation covered by a relationship. For example, the data representation may include a collection of data objects representations. In an embodiment, the data object representations are arranged in a manner so as to indicate rows or records of different data objects that are associated with one another. In an embodiment, portions of the data objects in the collection are indicated as representing the data that is covered by the relationship. In an embodiment, a report representation that is expected to be generated by the report type defined by the user defined relationship is also provided. In an embodiment, a correspondence in indicated between elements of the report representation (e.g., columns in a thumbnail sketch of a report) and the data object representations (e.g., ovals in a Venn diagram).

Abstract: Systems and methods for storing relationship information for an information object in a database system. Methods and mechanisms for storing relationship information for information objects enable database systems to store and retrieve data objects having an arbitrary number of relationships with one another. This ability to store and retrieve data objects by relationship(s) enables more efficient searching of database objects and removal of constraints on the number of relationships that would otherwise exist when objects are stored in a database.

Abstract: Systems and methods that create a duplicate database instance on which database testing may be performed. The techniques for creating a test database instance enable database testing to proceed without impacting other organization's access to their data in the database or corrupting an organization's data. The ability to allow one organization (“org”) to test their portion of a database without interrupting other organizations from using their portions of the database enables a database system to support more than one organization as tenants.

Abstract: The efficiency and versatility for the implementation of formulas in an on-demand database is improved. Formulas are categorized. Based at least partly on the categorization, formulas are evaluated synchronously or asynchronously. An asynchronous evaluation may be performed if a certain set of criteria is not satisfied. Asynchronous evaluations may be performed using a queue. During an asynchronous update of an object, a counter field and/or an estimate field may be used respectively for indicating the consistency of values of the object and a time when the values were consistent. The versatility of formulas is enhanced by using a formula to create a default value for a custom field when it is created and to determine whether an action is to be performed, and is enhanced by having an action define when a formula is to be updated.

Abstract: A computer method includes receiving a query from a user system; searching a plurality of data objects of a first type for data objects that substantially match the query; generating a first-relevance score for each data object of the second type that is associated with at least one data objects of the first type identified in the search; searching a plurality of data objects of the second type for data objects of the second type that substantially match the query; generating a second-relevance score for each data object of the second type identified in the second search; generating a list of data objects of the second type that are identified in the first and second search steps; ranking the data objects of the second type in the list of data objects based on the relevance scores; and transferring the list of data objects to the user system.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing a client access to an external service via an application services platform. These mechanisms and methods for providing a client access to an external service via an application services platform can enable embodiments to provide effective access to such external service without necessarily forcing the client to access the external service separately with respect to the application services platform. The ability of embodiments to provide such technique can enable the integration of an external service with an application services platform, thus allowing the client to access the external service in a more effective manner.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for saving multiple rows together through an object relational mapping layer to a database. These mechanisms and methods for saving multiple rows together can enable embodiments to detect faults in the save operation(s) and recover. The ability of embodiments to detect faults in the save operation(s) and recover can enable embodiments to provide a robust forgiving published API that saves a set of rows together whenever possible.

Abstract: A database system includes servers configured to receive requests from user systems. Each server includes a local and a global store. Each local store stores the number of requests received by its server. The system includes a processor configured to receive the number of requests from servers. The processor is configured to determine the number of requests received by all of the servers, and send this number of requests to each server. The global store stores the number of requests received from the processor. A given server is configured to compare the number of requests received by the servers with a threshold number. If this number is greater than the threshold number, then the given server is configured to send a message to the user systems that the number of threshold requests has been exceeded and/or the given server will discontinue accepting requests.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for selecting a synchronous or asynchronous process to determine a forecast. These mechanisms and methods for such synchronous/asynchronous process selection can enable embodiments to determine forecasts for multiple users (e.g. with hierarchical relationships, etc.) over an arbitrary time interval. The ability of embodiments to provide forecasts that involve such a large amount of data in an effective way can enable forecasting that was otherwise infeasible due to resource limitations.

Abstract: Embodiments may recover from faults by forming a new set of rows by removing rows associated with faulting save operations and repeating the saving and forming operations using the new set of rows until a set of rows that can be saved from the known start state without fault is determined. When the subset of successful rows is found, embodiments are able to provide assurance that no side effects (i.e., code or operations triggered by saving of a data to a particular location) have been executed on behalf of any of the failed rows (side effects from custom PL/SOQL code included) by deferring execution of triggers until an entire set of rows can be saved and committed.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for allowing access to developed applications via a multi-tenant on-demand database service, in a controlled environment. These mechanisms and methods for providing such access can enable embodiments to provide additional control over the development process as well as the access of such developed applications. The ability of embodiments to provide such additional control may lead to an improved application development framework, etc.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for synchronizing a server and an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for synchronizing a server and an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to synchronize a larger amount of data. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature can enable more effective synchronization of a user-level sharing entity database with a multi-user on-demand database service.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for selecting amongst a plurality of processes to send a message (e.g. a message for updating an endpoint system, etc.). These mechanisms and methods for selecting amongst a plurality of processes to send a message can enable embodiments to utilize more than one queue for sending such message. The ability of embodiments to provide such multi-process feature can, in turn, prevent latency that typically accompanies a mounting number of messages.

Abstract: In embodiments, methods and systems for customizing a user interface to an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for customizing a user interface to an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to provide a user interface designed by a tenant of the on-demand database service. The customization can include including third party content into the customized user interface, overriding a standard object, and providing content inline at a specified location.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for applying a group of instructions to metadata in the context of an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for applying a group of instructions to metadata can enable embodiments that ensure that “all or none” of the operations corresponding to the grouped instructions are performed. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature can prevent a scenario where only a portion of a desired effect is accomplished which, in turn, may complicate any effort to undo the same.