Method and system for customizing a user interface to an on-demand database service

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method, the method comprising:
 storing at least one tenant specific definition of a customization of a user interface for accessing information in a database, the definition including a reference to content stored at a server external to the database;   receiving a request to access the information stored in the database;   generating a customized user interface based on the definition, the customized user interface including a combination of the content and the requested information, and translated into a language appropriate to the user; and   sending the customized user interface to the user.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein sending the customized user interface to the user includes:
 sending a map of a place of business in the customized user interface.   
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the information in the database is specific to the tenant. 
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 3 , wherein the information in the database that is specific to the tenant is received from the tenant for storage in the database. 
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 3 , wherein the database stores other information specific to other tenants. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the user is associated with the tenant. 
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the tenant specific definition is received from the tenant. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 3 , wherein the tenant specific definition is associated with a particular portion of the information specific to the tenant. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the database is a component of an on-demand database service. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the on-demand database service includes one or more servers running an application for communicating with users of the tenant, the application providing access to the database. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the request is received at the application. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the request is received from the user. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the customized user interface is a user interface modified according to the tenant specific definition. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the customized user interface is sent to the user for use by the user in accessing the information. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the customized user interface is generated by program code interacting with the tenant specific definition. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the tenant specific definition is for the translation into the language appropriate to the user. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the content stored at the server external to the database includes web content. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the web content of one or more third parties to an on-demand database service having the database. 
     
     
         19 . A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method, the method comprising:
 storing at least one tenant specific definition of a customization of a user interface for accessing information in a database, the definition including a reference to content stored at a server external to the database;   receiving a request to access the information stored in the database;   generating a customized user interface based on the definition, the customized user interface including a combination of the content and the requested information, and including a map of a place of business in the customized user interface; and   sending the customized user interface to the user.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a tenant, one or more definitions defining a customized user interface, wherein at least one of the definitions is based on content stored external to a database of information accessible to a plurality of tenants;   associating the one or more definitions with the tenant;   storing the definitions in the database;   receiving, from the tenant, a request;   generating the customized user interface for the tenant, the customized user interface being generated according to the one or more definitions such that the customized user interface includes at least a portion of the content and the information translated into a language of the tenant; and   sending the customized user interface.   
     
     
         21 . A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a tenant, one or more customizations of a user interface, wherein at least one of the customizations is associated with content stored external to an on-demand database storing information therein;   associating the customizations with the tenant;   storing the customizations in the on-demand database;   receiving, from a user associated with the tenant, a request; and   in response to the request, sending, to the user, a customized user interface that is the user interface modified according to the customizations, the customized user interface including a combination of the content and the information;   wherein the customized user interface is generated in response to the request from the user by program code interacting with the customizations;   wherein a first one of the customizations is a language translation of content specified by a third-party URL.