System, method and computer program product for versioning content in a database system using content type specific objects

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for versioning content in a database system using content type specific objects. These mechanisms and methods for versioning content in a database system using content type specific objects can enable embodiments to provide a database system which stores information associated with multiple versions of content. The ability of embodiments to provide a database system which supports content versioning can enable an efficient and comprehensive storage of content types having different features by the database system.

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 for versioning content in a database system using content type specific objects, the method comprising:
 storing content;   identifying a type of the content;   for each version of the content, storing information associated with the version in a database using at least one object specific to the type of the content; and   pointing the information to the stored content.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the content includes a document. 
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 2 , wherein the document includes a knowledge-based document. 
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the content is stored in one of a file system of a multi-tenant on-demand database system and the database. 
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the type of the content includes one of a plurality of predetermined categories. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the type of the content is identified based on subject matter included in the content. 
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein each version of the content includes at least one aspect which is different from other versions of the content. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the version includes standard information stored in standard fields of the database. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the standard fields are common to each object in the database. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the standard information includes at least one of a title of the content, a version number of the content, and a publication date of the content. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the standard information is stored in association with a key prefix identifying the type of the content. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the version includes custom information stored in custom fields of the database. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the custom fields are unique to the object that is specific to the type of the content. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the custom fields are shared among different objects each specific to a different type of content. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the database includes a first table including standard fields for storing standard information associated with the version and a second table including custom fields for storing custom information associated with the version. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein a private key is shared among the first table and the second table, for associating the standard information associated with the version with the custom information associated with the version. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein pointing the information to the stored content includes storing a reference to the stored content in association with the information associated with the version, such that each of the versions points to a single instance of the content. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response receipt of a query on the database:
 determining whether the query is specific to a particular type of object;   if it is determined that the query is specific to the particular type of object, identifying only objects of the particular type of object and returning values of fields associated with the identified objects; and   if it is determined that the query is not specific to the particular type of object, identifying objects selected by the query and returning, only for fields that are common to all of the selected objects, values of the fields.   
     
     
         19 . A method, comprising:
 storing content;   identifying a type of the content;   for each version of the content, storing information associated with the version in a database using at least one object specific to the type of the content, utilizing a processor; and   pointing the information to the stored content.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor for:
 storing content; 
 identifying a type of the content; 
 for each version of the content, storing information associated with the version in a database using at least one object specific to the type of the content; and 
 pointing the information to the stored content. 
   
     
     
         21 . A method for transmitting code, comprising:
 transmitting code to store content;   transmitting code to identify a type of the content;   transmitting code to store information associated with a version of the content in a database using at least one object specific to the type of the content, for each version of the content; and   transmitting code to point the information to the stored content.   
     
     
         22 . 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 for sharing fields among different content types, the method comprising:
 storing content;   identifying a first type of the content;   storing information associated with the content in a database using at least one first object specific to the first type of the content; and   configuring a custom field of the first object to be shared with at least one second object specific to a second type of content different than the first type of the content.