The following terms and definitions describe key AppExchange concepts and capabilities.
- App
- Short for “application.” A collection
of components such as tabs, reports, dashboards, and Visualforce pages that
address a specific business need. Salesforce provides standard
apps such as Sales and Call Center. You can customize the standard
apps to match the way you work. In addition, you can package an app
and upload it to the AppExchange along
with related components such as custom fields, custom tabs, and custom
objects. Then, you can make the app available to other Salesforce users from
the AppExchange.
- AppExchange
- The AppExchange is
a sharing interface from salesforce.com that allows
you to browse and share apps and services for the Force.com platform.
- AppExchange Listing
- An AppExchange listing is a description of your app or service on the AppExchange. It
is your primary marketing tool for promoting your app or service to
the AppExchange community.
- AppExchange Publishing Organization
- The AppExchange Publishing Organization (APO) is the master organization that
you as a partner use to publish listings on the AppExchange. Child
organizations where you develop applications can be linked to your
APO, thus tying your listings together under a single provider entity
to deliver a consistent message to customers.
- AppExchange Security Review
- The AppExchange Security Review ensures that an app is safe for customers to
install. Before an app can be listed publicly on theAppExchange it
must pass the AppExchange Security
Review. Providers are obligated to resubmit an app for security review
whenever the app is updated.
- License Management Application (LMA)
- A free AppExchange app that allows you to track sales leads and accounts for every
user who downloads your managed package (app) from the AppExchange.
- License Management Organization (LMO)
- The Salesforce organization that you use to track all the Salesforce users who install
your package. A license management organization must have the License Management Application (LMA) installed.
It automatically receives notification every time your package is
installed or uninstalled so that you can easily notify users of upgrades.
You can specify any Enterprise, Unlimited, or Developer Edition organization
as your license management organization. For more information, go
to http://www.salesforce.com/docs/en/lma/index.htm.
- Managed Package
- A collection of application components
that is posted as a unit on the AppExchange and
associated with a namespace and possibly a License Management Organization. To support upgrades, a package must be managed. An organization can create a single managed
package that can be downloaded and installed by many different organizations.
Managed packages differ from unmanaged packages by having some locked
components, allowing the managed package to be upgraded later. Unmanaged
packages do not include locked components and cannot be upgraded. In addition, managed packages obfuscate certain components (like Apex) on subscribing
organizations to protect the intellectual property of the developer.
- Managed Package Extension
- Any package, component, or set of components
that adds to the functionality of a managed package. You cannot install
an extension before installing its managed package.
- Namespace Prefix
- In a packaging context, a namespace prefix is a one
to 15-character alphanumeric identifier that distinguishes your package
and its contents from packages of other developers on AppExchange. Namespace
prefixes are case-insensitive. For example, ABC and abc are not recognized
as unique. Your namespace prefix must be globally unique across all Salesforce organizations.
It keeps your managed package under your control exclusively.
- Package
- A group of Force.com components and applications that are made available to other
organizations through the AppExchange. You use packages to bundle an app along with any related
components so that you can upload them to AppExchange together.
- Package Dependency
- This is created when one component references
another component, permission, or preference that is required for
the component to be valid. Components can include but are not
limited to:
- Standard or custom fields
- Standard or custom objects
- Visualforce pages
- Apex code
Permissions and preferences can include but are not limited to:- Divisions
- Multicurrency
- Record types
- Package Installation
- Installation incorporates the contents of a package into your Salesforce organization.
A package on the AppExchange can
include an app, a component, or a combination of the two. After you
install a package, you may need to deploy components in the package
to make it generally available to the users in your organization.
- Package Publication
- Publishing your package makes it publicly available on the AppExchange.
- Package Version
- A package version is a number that
identifies the set of components uploaded in a package. The version
number has the format majorNumber.minorNumber.patchNumber (for example, 2.1.3). The major and minor numbers increase to a
chosen value during every major release. The patchNumber is generated and updated only for a patch release.
- Unmanaged packages are not upgradeable,
so each package version is simply a set of components for distribution.
A package version has more significance for managed packages. Packages
can exhibit different behavior for different versions. Publishers can use package versions to
evolve the components in their managed packages gracefully by releasing
subsequent package versions without breaking existing customer integrations
using the package. See also Patch and Patch Development Organization.
- Partner
- Partners are the companies with which you
collaborate to close your sales deals. For each opportunity or account
you create, the Partners related list allows you to store information
about your partners and the roles they play in the opportunity or
account. A partner must be an existing account within Salesforce. Selecting
a partner role automatically creates a reverse partner relationship
with the associated account so that both accounts list the other account
as a partner.
- Partner Accounts
- Partner accounts are Salesforce accounts that
a channel manager uses to manage partner organizations, partner users,
and activities when using the partner portal.
- Partner Portal
- Partner portal allows partner users to log in to Salesforce through a Web
portal rather than through salesforce.com.
- Private Sharing
- Private sharing is the process of sharing an uploaded package
by using the URL you receive from Salesforce. This URL is
not listed in the AppExchange. Using
the unlisted URL allows you to share a package without going through
the listing process or making it public.
- Publisher
- The publisher of an AppExchange listing
is the Salesforce user
or organization that published the listing.
- Service
- A service is an offering of professional assistance. Services
related to Salesforce and the Force.com platform, such as enhanced customer support or assistance with
configuration can be listed on the AppExchange.
- Subscriber
- The subscriber of a package is a Salesforce user with an
installed package in their Salesforce organization.
- Test Drive
- A test drive is a fully functional Salesforce organization
that contains an app and any sample records added by the publisher
for a particular package. It allows users on AppExchange to
experience an app as a read-only user using a familiar Salesforce interface.
- Unmanaged Package
- A package that cannot be upgraded or controlled by its developer.
- Upgrading
- Upgrading a package is the process of installing a newer version. Salesforce supports upgrades
for managed packages that are not beta.
- Uploading
- Uploading a package in Salesforce provides an
installation URL so other users can install it. Uploading also makes
your packaged available to be published on AppExchange.