Salesforce Customer Community

You have technical question on Salesforce.com configuration? There are few place to ask questions:

1. Salesforce Customer Community
This is forum supported by Salesforce and answer by Salesforce user community global. Post your questions from http://success.salesforce.com/answers. Usually a 'hero' (like SteveMo, phiberoptik, etc) will answer your questions. But as this is a forum, don't expect your questions will always response. Try to post your questions as clear as possible.

This forum particularly only for Salesforce admin, if you are not admin, please check with your admin before post questions here.

2. Salesforce Support
Open a case from 'Help & Training' link next to your name in Salesforce.com top right corner. Click "Contact Support" and "Open a Case". You also can "Ask the Community" from this page, which will be redirect to the same Customer Community above.

If you do not purchase Premier support or using Unlimited Edition, please expect 2 business days response. For Premier support customer, response time is 2 hours.


As today is the last day of 2012, I would like to say "Happy Holiday and Happy New Year 2013, may the year of 2013 ahead bring all of us a better health, prosperous in love and live. GBU!"

Also, today I hit rank #5 for the first time in Salesforce Community Support.

Using Salesforce Content and Chatter File to share file

Two months ago, I wrote a blog on how to publish image or document to public using Salesforce.com easily using Document. It works well, but Document have some limitation, very basic and do not have security:
- Cannot set password protection
- Cannot set expiration date
- Do not have visibility on view count, first and last file viewed
- Do not link to a record in Salesforce
- Do not have build-in preview
- Do not have version capability
- Maximum up to 5 MB of file size, more information here
But, document still a good option to sharing file internally with security of access implemented in Folder.

In this blog, I would like to share using Content Delivery and Chatter Files to share file with public.

Content Delivery

1. Enable Content Delivery.
Contact Salesforce support to activate Content Delivery (if it has not been activated), don't be afraid as this feature is free. To check if Content Delivery is activated, navigate to Setup - Customize  - Salesforce Files - Settings - Content Deliveries, if you see Content Deliveries menu here, your instance already has been activated with Content Delivery. Make sure Enable content deliveries is checked.

2. Add Content Delivery related list to the page layout, example to Account.

3. From object (in this sample Account) page layout, scroll to Content Deliveries related list added and click button Deliver Content.

4. Choose a file to upload and follow the wizard, you can rename delivery name, set notification, expiration date, and password. If your file is Microsoft Office file, you have more option for Delivery Method.

5. Done. You can pass the URL to your business partner securely and you know if when he open the file.

Using Content Delivery, you can upload file size up to 2 GB, compare this to Document which only 5 MB. For more information on setting Content Delivery, click this link


Chatter Files

Another option to publish file using Chatter File.

1. To share via Chatter File, you need to activate in Content Delivery as well, see points above to activate Content Delivery.

2. After Content Delivery activated, make sure Enable Creation of Content Deliveries for Chatter Files is checked.

3. Once Enable Creation of Content Deliveries for Chatter Files is checked, to allow user to share file via link, add permissions Create and Share Content Deliveries for Chatter Files in user profile to allow user to share file via URL.

4. Go to Files tab, upload file. You will see a new menu Share via link

5. Done. URL created will have the same format with Content Delivery link.

For more information on sharing Chatter files via link, click here


Few items to note using Content Delivery and Chatter Files

1. Using Chatter File, you do not have option to download in PDF, enable password, enable expiration date, notification and timestamp when the file open.
2. Although file uploaded via Content Delivery will be in Chatter Files, but you will not have "Share via Link" menu option.
3. Both Content Delivery and Chatter File support up to 2 GB of file size limit.
4. Both Content Delivery and Chatter File support file preview.
5. Both Content Delivery and Chatter File allow you for upload new version. To upload new version for Content Delivery file, go to Content Detail Page in Chatter File.
6. To delete file uploaded via Content Delivery, go to Content Detail Page in Chatter File.

Reference:

• File Size Limits in Salesforce
• Setting up Content Deliveries
• Sharing Files via Link

Cross-Object Workflow in Salesforce.com

With Spring '12 release, cross-object field update in workflow rules and approval processes is now support standard objects. Both custom-to-standard and limited standard-to-standard relationships are supported. This feature only available in Enterprise and Unlimited edition.

Only Master-Detail relationship support for cross-object workflow, so it is not for objects with Lookup relationship.

Here is a sample case of using Cross-Object workflow.
Master object: Customer__c
Child object: Order__c
Company would like to know how total amount and when latest order for each customer, use payment date instead of order date. Payment date will be blank when customer have not make payment.

Here we go:
1. Create a workflow in Order 
Evaluation Criteria : Evaluate the rule when a record is created, and every time it’s edited
Rule Criteria:
NOT ISBLANK( Payment_Date__c ) && 
( Payment_Date__c >= Customer__r.Payment_Date_hidden__c || 
ISBLANK( Customer__r.Payment_Date_hidden__c ))

Explanation:
- if Payment Date in order is blank, stop workflow
- if Payment Date in order is newer than stored Payment Date in customer, proceed workflow OR if stored
Payment Date in customer is blank

2. Create a field update action in Order
Update Payment Date in Customer
Select object = Order
Field to Update = Customer, the select field Payment Date
Formula Value = Payment_Date__c from Order

3. Create a Roll-Up Summary field in Customer for Total Amount
Create new Roll-Up Summary field from Customer object
Summarized Object = Orders
Select Roll-Up Type = SUM
Field to Aggregate = Amount
Filter Criteria = Payment Date NOT EQUAL TO blank

Last one, remember to Activate the workflow.

If you see in above process, workflow in Order will update field in the parent object Customer. So, it is cross-object workflow field-update.

The same solution you can use to update Account from Opportunity, example: if opportunity is Closed Won, automatically update Account Type to Customer.

For more information and standard objects supported, see this release document and find section Cross-Object Workflow. 

Reference: Understanding Cross-Object Field Updates