Namespace and class utilities for managed packages

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums having stored thereon executable computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

performing processing in a managed package containing one or more software components, wherein the managed package is a base package or an extension package of one or more extension packages of the base package, the base package and each of the one or more extension packages including a separate namespace;

processing a call to a namespace utility for a class in the managed package, wherein the namespace utility is defined within the base package and each of the one or more extension packages; and

in response to the call to the namespace utility:

identifying a namespace for the class, wherein identifying the namespace for the class comprises obtaining a full name for the class, the full name for the class including a full qualified path, and parsing the full qualified path to identify the namespace for the class, and

returning the identified namespace.

2. The one or more storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein the class may be located within any of the base package or the one or more extension packages.

3. The one or more storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein the call to the namespace utility includes any of the following:

providing one or more URL (Uniform Resource Locator) references across package boundaries;

providing references to fields of an object using a dynamic reference to the namespace; and

creating test data that include field names that require namespace references.

4. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums having stored thereon executable computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

performing processing in a managed package containing one or more software components, wherein the managed package is a base package or an extension package of one or more extension packages of the base package, and a class instantiation utility is defined within the base package and each of the one or more extension packages;

receiving a request from outside the managed package for instantiation of a class, the request including the class instantiation utility and a factory for generation of the class; and

in response to the request:

delegating instantiation of the class to the factory, and

instantiating the class as a public, non-global class.

5. The one or more storage mediums of claim 4 , wherein the base package and each of the one or more extension packages including a separate namespace.

6. The one or more storage mediums of claim 5 , wherein the class may be instantiated within any of the base package or the one or more extension packages.

7. The one or more storage mediums of claim 6 , wherein the class is instantiated within a first extension package of the one or more extension packages, and further including executable computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

providing the delegated factory to the first extension package for instantiation of the class in the first extension package.

8. A method comprising:

performing processing in a managed package containing one or more software components, wherein the managed package is a base package or an extension package of one or more extension packages of the base package, the base package and each of the one or more extension packages including a separate namespace;

processing a call to a namespace utility for a class in the managed package, wherein the namespace utility is defined within the base package and each of the one or more extension packages; and

in response to the call to the namespace utility:

identifying a namespace for the class, wherein identifying the namespace for the class comprises obtaining a full name for the class, the full name for the class including a full qualified path, and parsing the full qualified path to identify the namespace for the class, and

returning the identified namespace.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the class may be located within any of the base package or the one or more extension packages.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

providing one or more URL (Uniform Resource Locator) references across package boundaries;

providing references to fields of an object using a dynamic reference to the namespace; and

creating test data that include field names that require namespace references.

11. A method comprising:

performing processing in a managed package containing one or more software components, wherein the managed package is a base package or an extension package of one or more extension packages of the base package, and a class instantiation utility is defined within the base package and each of the one or more extension packages;

receiving a request from outside the managed package for instantiation of a class, the request including the class instantiation utility and a factory for generation of the class; and

in response to the request:

delegating instantiation of the class to the factory, and

instantiating the class as a public, non-global class.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the base package and each of the one or more extension packages including a separate namespace.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the class may be instantiated within any of the base package or the one or more extension packages.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the class is instantiated within a first extension package of the one or more extension packages, and further comprising:

providing the delegated factory to the first extension package for instantiation of the class in the first extension package.