Creating an on-demand skills blueprint of a mobile application

• US 10,379,879 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Balboni, Frederick H., Dolph, Blaine H., Harishankar, Raman, Sylvia, Susan L., Sava, Catalin, Viswanathan, Ram
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc A
• Application Number:
  US15/256,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20180067753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/284 Lexical analysis, e.g. tokenisation or collocates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A mobile app is analyzed to determine each UI configuration in a set of UI configurations that is reachable in a possible use of the mobile app. A set of elements used in the mobile app relative to a selected UI configuration from the set of UI configurations is detected. A function performed by a selected element relative to the selected UI configuration is analyzed. The function is matched with a function identified in a hierarchy of elements, the hierarchy being applicable to a plurality of mobile apps. A category of the function identified in the hierarchy is assigned to the selected element. Using the hierarchy, a type of development skill used in developing the selected element is determined. In a blueprint of the mobile app, the category, the type of the development skill, and a numerosity of occurrences of the selected element in the mobile app are output.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

performing an analysis, using a processor and a memory, of a mobile app, the analysis determining each user interface (UI) configuration in a set of UI configurations that is reachable in a use of the mobile app;

detecting a set of elements used in the mobile app relative to a selected UI configuration from the set of UI configurations;

analyzing, using the processor and the memory, a function performed by a selected element from the set of elements relative to the selected UI configuration;

matching the function performed by the selected element with a function identified in a hierarchy of elements, the hierarchy being applicable to a plurality of mobile apps;

assigning a category of the function identified in the hierarchy to the selected element;

determining, using the hierarchy, a type of development skill used in developing the selected element; and

outputting in a blueprint of the mobile app the category, the type of the development skill, and a numerosity of occurrences of the selected element in the mobile app.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing, using the numerosity of occurrences, an amount of the development skill that will be used in developing the selected element.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the hierarchy, a level of expertise in the development skill.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a number of times the selected element can be used in the selected UI configuration via a plurality of paths in the mobile apps, the number of times forming the numerosity of occurrences.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a number of times the selected element can be used in any UI configuration in the set of UI configurations via a plurality of paths in the mobile apps, the number of times forming the numerosity of occurrences.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the blueprint is constructed automatically on-demand.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchy is specific to an operating system on which the mobile app is configured to operate, further comprising:

modifying the hierarchy to include, for each element represented in the hierarchy, a type of a specific development skill, a level of the specific development skill, and an amount of the specific development skill that is usable in implementing an instance of the element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the function performed by the selected element comprises a manner in which the selected element is used in the selected UI configuration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the function performed by the selected element comprises an operation that is to be implemented in the selected element for use in the selected UI configuration.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a name used for the selected element relative to the selected UI configuration, wherein the function performed by the selected element is discoverable from the name.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a first element in the set of elements is rendered visibly on the selected UI configuration, wherein the first element one of provides visual information and receives an input relative on the selected UI configuration.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a first element in the set of elements is invisible on the selected UI configuration, wherein the first element has to implement a function relative on the selected UI configuration in the mobile app.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reference to a specification of the mobile app, wherein the analysis of the mobile app comprises analyzing the specification of the mobile app.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reference to a partial implementation of the mobile app, wherein the analysis of the mobile app comprises analyzing the partial implementation of the mobile app using the reference.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the UI configuration comprises a graphical layout presentable as a screen on a UI.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the use comprises navigating through a set of features of the mobile app.

17. A computer usable program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium, and program instructions stored in the storage medium, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to perform an analysis, using a processor and a memory, of a mobile app, the analysis determining each user interface (UI) configuration in a set of UI configurations that is reachable in a use of the mobile app;

program instructions to detect a set of elements used in the mobile app relative to a selected UI configuration from the set of UI configurations;

program instructions to analyze, using the processor and the memory, a function performed by a selected element from the set of elements relative to the selected UI configuration;

program instructions to match the function performed by the selected element with a function identified in a hierarchy of elements, the hierarchy being applicable to a plurality of mobile apps;

program instructions to assign a category of the function identified in the hierarchy to the selected element;

program instructions to determine, using the hierarchy, a type of development skill used in developing the selected element; and

program instructions to output in a blueprint of the mobile app the category, the type of the development skill, and a numerosity of occurrences of the selected element in the mobile app.

18. The computer usable program product of claim 17, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

19. The computer usable program product of claim 17, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage device associated with the remote data processing system.

20. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, and one or more computer-readable storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to perform an analysis, using a processor and a memory, of a mobile app, the analysis determining each user interface (UI) configuration in a set of UI configurations that is reachable in a use of the mobile app;

program instructions to detect a set of elements used in the mobile app relative to a selected UI configuration from the set of UI configurations;

program instructions to analyze, using the processor and the memory, a function performed by a selected element from the set of elements relative to the selected UI configuration;

program instructions to match the function performed by the selected element with a function identified in a hierarchy of elements, the hierarchy being applicable to a plurality of mobile apps;

program instructions to assign a category of the function identified in the hierarchy to the selected element;

program instructions to determine, using the hierarchy, a type of development skill used in developing the selected element; and

program instructions to output in a blueprint of the mobile app the category, the type of the development skill, and a numerosity of occurrences of the selected element in the mobile app.