Private source code commenting

• US 20050005258A1
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir S., Ishmael, Nizam Jr., Dinh, Hung T., Hu, Teng S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and data processing system for exchanging information regarding software source code among a team of developers is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a developer associates commentary with a particular code feature, such as a function or object class. A list of intended recipients or readers of the commentary is obtained from the developer. Additional settings regarding such things as an expiration date for the commentary are also obtained from the developer. The source code with associated commentary is then made available to the intended readers. If desired, the source code with associated commentary may be transmitted the intended recipients via e-mail or an “instant message” or other form of notification can be transmitted to the intended recipients to notify them of the commentary to be read.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a designation of a particular portion of a body of source code;

receiving a designation of an association of the particular portion of the body of source code with commentary related to the particular portion of the body of source code;

receiving a designation of a set of intended readers of the commentary; and

making the commentary and the associated particular portion of the body of source code accessible to only the set of intended readers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of intended readers is designated by a user'"'"'s selecting the set of intended readers from a set of potential intended readers, and wherein the set of potential intended readers is acquired by accessing a directory service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a designation of a particular time period during which the commentary will be available, wherein the commentary and associated particular portion of the body of source code are accessible to the set of intended readers during the particular time period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a notification to at least a subset of the set of intended readers to notify the at least a subset of the set of intended readers that the commentary is available.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the notification includes copies of the commentary and the particular portion of the body of source code.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the notification is sent to the at least a subset of the set of intended readers via electronic mail.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the designation of an association of the particular portion of the body of source code with commentary related to the particular portion of the body of source code is represented in the form of at least one tag in a markup language,

wherein the at least one tag is embedded within the body of source code.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, from the body of source code, a second body of source code that is capable of being compiled by a compiler.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

formatting the commentary and the particular portion of the body of source code for display to a user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular portion of the body of source code is one of a subroutine, a line of code, a variable, an identifier, and a source code comment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the commentary and the body of source code are recorded within a configuration management system, and

wherein the commentary is made available to the set of intended readers by presenting the commentary along with the body of source code in response to a checking-out of the body of source code by one of the set of intended readers.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed in an integrated development environment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method executed from a program-having a command-line interface.

14. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by a computer, enables the computer to perform particular acts, the computer program product including:

first functional descriptive material for receiving a designation of a particular portion of a body of source code;

second functional descriptive material for receiving a designation of an association of the particular portion of the body of source code with commentary related to the particular portion of the body of source code;

third functional descriptive material for receiving a designation of a set of intended readers of the commentary; and

fourth functional descriptive material for making the commentary and the associated particular portion of the body of source code accessible to only the set of intended readers.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, comprising additional functional descriptive material that, when executed by the computer, enables the computer to perform additional acts including:

receiving a designation of a particular time period during which the commentary will be available, wherein the commentary and associated particular portion of the body of source code are accessible to the set of intended readers during the particular time period.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, comprising additional functional descriptive material that, when executed by the computer, enables the computer to perform additional acts including:

sending a notification to at least a subset of the set of intended readers to notify the at least a subset of the set of intended readers that the commentary is available.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the notification includes copies of the commentary and the particular portion of the body of source code.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the notification is sent to the at least a subset of the set of intended readers via electronic mail.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the designation of an association of the particular portion of the body of source code with commentary related to the particular portion of the body of source code is represented in the form of at least one tag in a markup language,

wherein the at least one tag is embedded within the body of source code.

21. The computer program product of claim 14, comprising additional functional descriptive material that, when executed by the computer, enables the computer to perform additional acts including:

generating, from the body of source code, a second body of source code that is capable of being compiled by a compiler.

22. The computer program product of claim 14, comprising additional functional descriptive material that, when executed by the computer, enables the computer to perform additional acts including:

formatting the commentary and the particular portion of the body of source code for display to a user.

23. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the particular portion of the body of source code is one of a subroutine, a line of code, a variable, an identifier, and a source code comment.

24. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the commentary and the body of source code are recorded within a configuration management system, and

wherein the commentary is made available to the set of intended readers by presenting the commentary along with the body of source code in response to a checking-out of the body of source code by one of the set of intended readers.

25. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program product forms an integrated development environment.

26. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program product executed from a program having a command-line interface.

15. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the set of intended readers is designated by a user'"'"'s selecting the set of intended readers from a set of potential intended readers, and wherein the set of potential intended readers is acquired by accessing a directory service.

27. A data processing system comprising:

first receiving means for receiving a designation of a particular portion of a body of source code;

second receiving means for receiving a designation of an association of the particular portion of the body of source code with commentary related to the particular portion of the body of source code;

third receiving means for receiving a designation of a set of intended readers of the commentary; and

making means for making the commentary and the associated particular portion of the body of source code accessible to only the set of intended readers.

28. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the set of intended readers is designated by a user'"'"'s selecting the set of intended readers from a set of potential intended readers, and wherein the set of potential intended readers is acquired by accessing a directory service.

29. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the commentary and the body of source code are recorded within a configuration management system, and

wherein the commentary is made available to the set of intended readers by presenting the commentary along with the body of source code in response to a checking-out of the body of source code by one of the set of intended readers.