System and method for revealing remote object status in an integrated development environment

• US 20060080639A1
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ruano, Julio Eloy, Bustelo, Leugim A., Hately, Andrew Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,475,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for creating a software product in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). In one embodiment, remote object status data is received by a software development module which may be a source code editor or a program execution emulator. Responsive to the received data, the remote object status is rendered within a display medium of the software development module by decorating or otherwise distinguishing the remote OIDs in the IDE. In one embodiment in which the software development module is a source code editor, the method further includes detecting a remote object identifier in a source code file processed by the source code editor, and in response thereto, displaying the remote object status within the source code editor.

Claims

1. A method for creating software products using an integrated development environment, said method comprising:

collecting a set of remote object identifiers representing remote objects available to the integrated development environment;

periodically determining a status of said remote objects using said set of remote object identifiers; and

providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment in response to a user entry in said integrated development environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said integrated development environment includes a source code editor having a type-ahead facility, said method further comprising:

accessing a remote object interface repository that includes interface definitions;

determining one or more keywords from the interface definitions; and

inserting one or more of the determined keywords into the type-ahead facility.

3. The method of claim 2, said determining step comprising predicting the one or more keywords in accordance with the interface definitions and a target programming language naming convention.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment comprises reporting at least one quality of service metric of said remote object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one quality of service metric includes object availability metrics.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the object availability metrics comprise statistical availability metrics or current operational availability of the remote object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote object identifiers are displayed within a source code editor display of the integrated development environment, said providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment comprising color coding the display of the remote object identifiers within the software development display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote object identifiers are displayed within a debugger display of the integrated development environment, said providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment comprising color coding the display of the remote object identifiers within the debugger display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises inserting a conditional breakpoint into a debugging routine, wherein said conditional breakpoint conditionally notifies a user when said remote object is unavailable for access.

10. A system for creating software products using an integrated development environment, said system comprising:

data collection means for collecting a set of remote object identifiers representing remote objects available to the integrated development environment;

a status monitor interface for periodically determining a status of said remote objects using said set of remote object identifiers; and

a status update adapter for providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment in response to a user entry in said integrated development environment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said integrated development environment includes a source code editor having a code-completion facility, said system further comprising:

a look-up module that retrieves keywords from a keyword compare pool; and

a contribution mechanism for contributing keywords derived from program language artifacts to the keyword compare pool, said contribution mechanism including a remote artifact contribution module for contributing keywords derived from remote object artifacts to the keyword compare pool.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said status update adapter comprises means for reporting at least one quality of service metric of said remote object.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one quality of service metric includes object availability metrics.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the object availability metrics comprise statistical availability metrics or current operational availability of the remote object.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote object identifiers are displayed within a source code editor display of the integrated development environment, said status update adapter comprising processing means for color coding the display of the remote object identifiers within the software development display.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote object identifiers are displayed within a debugger display of the integrated development environment, said status update adapter comprising processing means for color coding the display of the remote object identifiers within the debugger display.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said status update adapter comprises processing means for inserting a conditional breakpoint into a debugging routine, wherein said conditional breakpoint conditionally notifies a user when said remote object is unavailable for access.

18. A computer program product for creating software products using an integrated development environment, said computer program product including computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

collecting a set of remote object identifiers representing remote objects available to the integrated development environment;

periodically determining a status of said remote objects using said set of remote object identifiers; and

providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment in response to a user entry in said integrated development environment.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein said integrated development environment includes a source code editor having a type-ahead facility, said method further comprising:

accessing a remote object interface repository that includes interface definitions;

determining one or more keywords from the interface definitions; and

inserting one or more of the determined keywords into the type-ahead facility.

20. The program product of claim 19, said determining step comprising predicting the one or more keywords in accordance with the interface definitions and a target programming language naming convention.

21. The program product of claim 18, wherein said providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment comprises reporting at least one quality of service metric of said remote object.

22. The program product of claim 21, wherein the at least one quality of service metric includes object availability metrics.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein the object availability metrics comprise statistical availability metrics or current operational availability of the remote object.

24. The program product of claim 18, wherein the remote object identifiers are displayed within a source code editor display of the integrated development environment, said providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment comprising color coding the display of the remote object identifiers within the software development display.

25. The program product of claim 18, wherein the remote object identifiers are displayed within a debugger display of the integrated development environment, said providing remote object status information to said integrated development environment comprising color coding the display of the remote object identifiers within the debugger display.

26. The program product of claim 18, wherein said providing step comprises inserting a conditional breakpoint into a debugging routine, wherein said conditional breakpoint conditionally notifies a user when said remote object is unavailable for access.