Software development system and method

• US 20060168558A1
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OutSystems S.A.
• Original Assignee: OutSystems S.A.
• Inventors: de Seabra e Melo, Miguel Antonio Cunha, Ferrao, Lucio Emanuel Represas, de Sousa Coutinho, Rodrigo Leal de Faria, Alves, Carlos Manuel Gregorio
• Granted Patent: US 7,735,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A computer design model processing system and methods are described that can create visual models of computer systems, store versions of design models in a centralized repository, automatically generate and deploy computer software systems in response to the stored computer design models, define dependencies between computer design models, and automate and assist the development of multiple, possibly dependent, computer design models by multiple developers.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method for facilitating collaborative use of a computer design model, comprising:

receiving a specification for a file containing a computer design model;

determining whether the computer design model in the specified file is the version most recently stored in a repository;

if the version of the computer design model in the specified file is not the most recently stored, facilitating the selection of elements of the computer design model in the specified file, and elements of the most recently stored version.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, upon determination that the computer design model in the specified file is the not the most recently stored in a source control repository, providing the user with the choices of:

(a) editing the version of the computer design model in the specified file;

(b) downloading the most recently stored version; and

(c) merging the version of the computer design model in the specified file with the most recently stored version.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of facilitating the selection of elements is performed upon the user choice of merging the version of the computer design model in the specified file with the most recently published version.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the most recently stored version is the most recently published version.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the specification for a file identifies its computer network location.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising, prior to the step of determining whether the computer design model is the most recently stored, the step of facilitating the selection of a repository by prompting the user to select a repository available on a computer network.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the file includes a list of design model history descriptors, each of them comprising information about a user who provided the design model version to be stored, a moment in time when the design model version was provided to be stored;

and a repository where the design model version was stored.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising annotating a computer design model with version information, by:

assigning a global unique identifier to the design model; and

annotating the design model with a history descriptor, including a timestamp of the creation, a base version number and an identification of the user who created the design model.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of determining whether the computer design model is the most recently published, comprises:

retrieving the file comprising the computer design model from a specified computer network location;

parsing the file to extract a design model global unique identifier and a first design model history descriptor;

querying a repository for the most recently stored version of the design model using the extracted design model global unique identifier;

parsing the most recently stored version of the design model to extract a second design model history descriptor; and

comparing the first history descriptor with the second history descriptor to determine whether the computer design model in the specified file is different from the most recently stored version.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of facilitating the selection of elements of the most recently published version further comprises:

presenting a comparison of the elements of the first computer design model with the elements of the second computer design model;

facilitating selection of elements in the second model for merging into the first model;

presenting an indication of the merging action to be taken for each selected element; and

taking the indicated action, thereby merging the first version with the second version.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of facilitating the selection of elements of the most recently published version further comprises presenting a visual comparison of the elements.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the comparison comprises a visual indication of new elements, changed elements, and deleted elements.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the indicated action is taken upon user confirmation.

38. A system for facilitating collaborative use of a computer design model when opening the design model, comprising:

a receiving module for receiving a specification for a file containing a computer design model;

a determining module for determining whether the computer design model in the specified file is the version most recently stored in a repository;

a facilitation module for, if the version of the computer design model in the specified file is not the most recently stored, facilitating the selection of elements of the computer design model in the specified file, and elements of the most recently stored version.

39. A method for merging a first version of a computer design model with a second version of a computer design model, the method comprising:

presenting a comparison of the elements of the first computer design model with the elements of the second computer design model;

facilitating selection of elements in the second model for merging into the first model;

presenting an indication of the merging action to be taken for each selected element; and

taking the indicated action, thereby merging the first version with the second version.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the step of facilitating the selection of elements of the most recently published version further comprises presenting a visual comparison of the elements.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the indicated action is selected from the list of creating, overwriting, and deleting.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the indicated action is taken upon user confirmation.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the computer design model contains elements that can be merged, comprising:

a data persistency model comprising entity and attribute elements that define a data structure for storing data from the software program;

a data structure model containing structure and attribute elements that define an hierarchical data structure for transmitting information from and to the software program;

a behavior model containing action elements that define a set of sequential and conditional instructions that define a business rule of the software program; and

a user navigation model containing screen elements that define the visual and interactive content for presenting information to the end-user of the software program.

45. The method of claim 39 further comprising upon creation, annotating a computer design model with version information.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the step of facilitating the selection of elements comprises:

receiving a list of new elements, a list of deleted elements, a list of local changed elements, a list of foreign changed elements and a list of conflict elements;

presenting the elements of the first version in a first visual list;

presenting the elements of the second version in a second visual list;

annotating the elements of the first and second lists with specific visual marks that denote the element status, as one of new, changed or conflict;

annotating the elements of the first and second lists with specific visual marks that denote non-existing elements, including marks in the first list for elements that are deleted in the second list and marks in the second list for elements that are new in the first list;

selecting all the elements of the first list automatically;

upon user selection of elements or non-existing elements in the second list, update the first list with specific visual marks that denote the merge action to be taken, as one of merge, remove or replace.

47. The method of claim 39, wherein the step of taking the indicated action, thereby merging the first version with the second version comprises:

determining which new elements of the second list are selected, merging the corresponding element of the second version into the first design model version;

determining which deleted elements of the second list are selected, removing the corresponding element from the first version; and

determining which changed or conflict elements of the second list are selected, replacing the corresponding element of the first version with the corresponding element of the second version.

48. The method of claim 39 further comprising the method of updating references in the first computer design model to overwritten elements according to the elements interface modifications.

41. The method of claim 41, wherein the comparison comprises a visual indication of new elements, changed elements, and deleted elements.