System And Method For Context-Sensitive Help In A Design Environment

• US 20070168909A1
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vaidyanathan, Shankar, Kimmerly, Randy, Kaneva, Biliana
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors

Abstract

An intelligent tool for assisting a developer during the creation or maintenance of software generates an icon when triggered by input. Upon selection of the icon, options are displayed for potential selection. Upon selection of an entry, event associated with the entry are deployed.

Claims

1. A method of providing context-sensitive help using a programming tool that predicts potential next-tasks, the method comprising:

monitoring user actions during source code input;

detecting a triggering event in the monitored user actions;

in response to detecting the triggering event, determining an action associated with the triggering event;

in response to determining the action associated with the triggering event offering to execute the action; and

in response to the user accepting the offer, performing the associated action, wherein an external data source is accessed and wherein sections of code comprising more than a single word are automatically entered into the source code by the programming tool based on information stored in the external data source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises entering an interface name as part of a class definition in the source code, wherein an interface identified by the interface name stored in the external data source is associated with a plurality of methods, and wherein the associated action comprises inserting stub function body code for the plurality of the methods of the interface into the source code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises adding a property to an interface in the source code, wherein a definition of the interface is stored in the external data source and wherein the associated action comprises adding stub implementations of the added property to all classes in the source code that implement the interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises using an application programming interface to access the external data source comprising an external database and wherein the associated action comprises establishing a connection to the external database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises entering source code defining a new class used to implement an interface and wherein the associated action comprises providing stub implementations of members of the interface to the new class and wherein the external source comprises a data source comprising names and signatures of the new class and interfaces the new class extends.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises entering source code comprising entering a name of a public interface class defined in the external data source, the public interface class having a plurality of pure member methods and wherein the associated action comprises implementing an interface of the public interface class in the source code and overriding the plurality of pure member methods of the public interface class by inserting stub function body code based on each of the plurality of pure member methods for the interface in the source code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises entering source code comprising entering a name of a base class defined in the external data source, the base class having a plurality of virtual methods and wherein the associated action comprises inserting code implementing an object of the base class wherein a subset of the plurality of virtual methods are overridden in the inserted code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises entering code that when executed makes a connection to an external database and wherein the associated action comprises generating code to retrieve a dataset specified in the entered code and to close the external database and entering the generated code into the source code.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the triggering event further comprises entering code in the source code that specifies a password for accessing the external database, and wherein the associated action comprises hiding the password.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event further comprises hovering a cursor controlled by an input device over an error indicator comprising a squiggly line, the error indicator indicating errors in the source code and wherein the associated action comprises automatically correcting the errors.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event further comprises hovering a cursor controlled by an input device over an error indicator comprising a squiggly line, the error indicator indicating errors in the source code and wherein the associated action comprises establishing a connection to a knowledge database on an Internet network that provides information associated with correction of the errors.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises entering source code representing a declaration of a function and wherein the associated action comprises implementing the function, wherein the external data source comprises files generated without compilation by a dynamic parser that parses the source code as it is being written.

8. The method of 6, further comprising removing existing source code and replacing the removed code with code generated by the programming tool.

14. A system for providing context-sensitive help in a development environment for determining potential next tasks and executing a selected potential next task, the system comprising:

an editor that accepts user input comprising source code;

a datastore generated by a dynamic parser wherein the parser stores information in the datastore comprising information associated with elements of the source code comprising class definitions, member data types, reference information, source file names or source file line numbers at which an identifier, token, or function name is defined or referenced in the source code;

a language service comprising the dynamic parser which parses the source code as it is written without regard for non-fatal errors and stores information in the datastore without requiring compilation; and

a programming tool that;

monitors user actions during source code development in the development environment;

detects a triggering event in the monitored user actions;

in response to detecting the triggering event, determines an action associated with the triggering event;

in response to determining the action associated with the triggering event displays an icon or list entry representing the associated action; and

in response to user selection of the icon or list entry, performs the associated action, wherein an external data source is accessed and wherein sections of code are automatically entered into the source code by the programming tool executing in the development environment based on information stored in the external data source.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the language service further comprises a C++ parser, a C# parser, a J# parser, or a Visual Basic parser.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the datastore includes a dynamically updated component and a pre-built component.

17. A computer-readable storage medium including computer-executable instructions that when executed in a computer environment:

monitor user actions during source code development in a development environment;

detect a triggering event in the monitored user actions;

in response to detecting the triggering event, determine an action associated with the triggering event;

in response to determining the action associated with the triggering event display an icon or list entry representing the associated action; and

in response to user selection of the icon or list entry, perform the associated action, wherein an external data source is accessed and wherein sections of code are automatically entered into the source code by a programming tool executing in the development environment based on information stored in the external data source.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, comprising further computer-readable instructions that when executed in the computer environment:

establish a connection to an external database when triggered by user input activating an application programming interface to access the external data source.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, comprising further computer-readable instructions that when executed in the computer environment:

detect the triggering event comprising hovering a cursor controlled by an input device over an error indicator comprising a squiggly line, the error indicator indicating errors in the source code and wherein the associated action comprises automatically correcting the errors.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, comprising further computer-readable instructions that when executed in the computer environment:

detect the triggering event comprising hovering a cursor controlled by an input device over an error indicator comprising a squiggly line, the error indicator indicating errors in the source code and wherein the associated action comprises establishing a connection to a knowledge database on an Internet network that provides information associated with correction of the errors.