Code management in a distributed software development environment

• US 20070245296A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sun, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A system and method for managing codes during distributed software development. Code segments, or sections, are separated into logic units. Each logic unit contains one or more services. The logic units and services are registered at a registration management module, and added to the existing software code. When predefined automatic calling condition is satisfied, the corresponding service in every registered logic unit will be called automatically. Additionally, a unified interface is provided for calling services in the registered logic units. The calling of the logic unit may be affected by using the registration information of and/or a service definition defining the service of the logic unit maintained in the registration management module.

Claims

1. A method for managing software code during parallel software development, comprising:

separating software code from a first entity into at least one logic unit which contains at least one service;

registering the at least one logic unit and its at least one service by providing registration information to a registration manager; and

adding the software code from the first entity as at least one logic unit to software code of a second entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration information is at least one of:

identification information of the logic unit;

identification information of a call manager;

a creator for the logic unit;

a calling condition;

identification information of a service; and

a characteristic of the service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching the registration information in the registration manager; and

determining whether a same service has been registered before.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when new software code is for replacing existing software code, setting a flow control flag in the registration information so that only the new software code can be run.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when new software code is for upgrading existing software code, setting a flow control flag in the registration information so that both the new software code and the existing software code can be run.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including an automatic calling condition in the registration information of a service and automatically calling the service from a call manager when the automatic calling condition is satisfied.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the software code is separated into the at least one logic unit based on the service provided by the software code.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at a unified interface definition of a service from a caller.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

locating, by the registration manager, a service matching the definition provided by the caller.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing, by the registration manager, to the unified interface registration information about the service matching the definition.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to information from the registration manager, invoking the service matching the definition.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the definition is identification information of a logic unit and identification information of a service.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering at least one logic unit from a second entity with the registration manager,

wherein the at least one logic unit from the second entity is maintained as a separate entry distinct from the at least one logic unit from the first entity.

14. A computer program for performing a method for managing software code during parallel software development, the method comprising:

separating the software code from a first entity into at least one logic unit containing at least one service;

registering the at least one logic unit and its at least one service by providing registration information to a registration manager; and

adding the software code from the first entity as at least one logic unit to software code of a second entity.

15. A system for managing software code during parallel software development, comprising:

a registration manager which receives registration information of at least one logic unit which contains at least one service; and

a call manager being associated with at least one logic unit, and interfacing between the registration manager and a call for a service defined by a caller.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the registration manager provides to the call manager registration information of a service matching the service defined by the caller.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the call manager calls a service in the at least one logic unit matching the service defined by the caller according to information from the registration manager.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the call manager further comprises a unified interface for receiving the service defined by the caller.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the service defined by the caller is at least one of:

choose from lists;

item attributes;

event handler;

preferences;

item data binding;

grid attributes;

column attributes;

loading data; and

saving data.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the registration information is at least one of:

identification information of the logic unit;

identification information of the call manager;

a creator for the logic unit;

a calling condition;

identification information of a service; and

a characteristic of the service.