DEPENDENCY RESOLUTION IN POLYPHASIC MODULES

• US 20120096433A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Reinhold, Mark B., Buckley, Alexander R., Gibbons, Jonathan J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system that facilitates the development, maintenance, and execution of a software program. During operation, the system obtains a module declaration for a module to be used in the software program. Next, the system resolves one or more dependencies of the module using the module declaration and a list of available modules for the software program. Finally, the system uses the resolved dependencies to manage the software program throughout the life cycle of the software program.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the development, maintenance, and execution of a software program, comprising:

obtaining a module declaration for a module to be used in the software program;

resolving one or more dependencies of the module using the module declaration and a list of available modules for the software program; and

using the resolved dependencies to manage the software program throughout the life cycle of the software program.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein resolving the dependencies using the module declaration and the available modules involves:

obtaining a dependency from the module declaration;

obtaining a subset of the available modules matching the dependency; and

resolving the dependency by;

analyzing additional dependencies of a first module from the subset of the available modules; and

selecting the first module for use in the software program if the additional dependencies of the first module are resolved using the available modules.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein if the additional dependencies of the first module are not resolved using the available modules, the dependency is further resolved by:

analyzing additional dependencies of a second module from the subset of the available modules, wherein a version associated with the second module precedes a version associated with the first module; and

selecting the second module for use in the software program if the additional dependencies of the second module are resolved using the available modules.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the dependency and the additional dependencies are associated with at least one of a name, a version, and a reverse dependency constraint.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the subset of the available modules is obtained using at least one of a directory hierarchy for the software program and a library.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein using the resolved dependencies to manage the software program involves:

using one or more local dependencies associated with the resolved dependencies to identify a set of locally connected modules to be used in the software program;

creating an execution context containing the locally connected modules; and

using the execution context to execute the software program.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein creating the execution context containing the locally connected modules involves:

selecting a dominant class from a set of identically named classes in the execution context; and

exposing the dominant class to other execution contexts associated with the software program.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein using the execution context to execute the software program involves:

managing the defining and importing of packages by the execution context and other execution contexts associated with the software program.

9. A system for facilitating the development, maintenance, and execution of a software program, comprising:

a software development kit (SDK) for the software program; and

a runtime system for the software program, wherein the SDK and the runtime system are configured to;

obtain a module declaration for a module to be used in the software program;

resolve one or more dependencies of the module using the module declaration and a list of available modules for the software program; and

use the resolved dependencies to manage the software program throughout the life cycle of the software program.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein resolving the dependencies using the module declaration and the available modules involves:

obtaining a dependency from the module declaration;

obtaining a subset of the available modules matching the dependency; and

resolving the dependency by;

analyzing additional dependencies of a first module from the subset of the available modules; and

selecting the first module for use in the software program if the additional dependencies of the first module are resolved using the available modules.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein if the additional dependencies of the first module are not resolved using the available modules, the dependency is further resolved by:

analyzing additional dependencies of a second module from the subset of the available modules, wherein a version associated with the second module precedes a version associated with the first module; and

selecting the second module for use in the software program if the additional dependencies of the second module are resolved using the available modules.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the dependency and the additional dependencies are associated with at least one of a name, a version, and a reverse dependency constraint.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein using the resolved dependencies to manage the software program involves:

using one or more local dependencies associated with the resolved dependencies to identify a set of locally connected modules to be used in the software program;

creating an execution context containing the locally connected modules; and

using the execution context to execute the software program.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein creating the execution context containing the locally connected modules involves:

selecting a dominant class from a set of identically named classes in the execution context; and

exposing the dominant class to other execution contexts associated with the software program.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein using the execution context to execute the software program involves:

managing the defining and importing of packages by the execution context and other execution contexts associated with the software program.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating the development, maintenance, and execution of a software program, the method comprising:

obtaining a module declaration for a module to be used in the software program;

resolving one or more dependencies of the module using the module declaration and a list of available modules for the software program; and

using the resolved dependencies to manage the software program throughout the life cycle of the software program.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein resolving the dependencies using the module declaration and the available modules involves:

obtaining a dependency from the module declaration;

obtaining a subset of the available modules matching the dependency; and

resolving the dependency by;

analyzing additional dependencies of a first module from the subset of the available modules;

selecting the first module for use in the software program if the additional dependencies of the first module are resolved using the available modules;

if the additional dependencies of the first module are not resolved using the available modules, analyzing additional dependencies of a second module from the subset of the available modules, wherein a version associated with the second module precedes a version associated with the first module; and

selecting the second module for use in the software program if the additional dependencies of the second module are resolved using the available modules.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein using the resolved dependencies to manage the software program involves:

using one or more local dependencies associated with the resolved dependencies to identify a set of locally connected modules to be used in the software program;

creating an execution context containing the locally connected modules; and

using the execution context to execute the software program.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein creating the execution context containing the locally connected modules involves:

selecting a dominant class from a set of identically named classes in the execution context; and

exposing the dominant class to other execution contexts associated with the software program.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein using the execution context to execute the software program involves:

managing the defining and importing of packages by the execution context and other execution contexts associated with the software program.