DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM WITH IMPROVED METHODOLOGY FOR CREATION AND REUSE OF SOFTWARE ASSETS

• US 20160070547A1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. (Idera, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. (Idera, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramanathan, Ravikumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,600,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/75 Structural analysis for program understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/77 Software metrics

Abstract

A development system with improved methodology for creation and reuse of software assets is shown and described. In one embodiment, for example, in a development system, a method is described for facilitating creation of a reusable application, the method comprises steps of: during development of the application, capturing knowledge and intent of the application'"'"'s original developer alongside source code created for the application; producing an archival module storing the source code for the application together with metadata capturing the knowledge and intent of the original developer, the metadata including at least one script guiding subsequent developers in use and modification of the source code for the application; and consuming the archival module by a follow-on developer, including executing the at least one script for facilitating creation of a reusable version of the application.

Claims

1. In a development system, a method for facilitating creation of a reusable application, the method comprising:

during development of the application, using an application factory in an integrated development environment to capture knowledge and intent of the application'"'"'s original developer alongside source code created for the application as metadata;

creating a recipe for the application factory for reuse of the application by a follow-on developer wherein the recipe comprises a list of application resources, a script guiding subsequent developers in use and modification of the source code for the application;

producing an archival module as part of the application factory storing the source code for the application together with the metadata and the recipe; and

consuming the archival module by an integrated development of the follow-on developer, comprising allowing application-centric navigation based on the metadata and facilitating filling in the input data into the template and executing the script to create the reusable version of the application based on the recipe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is tag-based and further comprises a description of the application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the description of the application includes an application diagram.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the description of the application includes a plurality of tag-based descriptions of the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag-based description comprises a plurality of descriptive tags presenting a hierarchical view of the application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the tags include links facilitating application-centric navigation of various portions of the application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata further comprises a plurality of templates facilitating pattern-based replacement of portions of the application subject to change upon reuse of the application for creating another version.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one script comprises JavaScript maintained in a metadata project alongside the application.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after executing said at least one script, presenting to the follow-on developer changes made by said at least one script so that the developer may selectively accept or reject such changes before they are committed to the source code.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one script presents a series of actions that convert application reuse into straightforward coding sequences.

11. A development system that facilitates creation of a reusable application, the system comprising:

a development system comprising an application factory in an integrated development environment operating on a computer having at least a processor and a memory;

a producer module within the application factory for recording knowledge and intent of the application'"'"'s original developer as the developer creates source code for the application, and for storing the source code for the application together with metadata capturing the knowledge and intent of the original developer wherein the knowledge and intent comprise the original developer'"'"'s reasons for implementation decisions with embedded suggestions of how to modify the source code, further for creating a recipe for the application factory for reuse of the application by a follow-on developer wherein the recipe comprises a list of application resources, a script guiding subsequent developers in use and modification of the source code for the application; and

a module within the application factory for consuming the source code and metadata by the follow-on developer, comprising facilitating application-centric navigation based on the metadata, and executing the script to create the reusable version of the application based on the recipe.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the metadata is tag-based and further comprises a description of the application.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the description of the application includes an application diagram.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the description of the application includes a plurality of tag-based descriptions of the application.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the tag-based description comprises a plurality of descriptive tags presenting a hierarchical view of the application.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the tags include links facilitating application-centric navigation of various portions of the application.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the metadata further comprises a plurality of templates facilitating pattern-based replacement of portions of the application subject to change upon reuse of the application for creating another version.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said metadata includes at least one script maintained in a metadata project alongside the application.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a review module for presenting to the follow-on developer changes made by execution of said instructions so that the developer may selectively accept or reject such changes before they are committed to the source code.

20. In a development system, a method for guiding development of an application by a plurality of developers, the method comprising:

during development of an application by a first developer in an integrated development environment, creating a recipe within an application factory in the integrated development environment for reuse of the application by a second developer wherein the recipe comprises a list of application resources, a script guiding subsequent developers in use and modification of the source code for the application;

using an application factory in the integrated development environment to capture metadata describing instructions of the first developer for guiding subsequent developers in development and modification of the application as the first developer creates source code for the application wherein the instructions comprise the first developer'"'"'s reasons for implementation decisions with embedded suggestions of how to modify the source code;

exporting the application, and captured metadata, and the recipe to an integrated development environment of a second developer; and

facilitating navigation in the integrated development environment of the second developer based on the captured metadata during subsequent development and modification of the application by the second developer, and executing the script to create the reusable version of the application based on the recipe.