Computer device for aiding in the development of software system

• US 4,809,170 A
• Filed: 04/22/1987
• Issued: 02/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apollo Computer, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chase, Robert P. Jr., McLean, Gordon Jr., Spilke, Howard, Leblang, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zache, Raulfe B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOHAMED, AYNI Y
• Application Number:
  US07/045,180
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 364/300, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 717/122
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A support system for Computer-Aided Software Engineer (CASE) applications provides configuration management and features such as transparent retrieval of named versions of program sequences on a line by line basis as well as task monitoring and reporting. A modification record is maintained for all changes to the modules in the system build library by version numbers. Any version of a module can be obtained on a line by line basis as well as several different versions simultaneously thus supporting multiple concurrent system work on different versions by multiple users. Module monitoring is provided whereby if a module is modified when it is being monitored, all persons who might be affected thereby are notified. Task monitoring also provides notification and monitoring of tasks being accomplished as well as "blueprints" to follow in the future for the accomplishment of the same or similar tasks.

Claims

1. A computer device for building a software system having a sequence of components, the device comprising:

(a) computer means for executing pre-established logic sequences and for reading from and writing to memory;

(b) source code memory means for storing a basic source code for each component of a plurality of software systems, each component comprising a plurality of sequential statements, and for storing, for each basic source code of a component, a sequence of modifications to the respective source code, each modification defining a different version of the respective component and being identified by a version number;

(c) build list means for designating the sequence of said component of a desired software system to be built;

(d) version list means for listing on a rule basis user desired possible versions of each of said components of the desired software system to be built;

(e) version designation means for dynamically designating on a component-by-component basis the version number to be currently employed during the building of said desired software system;

(f) GET statement logic sequence means to be executed by said computer means for accessing the source code memory means and for providing on request the next statement in sequence of a designated version of a component in the source code memory means according to the version currently designated by said version designation means;

(g) derived object pool memory means for receiving and holding translated components of said desired software system as the system is being built; and

(h) system build logic sequence means to be executed by said computer means for establishing from said build list means and said version list means a sequence of components by version numbers, corresponding to rule satisfying versions of the components, to be used to build the desired software system, for periodically setting said version designation means to reflect the version number of a component to be currently translated by any one of different translators supported by the computer means, for sequentially accessing said GET statement logic sequence means to sequentially obtain the rule satisfying versions of the components on a statement by statement basis from the source code memory means, and for using said statements to build from the translated components the desired software system comprising the designated components and rule satisfying versions thereof in said pool memory area.

2. The computer device of claim 1 wherein:

said system build logic sequence means includes logic to use the most recent version of a component if no version number is designated by said version designation means.

3. The computer device of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) bound configuration memory for holding build histories of built software systems as Historical Records, where

said system build logic sequence means, as part of the building of each software system, creates a build history in said bound configuration memory comprising a list of the components and versions employed to build the system, each build history identified by a unique Historical Record identifier; and

(b) build list designation logic sequence means, to be executed by said computer means for accessing said bound configuration memory and using a user designated Historical Record build history in conjunction with the build list means and said version list means to designate the version of a component of a to-be-built software system, such designation recreating a prior built software system from only said unique Historical Record identifier.

4. The computer device of claim 3 wherein:

said bound configuration memory is contained within said derived object pool memory means.

5. The computer device of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) bound configuration memory for holding build histories of built software systems as Historical Records, each build history including a unique identifier for identifying each translated component created by the translating of a version of a component with a respective executed logic entry in said system build logic sequence means;

said system build logic sequence means, as part of the building of each software system, creating a build history in said bound configuration memory comprising a list of the components and versions employed to build the software system and said unique identifier; and

said system build logic sequence means, as part of the building of each software system, checking said Historical Records for each logic entry in the system build logic sequence and utilizing a previously created translated component having an executed logic entry corresponding to a logic entry in the logic sequence rather than utilizing source code for said logic entry to create said translated component, the previously created translated component existing within said pool memory means.

6. The computer device of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said drived object pool memory means is adapted to have a plurality of systems built within it at one time; and

,

(b) said system build logic sequence means is adapted to concurrently employ a plurality of said build list means and said version list means simultaneously to build a plurality of said software systems within said derived object pool memory means simultaneously.

7. The computer device of claim 6 further comprising:

a bound configuration memory for holding build histories of built software systems as Historical Records, each build history including a unique identifier for associating each translated component created from the translating of a version of a component with a respective executed part of said system build logic sequence means;

said system build logic sequence means, as part of the building of each software system, creates a build history in said bound configuration memory comprising a list of the components and versions employed to build the system and said unique identifier; and

said system build logic sequence means, as part of the building of each software system, checks said Historical Records for each part to be executed of the system build logic sequence means and utilizes a previously translated component corresponding to a said part to be executed, rather than utilizing the source code for said part to be executed, said translated component existing within said pool memory means.

8. The computer device of claim 7 wherein:

(a) said Historical Records include last time used means for indicating times of last utilization of translated components; and

additionally comprising,

(b) purge logic sequence means to be executed by said computer means for periodically checking said last time used means and for purging from said pool memory means translated components that have not been utilized within a preset period of time.

9. The computer device of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) module modification logic sequence means to be executed by said computer means for modifying and thereby generating new versions of components in said source code memory means by adding to said sequence of modifications in said source code memory means;

(b) monitors coupled with selected components of said source code memory means, the monitors designating notifications to be made when modifications are made to said components which have been selected for monitoring; and

,

(c) module monitoring logic means for establishing module monitoring information and notification designations of said monitors, the module monitoring logic means interfacing with said module modification logic sequence means, and making notifications according to said designations of monitors when a modification to respective components being monitored is made.

10. The computer device of claim 9 further comprising:

(a) task designation logic sequence means to be executed by said computer means for designation sequences of subtasks to be accomplished as tasks;

(b) task memory means for holding said task designations from said task designation logic sequence means; and

(c) task control logic sequence means to be executed by said computer means for automatically putting subtask completion information into said task memory means, for interfacing with said module modification logic sequence means, the task control logic sequence means putting subtask completion information into said task memory means when a new version of a component is created by the module modification logic sequence means.

11. A computer device for building software systems having a plurality of elements, each element comprising a sequence of logic statements, the device comprising:

an operating system having at least one computer language translator;

source code memory means for storing versions of elements of various software systems;

a system model providing an indication of elements and a sequence of the elements to be used to build a desired software system;

a configuration thread providing a rule-based indication of user chosen possible versions of each element of the desired software system;

a version designator table for providing the translator an indication of the version of an element to be currently translated, the table being settable in a manner so as to dynamically provide an indication of version of an element on an element by element basis during the building of the desired software system; and

a system builder combining and evaluating the indications of the system model and configuration thread to form a bound configuration thread for the desired software system, the system builder determining a version of an element in the system model and setting the version designator table to indicate the version of the element according to the bound configuration thread, such that as the version of an element is indicated by the table, the system builder enables the operating system to read form the source code memory means the version of the element indicated by the table and enables the translator to translate the version of the element, the system builder setting the version designator table for each element of the desired software system.

12. A computer device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the source code memory means stores versions by recording for each element a sequence of modifications to the element, each modification in the sequence defining a different version of the element and being identified by a version number;

the operating system reading and applying the sequence of modifications during a reading of a version of return the respective version from the source code memory means.

13. A computer device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the version designator table provides an indication of the version of an element by a version number which is used by the operating system to read directly a certain version.

14. A computer device as claimed in claim 11 wherein a bound configuration thread of a previously built software system is used in the configuration thread to provide an indication of versions of elements in the desired software system.

15. A computer device as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a derived object pool in which translated elements are stored along with their respective bound configuration threads.

16. A computer device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the system builder compares the bound configuration thread formed for a to-be-built desired software system with bound configuration threads in the derived object pool to determine which elements of the to-be-built desired software system are to be currently translated and which elements have corresponding translations in the pool that may be used in the building of the desired software system.

17. A computer device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the derived object pool is a cache memory.

18. A computer device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the translated elements stored in the derived object pool are purged in order of least recently used to most recently used.

19. A computer device as claimed in claim 11 further comprising:

monitor means coupled with user selected versions of elements in the source code memory logically means for providing notification, to a respective user, of modifications of the selected versions of elements.

20. A computer device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the system builder enables the operating system and translator to translate elements of more than one desired software system at a time using in common the source code memory means, the system builder dynamically setting the version designator table accordingly.