Design-time system and method to enable programming assistance across languages and compilation boundaries

• US 7,376,935 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kichline, Evan G., Mohamed, Ibrahim A. K., Bartz, Bradley J., Hiebert, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHIH CHING
• Application Number:
  US10/972,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/110
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

The subject invention pertains to systems and methods to provide rich and intelligent programmatic assistance across language and compilation boundaries. In essence, the systems and methods can monitor a plurality of compilation units in a software project to determine the language(s) employed therewith and provide intelligent code assistance to the compilation units for the detected language(s). The rich and intelligent assistance can correspond to providing code suggestions, among other things, based on the programming language being utilized and the context of its use. In brief, the herein disclosed techniques provide a seamless design environment to facilitate coding in multiple programming languages amongst a plurality of compilation units in project.

Claims

1. A software project development system comprising:

a computer processor that executes the following software components;

a plurality of compilation units; and

a project management system comprising a code editor component, an asynchronous component and an intelligent assist component, the project management system provides intelligent programmatic assistance to a user across a plurality of related compilation units associated with a software project;

the code editor component makes intelligent programmatic assistance available to a user during code specification;

the asynchronous component coordinates dispatch of processes requests associated with intelligent programmatic assistance to enable intelligent assistance functionality to be made available incrementally to a user and to prevent a delay in the availability or responsiveness of the code editor component; and

the intelligent assist component makes intelligent programmatic assistance provided by assist provider components available to a use, wherein the intelligent assist component includes a language detection component that identifies a compilation language employed by a program, and an assist provider detection component that detects the presence of new assist provider components and makes them available to the software project, the intelligent assist component includes one or more project host component that host assist provider components, wherein the project host component includes a project interface that can be employed by an assist provider component to retrieve project information, and assist provider component includes a provider interface that supplies an abstraction through which a project host component can communicate with an assist provider component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the compilation units are specified in different programming languages.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the compilation unit is a code module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the code module is part of a web page implementation.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the code module is a code directory.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the compilation unit is a web page and the software project is a web site.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising assist provider components that make intelligent assistance available for a particular programming language.

8. The system of claim 1, intelligent programmatic assistance includes providing users with suggestions based on program context.

9. The system of claim 1, the project management system further comprising a compilation system that dynamically compiles compilation units upon detection of one or more changes within the compilation unit.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the compilation system detects a compilation unit language.

11. A software project development system comprising:

a computer processor that executes the following software components;

a language detection component that identifies one or more programming languages associated with a plurality of compilation units in a software project;

one or more project host components associated with the compilation units based on a language associated with the unit;

one or more assist provider components communicatively coupled to respective host components to provide automated language specific programming assistance for compilation units;

a code editor component that makes intelligent programmatic assistance available to a user during code specification;

an asynchronous component that coordinates dispatch of processes requests associated with intelligent programmatic assistance to enable intelligent assistance functionality to be made available incrementally to a user and to prevent a delay in the availability or responsiveness of the code editor component; and

an intelligent assist component makes intelligent programmatic assistance provided by assist provider components available to a use, wherein the intelligent assist component includes a language detection component that identifies a compilation language employed by a program, and an assist provider detection component that detects the presence of new assist provider components and makes them available to the software project, the intelligent assist component includes one or more project host component that host assist provider components, wherein the project host component includes a project interface that can be employed by an assist provider component to retrieve project information, and assist provider component includes a provider interface that supplies an abstraction through which a project host component can communicate with an assist provider component.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a compiler detects programming languages associated with a compilation unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the compiler dynamically compiles compilation units upon a save request and detection of a change to the unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the compilation units are web pages within a website project.

15. A project design system comprising:

a computer processor;

a means for identifying programming languages associated with a plurality of compilation units in a software project;

a means for providing automated language specific coding assistance to each compilation unit through a code editor;

a means for coordinating dispatch of processes requests associated with intelligent programmatic assistance to enable intelligent assistance functionality to be made available incrementally to a user and to prevent a delay in the availability or responsiveness of the code editor; and

a means for making intelligent programmatic assistance provided by assist provider components available to a user, wherein the means for making intelligent programmatic assistance available includes a language detection component that identifies a compilation language employed by a program, and an assist provider detection component that detects the presence of new assist provider components and makes them available to the software project, the means for making intelligent programmatic assistance available includes one or more project host component that host assist provider components, wherein the project host component includes a project interface that can be employed by an assist provider component to retrieve project information, and the assist provider component includes a provider interface that supplies an abstraction through which a project host component can communicate with an assist provider component.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the compilation units are web pages and the software project is a website application.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein compilation units are specified in differing programming languages.

18. A method of providing programming assistance comprising:

detecting a language associated with at least one compilation unit of a software project;

providing automated intelligent programmatic assistance to the compilation unit through a code editor;

coordinating dispatch of processes requests associated with intelligent programmatic assistance to enable intelligent assistance functionality to be made available incrementally to a user and to prevent a delay in the availability or responsiveness of the code editor;

making intelligent programmatic assistance provided by assist provider components available to a user, wherein making intelligent programmatic assistance available includes identifying a compilation language employed by a program, and detecting the presence of new assist provider components and making them available to the software project; and

providing one or more project host component that host assist provider components, wherein the project host component includes a project interface that can be employed by to retrieve project information, and the assist provider component includes a provider interface that supplies an abstraction through which a project host component can communicate with an assist provider component.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the language is detected by a compiler based on one or more of compilation unit metadata and explicit language declarations.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the language is detected by dynamically analyzing unit source code.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the compilation unit is a web page and the project is a website including numerous web pages.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the compilation unit is a middle-tier code directory.

23. A software project assistance methodology comprising:

detecting a project compilation unit language;

locating an assist provider that supports the compilation unit language;

loading the assist provider;

providing automated intelligent programmatic assistance to the compilation unit language through a code editor;

coordinating dispatch of processes requests associated with intelligent programmatic assistance to enable intelligent assistance functionally to be made available incrementally to a user and to prevent a delay in the availability or responsiveness of the code editor;

making intelligent programmatic assistance provided by assist provider components available to a user, wherein making intelligent programmatic assistance available includes identifying a compilation language employed by a program, and detecting the presence of new assist provider components and making them available to the software project; and

providing one or more project host component that host assist provider components, wherein the project host component includes a project interface that can be employed by to retrieve project information, and the assist provider component includes a provider interface that supplies an abstraction through which a project host component can communicate with an assist provider component.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein locating the assist provider comprises employing an assist provider interface to query whether the provider supports a particular language.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein locating the assist component comprises analyzing registry entries to determine which assist provider supports the desired language.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein loading an assist provider comprises providing the assist component with a reference to the compilation unit via an assist provider interface.