Collaborative development environments for software

• US 7,805,702 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Soroka, Vladimir, Ribak, Amnon, Jacovi, Michal, Maarek, Yoelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr.; Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAARY, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US10/695,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,526 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124, 717101-103
• US Class Current: 717/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A collaborative development environment includes an integrated development environment and a collaboration client integrated into the environment. There also is a Help menu of a software application which includes sections to provide information about the software application and a peer support section to provide access to a collaboration server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a context of work for a user in an integrated development environment (IDE) based on the work of the user;

automatically selecting from among a list of peers those related to said context of work;

accessing peer support resources, wherein said peer support resources are available from a universe of users with a commonality of interest with said user, external to said IDE from within said IDE upon instructions from said user of said IDE;

providing said user with means to ask questions of selected peers; and

enabling said user to communicate with said peer support resources.

2. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said accessing peer support comprises displaying at least one list of existing topics of discussion and providing said user with a selector to select one of said topics.

3. A method according to claim 2 and wherein said providing also comprises opening a window for said user to participate in a selected discussion.

4. A method according to claim 3 and wherein said opening comprises retrieving said selected topic from a collaborative development server.

5. A method according to claim 2 and wherein said providing said user comprises selecting from said existing topics those related to said context of work.

6. A method according to claim 2 comprising:

displaying topics of discussions based on work being performed in an integrated development environment.

7. A method according to claim 6 and wherein said work is defined by at least one of the following:

the current file, the current class, the current object, the current project, and the current function.