Usage of development context in search operations

• US 7,809,703 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Balabhadrapatruni, Venkatuday M., Ma, Steven K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUELLER, KURT A
• Application Number:
  US11/615,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

Metadata corresponding to a plurality of documents is maintained. The metadata indicates whether a document includes information that is pertinent to a first development context and a second development context of a software development environment. A search term in a current development context of the software development environment is received. Search results comprising selected documents from the plurality of documents are generated. The selected documents are based on at least the search term, the current development context, and the metadata maintained with the plurality of documents.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining, by a computer, metadata corresponding to a plurality of documents of a help system of a software development environment, wherein the metadata indicates whether a document includes information that is pertinent to a perspective and a view of the software development environment, wherein;

a plurality of perspectives are maintained;

a plurality views are contained within each perspective of the plurality of perspectives; and

the plurality of views contained within a particular perspective of the plurality of perspectives are accessible via selection of the particular perspective;

receiving, by the computer, a search term from a user in a current development context of the software development environment, wherein the user prefers information to be returned based on the search term in the current development context over information based on the search term in other development contexts;

augmenting, by a query construction application, a search query with the received search term, the current perspective, and currently opened views of the current perspective in the current development context, in response to receiving the search term from the user;

sending the augmented search query to a search engine executing within the computer, in response to the augmenting of the search query by the query construction application; and

generating, by the search engine executing within the computer, search results comprising selected documents from the plurality of documents, wherein the selected documents of the help system of the software development environment are based on at least the augmented search query and the metadata maintained with the plurality of documents.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the search results further comprises:

categorizing, ordering and ranking, by the computer, the selected documents based on relevance of the metadata to the current development context, wherein the categorized, ordered and ranked documents are presented as the search results to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein those documents whose metadata indicates the current development context are more likely to be included in the selected documents of the search results in comparison to those documents whose metadata does not indicate the current development context.

4. A system, comprising:

memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor performs operations, the operations comprising;

maintaining metadata corresponding to a plurality of documents of a help system of a software development environment, wherein the metadata indicates whether a document includes information that is pertinent to a perspective and a view of the software development environment, wherein;

a plurality of perspectives are maintained;

a plurality views are contained within each perspective of the plurality of perspectives; and

the plurality of views contained within a particular perspective of the plurality of perspectives are accessible via selection of the particular perspective;

receiving a search term from a user in a current development context of the software development environment, wherein the user prefers information to be returned based on the search term in the current development context over information based on the search term in other development contexts;

augmenting, by a query construction application, a search query with the received search term, the current perspective, and currently opened views of the current perspective in the current development context, in response to receiving the search term from the user;

sending the augmented search query to a search engine, in response to the augmenting of the search query by the query construction application; and

generating, by the search engine, search results comprising selected documents from the plurality of documents, wherein the selected documents of the help system of the software development environment are based on at least the augmented search query and the metadata maintained with the plurality of documents.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein generating the search results further comprises:

categorizing, ordering and ranking the selected documents based on relevance of the metadata to the current development context, wherein the categorized, ordered and ranked documents are presented as the search results to the user.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein those documents whose metadata indicates the current development context are more likely to be included in the selected documents of the search results in comparison to those documents whose metadata does not indicate the current development context.

7. A computer readable storage medium, wherein code stored in the computer readable storage medium when executed by a computer causes operations, the operations comprising:

maintaining, by the computer, metadata corresponding to a plurality of documents of a help system of a software development environment, wherein the metadata indicates whether a document includes information that is pertinent to a perspective and a view of the software development environment, wherein;

a plurality of perspectives are maintained;

a plurality views are contained within each perspective of the plurality of perspectives; and

the plurality of views contained within a particular perspective of the plurality of perspectives are accessible via selection of the particular perspective;

receiving, by the computer, a search term from a user in a current development context of the software development environment, wherein the user prefers information to be returned based on the search term in the current development context over information based on the search term in other development contexts;

augmenting, by a query construction application, a search query with the received search term, the current perspective, and currently opened views of the current perspective in the current development context, in response to receiving the search term from the user;

sending the augmented search query to a search engine executing within the computer, in response to the augmenting of the search query by the query construction application; and

generating, by the search engine executing within the computer, search results comprising selected documents from the plurality of documents, wherein the selected documents of the help system of the software development environment are based on at least the augmented search query and the metadata maintained with the plurality of documents.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein generating the search results further comprises:

categorizing, ordering and ranking the selected documents based on relevance of the metadata to the current development context, wherein the categorized, ordered and ranked documents are presented as the search results to the user.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein those documents whose metadata indicates the current development context are more likely to be included in the selected documents of the search results in comparison to those documents whose metadata does not indicate the current development context.

10. A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computer, wherein the code in combination with the computer performs operations, the operations comprising:

maintaining, by the computer, metadata corresponding to a plurality of documents of a help system of a software development environment, wherein the metadata indicates whether a document includes information that is pertinent to a perspective and a view of the software development environment, wherein;

a plurality of perspectives are maintained;

a plurality views are contained within each perspective of the plurality of perspectives; and

the plurality of views contained within a particular perspective of the plurality of perspectives are accessible via selection of the particular perspective;

receiving, by the computer, a search term from a user in a current development context of the software development environment, wherein the user prefers information to be returned based on the search term in the current development context over information based on the search term in other development contexts;

augmenting, by a query construction application, a search query with the received search term, the current perspective, and currently opened views of the current perspective in the current development context, in response to receiving the search term from the user;

sending the augmented search query to a search engine executing within the computer, in response to the augmenting of the search query by the query construction application; and

generating, by the search engine executing within the computer, search results comprising selected documents from the plurality of documents, wherein the selected documents of the help system of the software development environment are based on at least the augmented search query and the metadata maintained with the plurality of documents.

11. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 10, wherein generating the search results further comprises:

categorizing, ordering and ranking the selected documents based on relevance of the metadata to the current development context, wherein the categorized, ordered and ranked documents are presented as the search results to the user.

12. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 10, wherein those documents whose metadata indicates the current development context are more likely to be included in the selected documents of the search results in comparison to those documents whose metadata does not indicate the current development context.

13. A system, comprising:

a processor implemented in hardware;

a computer having the processor; and

means for maintaining, by the computer, metadata corresponding to a plurality of documents of a help system of a software development environment, wherein the metadata indicates whether a document includes information that is pertinent to a perspective and a view of the software development environment, wherein;

a plurality of perspectives are maintained;

a plurality views are contained within each perspective of the plurality of perspectives; and

the plurality of views contained within a particular perspective of the plurality of perspectives are accessible via selection of the particular perspective;

means for receiving, by the computer, a search term from a user in a current development context of the software development environment, wherein the user prefers information to be returned based on the search term in the current development context over information based on the search term in other development contexts;

means for augmenting, by a query construction application, a search query with the received search term, the current perspective, and currently opened views of the current perspective in the current development context, in response to receiving the search term from the user;

means for sending the augmented search query to a search engine executing within the computer, in response to the augmenting of the search query by the query construction application; and

means for generating, by the search engine executing within the computer, search results comprising selected documents from the plurality of documents, wherein the selected documents of the help system of the software development environment are based on at least the augmented search query and the metadata maintained with the plurality of documents.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for generating the search results further performs:

categorizing, ordering and ranking the selected documents based on relevance of the metadata to the current development context, wherein the categorized, ordered and ranked documents are presented as the search results to the user.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein those documents whose metadata indicates the current development context are more likely to be included in the selected documents of the search results in comparison to those documents whose metadata does not indicate the current development context.