Content management system for computer software with dynamic traceability between code and design documents

• US 8,196,100 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Petri, John Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swift, Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/697,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 717/120, 717/122, 717/123, 717/128, 717/101
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A content management system (CMS) for computer software provides automatic notification and correlation of changes in a design document with corresponding code, and provides automatic notification and correlation of changes in the code with one or more corresponding design documents. Traceability rules are defined that correlate which portions of the code correspond to which portions of the design document. A traceability update policy governs whether interested parties are notified of a change to either the design document or the corresponding code, and whether the change to one causes an automatic update to the other. The result is a content management system that helps keep the code and corresponding design documents consistent with each other so the system has accurate and consistent information at all times.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and

a content management system residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the content management system comprising;

a code repository;

a design document repository that includes a plurality of design documents that each specify design for corresponding code in the code repository;

traceability rules that specify traceable methods in the code, wherein all methods in the code that are not traceable methods are non-traceable methods;

a traceability update mechanism residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the traceability update mechanism detects a change in code in the code repository, determines from the traceability rules traceable methods in the code and non-traceable methods in the code, determines whether the change to the code in the code repository is a change to a traceable method, and when the change to the code in the code repository is a change to a traceable method, determining at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the changed code in the code repository, reads a traceability update policy to determine a first action to perform when the change in the code is detected and to determine whether to indicate the traceable methods in a display to a user, and performs the first action when the change in the code is detected, and when the change to the code in the repository is a change to a non-traceable method, not changing any design document in the design document repository; and

a plug-in that visually indicates in the display to the user the traceable methods in the code when the traceability policy specifies to indicate the traceable methods in the display to the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first action comprises notifying at least one interested party of the change in the code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first action comprises automatically making at least one change to the at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the changed code.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the traceability update mechanism further detects a change in a design document in the design document repository, determines from traceability rules code in the code repository that corresponds to the changed design document, reads a traceability update policy to determine a second action to perform when the change in the design document is detected, and performs the second action when the change in the design document is detected.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the second action comprises notifying at least one interested party of the change in the design document.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the second action comprises automatically making at least one change to the code in the code repository that corresponds to the changed design document.

7. A computer-implemented method executed by at least one processor for creating traceable changes in a content management system for computer software that includes code in a code repository and at least one design document in a design document repository, the method comprising the steps of:

defining in traceability rules a first plurality of methods in the code as traceable methods, wherein all methods in the code that are not traceable methods are non-traceable methods;

detecting a change in the code in the code repository;

determining from the traceability rules whether the change to the code in the code repository is a change to a traceable method, and when the change to the code in the code repository is a change to a traceable method, performing the steps of;

determining at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the changed code in the code repository;

reading a traceability update policy to determine a first action to perform when the change in the code is detected and to determine whether to indicate the traceable methods in a display to a user; and

performing the first action when the change in the code is detected;

when the change to the code in the repository is a change to a non-traceable method, not changing any design document in the design document repository; and

visually indicating in the display to the user the traceable methods in the code when the traceability rules specify to indicate the traceable methods in the display to the user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first action comprises the step of notifying at least one interested party of the change in the code.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first action comprises the step of automatically making at least one change to the at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the changed code.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in a design document in the design document repository;

determining from traceability rules code in the code repository that corresponds to the changed design document;

reading a traceability update policy to determine a second action to perform when the change in the design document is detected; and

performing the second action when the change in the design document is detected.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second action comprises notifying at least one interested party of the change in the design document.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the second action comprises automatically making at least one change to the code in the code repository that corresponds to the changed design document.

13. A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system perform the method of claim 7.

14. A computer-implemented method executed by at least one processor for creating traceable changes in a content management system for computer software that includes code in a code repository and at least one design document in a design document repository, the method comprising the steps of:

defining in traceability rules a first plurality of methods in the code as traceable methods, wherein all methods in the code that are not traceable methods are non-traceable methods, the traceability rules further specifying whether to indicate the traceable methods in a display to a user;

defining in the traceability rules a first plurality of design portions in a design document as traceable design portions, wherein all design portions in the design document that are not traceable design portions are non-traceable design portions, the traceability rules further specifying whether to indicate the traceable design portions in a display to a user;

detecting a first change in the code in the code repository;

determining from the traceability rules whether the change to the code in the code repository is a change to a traceable method, and when the change to the code in the code repository is a change to a traceable method, performing the steps of;

determining at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the first changed code in the code repository;

reading a traceability update policy to determine whether to automatically make at least one change to the at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the first changed code and to determine whether to indicate the traceable methods in the display to the user;

when the traceability update policy specifies to automatically make at least one change to the at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the first changed code, automatically making the at least one change to the at least one design document;

when the traceability update policy specifies to indicate the traceable methods in the display to the user, visually indicating in the display to the user the traceable methods in the code;

when the change to the code in the repository is a change to a non-traceable method, not changing any design document in the design document repository;

detecting a second change in a design document in the design document repository;

determining from the traceability rules whether the second change in the design document is a change to a traceable design portion, and when the change in the design document is a change to a traceable design portion, performing the steps of;

determining code in the code repository that corresponds to the second changed design document;

reading a traceability update policy to determine whether to automatically make at least one change to the code in the code repository that corresponds to the second changed design document and to determine whether to indicate the traceable design portions in the display to the user;

when the traceability update policy specifies to automatically make at least one change to the code in the code repository that corresponds to the second changed design document, automatically making the at least one change to the code; and

when the traceability update policy specifies to indicate the traceable design portions in the display to the user, visually indicated in the display to the user the traceable design portions in the design document;

when the second change in the design document is a change to a non-traceable design portion, not changing any code in the code repository.

15. An article of manufacture comprising software residing on a computer-readable recordable medium, the software comprising:

a content management system comprising;

a code repository;

a design document repository that includes a plurality of design documents that each specify design for corresponding code in the code repository;

traceability rules that specify traceable methods in the code, wherein all methods in the code that are not traceable methods are non-traceable methods;

a traceability update mechanism residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the traceability update mechanism detects a change in code in the code repository, determines from the traceability rules traceable methods in the code and non-traceable methods in the code, determines whether the change to the code in the code repository is a change to a traceable method, and when the change to the code in the code repository is a change to a traceable method, determining at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the changed code in the code repository, reads a traceability update policy to determine a first action to perform when the change in the code is detected and to determine whether to indicate the traceable methods in a display to a user, and performs the first action when the change in the code is detected, and when the change to the code in the repository is a change to a non-traceable method, not changing any design document in the design document repository; and

a plug-in that visually indicates in the display to the user the traceable methods in the code when the traceability policy specifies to indicate the traceable methods in the display to the user.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the first action comprises notifying at least one interested party of the change in the code.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the first action comprises automatically making at least one change to the at least one design document in the design document repository that corresponds to the changed code.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the traceability update mechanism further detects a change in a design document in the design document repository, determines from traceability rules code in the code repository that corresponds to the changed design document, reads a traceability update policy to determine a second action to perform when the change in the design document is detected, and performs the second action when the change in the design document is detected.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the second action comprises notifying at least one interested party of the change in the design document.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the second action comprises automatically making at least one change to the code in the code repository that corresponds to the changed design document.