Development environment integration with version history tools

• US 8,352,445 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Begel, Andrew B., Venolia, Gina D., Holmes, Reid T.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, BAI DUC
• Application Number:
  US12/126,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/695
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Instructions within an instruction set (such as source code for a software application) may be documented within many separate tools, such as a development environment, a version control system, and a bug report database. However, it may be inefficient to search for such information in many locations and through many interfaces while investigating the version history of an instruction. Instead, the development environment may be configured to retrieve relevant information (such as bug reports, versioning, and version release notes) and to display the version history information for a selected instruction together within the development environment.

Claims

1. A method of documenting an instruction set within a development environment of a computer having a processor, the method comprising:

executing on the processor instructions configured to;

present the instruction set in a window of the development environment;

receive a selection of a selected instruction of the instruction set within the window;

retrieve from an instruction version data source at least one instruction version history related to the selected instruction and comprising;

an instruction version, and

an instruction version motivation; and

display the at least one instruction version history within the window of the development environment.

2. The method of claim 1:

the instructions configured to detect a selected instruction in the development environment; and

the displaying comprising;

displaying the at least one instruction version history within the window of the development environment for the selected instruction.

3. The method of claim 2, the instructions configured to:

upon detecting at least two instructions within an instruction set selection in the development environment;

within the window, receive a selection of a first instruction in the instruction set selection, and

display the at least one instruction version history within the window of the development environment for the first instruction; and

upon detecting a user action selecting a second instruction in the window;

select the second instruction in the instruction set selection, and

display the at least one instruction version history within the window of the development environment for the second instruction.

4. The method of claim 1, the at least one instruction version history comprising at least one participant who participated in creating the at least one instruction version history.

5. The method of claim 4, the displaying comprising:

displaying at least one contact item for at least one participant.

6. The method of claim 4, the instructions configured to:

upon detecting a user action within the development environment indicating more interest in a selected participant, display in the window of the development environment at least one of;

at least one additional instruction version that the selected participant participated in creating;

or

at least one additional instruction version motivation that the selected participant participated in creating.

7. The method of claim 4, the instructions configured to:

upon detecting a user action within the development environment indicating less interest in a selected participant, hide within the window of the development environment at least one of;

the selected participant;

at least one additional instruction version that the selected participant participated in creating;

or

at least one additional instruction version motivation that the selected participant participated in creating.

8. The method of claim 1, the instruction version motivation comprising:

an instruction version behavior observation, and

an instruction version alteration description in response to the instruction version behavior observation.

9. The method of claim 8, the instruction version behavior observation comprising at least one of:

an error observation;

an inefficiency observation;

an inconsistency observation;

an incompatibility observation;

an unexpected behavior observation;

an improvement opportunity observation;

or

a deprecated technique observation.

10. The method of claim 8, the instruction version behavior observation comprising at least one of:

a narrative of an observed behavior of the instruction version;

a data capture relating to an observed behavior of the instruction version;

or

a screenshot illustrating the observed behavior of the instruction version.

11. The method of claim 1, the instructions configured to:

display within the window of the development environment at least one of;

an instruction version history of a software component utilized by the selected instruction, or

an instruction version history of a software component utilizing the selected instruction.

12. The method of claim 11, the software component comprising at least one of:

a class;

a class instance;

a member of a class;

a declared constant;

a runtime;

a script;

an associated software component;

an application programming interface;

a code library;

a linked resource;

or

an embedded resource.

13. The method of claim 1, the instructions configured to:

upon detecting a user action within the development environment indicating more interest in a selected instruction, add the selected instruction to a bookmarked instruction set.

14. The method of claim 13, the instructions configured to:

for respective bookmarked instructions in the bookmarked instruction set;

monitor subsequent instruction version histories related to a bookmarked instruction, and

display the subsequent instruction version histories within the development environment.

15. The method of claim 1, the instructions configured to:

upon detecting a user action within the development environment indicating less interest in an instruction version history, hide the instruction version history with respect to the selected instruction.

16. The method of claim 1:

the instructions configured to;

upon receiving an instruction version annotation relating to an instruction version history, store the instruction version annotation related to the instruction version history; and

the displaying comprising;

displaying within the window of the development environment instruction version annotations relating to the instruction version history.

17. A system for documenting an instruction set within a development environment of a computer having a memory and a processor, the system comprising:

an instruction version data source comprising at least one instruction version of respective instructions of the instruction set;

an instruction version motivation data source comprising at least one instruction version motivation relating to respective instruction versions of respective instructions of the instruction set; and

an instruction version history generating component configured to;

present the instruction set in a window of the development environment;

receive a selection of a selected instruction of the instruction set within the window;

retrieve at least one instruction version from the instruction version data source relating to the selected instruction;

retrieve at least one instruction version motivation from the instruction version motivation data source relating to respective instruction versions; and

an instruction version history displaying component configured to display within the window of the development environment at least one instruction version history comprising;

the at least one instruction version, and

the at least one instruction version motivation,

respective components of the system comprising instructions stored in the memory of the computer and executable on the processor of the computer.

18. The system of claim 17, the instruction version motivation data source comprising:

an instruction version behavior observation data source comprising at least one behavior observation relating to an instruction version; and

an instruction version alteration description comprising at least one description of an alteration of an instruction version in response to an instruction version observation.

19. The system of claim 17:

the system comprising;

a participant data source comprising at least one participant who participated in creating the at least one instruction version history; and

the instruction version history generating component configured to;

retrieve at least one participant from the instruction version data source relating to the at least one instruction version history; and

display within the window of the development environment the at least one participant.

20. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed on a processor of a computer, document an instruction set within a development environment by:

presenting the instruction set in a window of the development environment;

receiving a selection of a selected instruction of the instruction set within the window;

retrieving from an instruction version data source at least one instruction version history related to the selected instruction and comprising;

an instruction version;

at least one participant who participated in creating the at least one instruction version history; and

an instruction version motivation comprising;

an instruction version behavior observation, and

an instruction version alteration description in response to the instruction version behavior observation;

displaying the at least one instruction version history within the window of the development environment;

displaying within the window of the development environment instruction version annotations relating to the at least one instruction version history;

displaying within the window of the development environment at least one of;

an instruction version history of a software component utilized by the selected instruction, or

an instruction version history of a software component utilizing the selected instruction;

upon detecting a user action within the development environment indicating more interest in a selected participant, displaying within the window of the development environment at least one of;

at least one additional instruction version that the selected participant participated in creating, or

at least one additional instruction version motivation that the selected participant participated in creating;

upon detecting a user action within the development environment indicating less interest in a selected participant, hiding within the window of the development environment at least one of;

the selected participant,

at least one additional instruction version that the selected participant participated in creating, or

at least one additional instruction version motivation that the selected participant participated in creating;

upon detecting a user action within the development environment indicating more interest in a selected instruction, adding the selected instruction to a bookmarked instruction set;

for respective bookmarked instructions in the bookmarked instruction set;

monitoring subsequent instruction version histories involving the bookmarked instruction, and

displaying the subsequent instruction version histories within the window of the development environment;

upon detecting a user action within the development environment indicating less interest in an instruction version history, hiding within the window of the development environment the instruction version history with respect to a selected instruction; and

upon receiving an instruction version annotation relating to an instruction version history, storing the instruction version annotation related to the instruction version history.