Streamlined methodology for resolving software integration conflicts

• US 8,683,443 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatton, James, Mastrogiovanni, Analia, Williams, Alexis
• Primary Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US13/355,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 717100-150
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A computer-based system to integrate code changes for a software application is provided. The system detects when a requested code change for a branch of the software application conflicts with another code change, and generates a blocked change notification corresponding to the detected conflict. The blocked change notification includes a blocked change identifier corresponding to the requested code change. The notification is delivered to a user device, which responds with a conflict resolution response that includes at least one code change file associated with the requested code change, along with an integration annotation that conveys the blocked change identifier and a branch name identifier that identifies the branch of the software application. The system acts upon the integration annotation to integrate the at least one code change file into the branch of the software application.

Claims

1. A computer-based system to integrate code changes associated with a software application having multiple code branches, the system comprising a processor and a memory element to store executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

detect when a requested code change for a branch of the software application conflicts with another code change for the branch of the software application, resulting in a detected conflict;

generate a blocked change notification corresponding to the detected conflict, the blocked change notification comprising a blocked change identifier corresponding to the requested code change;

initiate delivery of the blocked change notification to a user device;

receive, from the user device, a conflict resolution response for the detected conflict, the conflict resolution response comprising at least one code change file associated with the requested code change, and the conflict resolution response comprising an integration annotation that conveys the blocked change identifier and a branch name identifier that identifies the branch of the software application; and

act upon the integration annotation to integrate the at least one code change file into the branch of the software application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system integrates the at least one code change file into the branch of the software application in accordance with the blocked change identifier and the branch name identifier conveyed in the integration annotation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the conflict resolution response comprises a supplemental code change file in addition to the at least one code change file; and

the system acts upon the integration annotation to integrate the at least one code change file and the supplemental code change file into the branch of the software application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the blocked change notification comprises the branch name identifier.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the conflict resolution response comprises a user-entered description of an intended integration operation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the conflict resolution response comprises a location identifier that identifies where, in the branch of the software application, the at least one code change file is to be integrated.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the location identifier comprises a uniform resource locator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to check the integration annotation for proper syntax before acting upon the integration annotation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to verify whether the conflict resolution response includes all code change files needed to resolve the detected conflict before acting upon the integration annotation.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform steps comprising:

issuing a blocked change notification when a requested code change for a branch of a software application conflicts with another code change for the branch of the software application;

receiving, in response to the blocked change notification, a conflict resolution response comprising an integration annotation that conveys a blocked change string and a branch name string, the blocked change string identifying the requested code change, and the branch name string identifying the branch of the software application; and

processing the integration annotation to integrate at least one code change file into the branch of the software application, using the blocked change string and the branch name string.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the at least one code change file is associated with the requested code change.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the blocked change notification comprises a first instantiation of the at least one code change file.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the conflict resolution response comprises a second instantiation of the at least one code change file.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the blocked change notification includes the blocked change string.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the blocked change notification includes the branch name string.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the conflict resolution response comprises a location identifier that identifies where, in the branch of the software application, the at least one code change file is to be integrated.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein processing the integration annotation comprises checking the integration annotation for proper syntax.

18. A computer-implemented method of integrating code changes associated with a software application, the method comprising:

receiving a conflict resolution request intended to address a blocked change condition during which a requested code change for the software application conflicts with another code change for the software application, the conflict resolution request comprising at least one code change file associated with the requested code change, a location identifier that indicates a location in the software application for integration of the at least one code change file, and an integration annotation;

checking the integration annotation for proper syntax;

when the checking step determines that the integration annotation has proper syntax, extracting a blocked change string and a branch name string from the integration annotation, the blocked change string identifying the requested code change, and the branch name string identifying a branch of the software application; and

integrating the at least one code change file into the branch of the software application, in accordance with the blocked change string, the branch name string, and the location identifier.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating an error message when the checking step determines that the integration annotation has improper syntax.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

verifying whether the conflict resolution request includes all code change files needed to resolve the blocked change condition; and

generating an error message when the verifying step determines that the conflict resolution response does not include all code change files needed to resolve the blocked change condition.