System and method for automatically determining relationships between software artifacts using multiple evidence sources
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of inferring whether at least a first relationship exists between at least first and second entities, said method comprising the steps of:
- applying a first assessor to obtain a first confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities;
applying a second assessor to obtain a second confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities;
applying a plurality of additional assessors to obtain a plurality of additional confidence levels pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities; and
combining said first and second confidence levels and said plurality of additional confidence levels to obtain an overall inference whether said at least first relationship exists between said at least first and second entities, wherein;
said entities comprise software artifacts; and
said at least first relationship comprises a tests relationship wherein one artifact tests another artifact, and wherein said first assessor comprises one of a create-time assessor, a control flow assessor, a user interaction assessor, and a preceding version assessor.
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Abstract
A method (which can be computer implemented) for inferring whether at least a first relationship exists between at least first and second entities includes the steps of applying a first assessor to obtain a first confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities, applying a second assessor to obtain a second confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities, and combining said first and second confidence levels to obtain an overall inference whether said at least first relationship exists between said at least first and second entities.
43 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of inferring whether at least a first relationship exists between at least first and second entities, said method comprising the steps of:
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applying a first assessor to obtain a first confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities; applying a second assessor to obtain a second confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities; applying a plurality of additional assessors to obtain a plurality of additional confidence levels pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities; and combining said first and second confidence levels and said plurality of additional confidence levels to obtain an overall inference whether said at least first relationship exists between said at least first and second entities, wherein; said entities comprise software artifacts; and said at least first relationship comprises a tests relationship wherein one artifact tests another artifact, and wherein said first assessor comprises one of a create-time assessor, a control flow assessor, a user interaction assessor, and a preceding version assessor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-implemented method of building a database associated with a central authority, said database comprising at least a plurality of candidate relationships and a plurality of candidate assessors, said method comprising the steps of:
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facilitating registration of said plurality of candidate assessors with said central authority, said registration of said plurality of candidate assessors including data regarding which of said plurality of candidate relationships a given one of said candidate assessors is capable of assessing; and facilitating registration of said plurality of candidate relationships, said registration of said plurality of candidate relationships including data regarding which kinds of entities a given one of said candidate relationships can apply to, wherein; when said data states that a given one of said candidate relationships can apply to software artifacts, the given one of said candidate relationships is a tests relationship, wherein one artifact tests another artifact; said candidate assessors comprise; at least one of a create-time assessor, a control flow assessor, a user interaction assessor, and a preceding version assessor; a first assessor and a second assessor respectively capable of obtaining a first and a second confidence level pertaining to putative existence of at least a first relationship between at least first and second entities; and a plurality of additional assessors capable of obtaining a plurality of additional confidence levels pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities; and said first and second confidence levels and said plurality of additional confidence levels are capable of being combined to obtain an overall inference whether said at least first relationship exists between said at least first and second entities. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A computer-implemented method of building a database associated with a relationship manager program, said database comprising at least a plurality of candidate relationships and a plurality of candidate assessors, said method comprising the steps of:
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facilitating registration of said plurality of candidate assessors with said manager program, based at least in part upon input from human experts having assessor-related knowledge, said registration of said plurality of candidate assessors including at least indications of which of said plurality of candidate assessors can assess which kinds of said candidate relationships; and facilitating registration of said plurality of candidate relationships with said manager program, based at least in part upon input from human relationship experts having relationship-related knowledge, said registration of said plurality of candidate relationships including at least indications of which of said plurality of candidate relationships can apply to given pairs of said plurality of entities, wherein; when it is indicated that one of said plurality of candidate relationships can apply to a pair of software artifacts, the one of said plurality of candidate relationships is a tests relationship, wherein one artifact of the pair tests another artifact of the pair; said candidate assessors comprise; at least one of a create-time assessor, a control flow assessor, a user interaction assessor, and a preceding version assessor; a first assessor and a second assessor respectively capable of obtaining a first and a second confidence level pertaining to putative existence of at least a first relationship between at least first and second entities; and a plurality of additional assessors capable of obtaining a plurality of additional confidence levels pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities; and said first and second confidence levels and said plurality of additional confidence levels capable of being combined to obtain an overall inference whether said at least first relationship exists between said at least first and second entities.
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Specification