Visualization of code units across disparate systems

• US 9,141,377 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chancey, Raphael P., Chen, Lei, Kahan, Eduardo T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROMELL, ALEXANDRIA Y
• Application Number:
  US12/033,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20090210384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,772 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/722, 707/802, 707/778, 707/829, 707/956, 717/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

A visualization tool that provides visibility of the functionality implemented with each system used by an institution(s) at code unit granularity can be used to overcome a variety of challenges that can occur in an environment with disparate systems. The visualization tool discovers and graphically displays functions/procedures/methods (“code units”) that satisfy a set of one or more criteria, as well as attributes of the discovered code units. Furthermore, the visualization tool can automatically provide visual annotations to identify targets for asset maintenance, targets to leverage for other systems, etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

searching across a plurality of disparate systems to find a plurality of code units that satisfy one or more search criteria, wherein the plurality of disparate systems comprise code of different programming languages;

recording data about each of the plurality of code units, wherein the data about each of the plurality of code units comprises a code unit identifier, indication of a programming language, indication of input to the code unit, and indication of output from the code unit, for each of the plurality of code units;

building a hierarchical representation with the data, the hierarchical representation encoding for each of the plurality of code units the indication of the programming language with the code unit identifier and encoding hierarchical relationships between the code unit identifier, the indication of the input to the code unit, and the indication of output to the code unit for each of the plurality of code units; and

supplying the hierarchical representation for visualization of the plurality of code units.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data about each of the plurality of code units also comprises, size of a code unit, and code unit references within the code unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of disparate systems comprises systems of different programming languages.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a graphical representation of the hierarchical representation,

wherein the graphical representation comprises a first graphic element that presents the code unit identifier of a first of the plurality of code units, a second graphic element that graphically decomposes the first graphic element to reveal a third graphic element that presents the indication of input to the first code unit,

wherein the second graphic element decomposes the first graphic element in response to activation.

5. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media for code unit visualization having stored therein a program product, which when executed by a set of one or more processor units causes the set of one or more processor units to perform operations that comprise:

searching across a plurality of disparate systems to find a plurality of code units that satisfy one or more search criteria, wherein the plurality of disparate systems comprise code of different programming languages;

recording data about each of the plurality of code units, wherein the data about each of the plurality of code units comprises a code unit identifier, indication of a programming language, indication of output from the code unit, and indication of input to the code unit, for each of the plurality of code units;

building a hierarchical representation with the data, the hierarchical representation encoding for each of the plurality of code units the indication of the programming language with the code unit identifier and encoding hierarchical relationships between the code unit identifier, the indication of the input to the code unit, and the indication of output to the code unit for each of the plurality of code units; and

supplying the hierarchical representation for visualization of the plurality of code units.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the data about each of the plurality of code units also comprises, size of a code unit, and code unit references within the code unit.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the plurality of disparate systems comprises systems of different programming languages.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a graphical representation of the hierarchical representation,

wherein the graphical representation comprises a first graphic element that presents the code unit identifier of a first of the plurality of code units, a second graphic element that graphically decomposes the first graphic element to reveal a third graphic element that presents the indication of input to the first code unit,

wherein the second graphic element decomposes the first graphic element in response to activation.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a set of one or more processor units;

one or more network interfaces; and

a disparate systems code unit visualization tool, the disparate systems code unit visualization tool operable to,

search across a plurality of disparate systems via the one or more network interfaces to find a plurality of code units that satisfy one or more search criteria, wherein the plurality of disparate systems comprise code of different programming languages;

record data about each of the plurality of code units, wherein the data about each of the plurality of code units comprises a code unit identifier, indication of a programming language, and indication of output from the code unit, and indication of input to the code unit, for each of the plurality of code units;

build a hierarchical representation with the data, the hierarchical representation encoding for each of the plurality of code units the indication of the programming language with the code unit identifier and encoding hierarchical relationships between the code unit identifier, the indication of the input to the code unit, and the indication of output to the code unit for each of the plurality of code units; and

supply the hierarchical representation for visualization of the plurality of code units.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an input component to receive the one or more search criteria.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising one or more machine-readable media having encoded therein the disparate systems code unit visualization tool executable by the set of one or more processor units.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a display component, wherein the disparate systems code unit visualization tool is operable to supply the hierarchical representation to the display component.