Intelligent data source selection in application development

• US 9,195,440 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adams, Samuel Scott, Radcliffe, Rosalind Toy Allen, Woodward, Elizabeth Vera, Yan, Shunguo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luna, Roberto E
• Application Number:
  US14/091,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for amorphous data preparation for intelligent data source selection in application development are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A set of keywords is selected from a code portion of a source code. Using a subset of the set of keywords, an expected circumstance is determined, the expected circumstance being a circumstance relevant to a purpose of the source code. From a set of data sources, a data source is identified, wherein the data source provides information usable in the expected circumstance. A manner of accessing the information from the data source is identified. Pseudo-code is constructed to implement the manner of accessing the information from the data source. A weight is assigned to the data source based upon a type of input used for selecting the pseudo-code, wherein the selecting uses the pseudo-code in the source code.

Claims

1. A method for intelligent data source selection in application development, the method comprising:

selecting a set of keywords from a code portion, the code portion being a part of a source code, the source code being modified in an application development tool;

determining, using a subset of the set of keywords, an expected circumstance, the expected circumstance being a circumstance relevant to a purpose of the source code;

identifying, from a set of data sources, a data source, wherein the data source provides information usable in the expected circumstance;

determining a manner of accessing the information from the data source;

constructing pseudo-code to implement the manner of accessing the information from the data source; and

assigning a weight to the data source based upon a type of input used for selecting the pseudocode, wherein the selecting uses the pseudo-code in the source code by;

executing a code block corresponding to the pseudo-code when the source code is executed;

providing runtime values to a set of parameters in the code block, the set of parameters being identified in the pseudo-code; and

receiving, from the data source, responsive to the providing the runtime values, data corresponding to the runtime values.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a plurality of options for improving the source code by using information from the set of data sources, an option in the plurality of options comprising the data source, the manner of accessing the data source, and the pseudo-code;

receiving the input, the input selecting the option from the plurality of options and thereby selecting the pseudo-code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprise a copy operation, wherein the copy operation copies the pseudo-code, wherein the input comprise a paste operation, wherein the paste operation pastes the pseudo-code into the source code.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, during modifying a second code portion, the data source with a priority corresponding to the weight.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, in another iteration of modifying the code portion, the data source with a priority corresponding to the weight.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of keywords comprises a word indicative of a concept, the concept identified in the code portion, wherein the word is absent in the code portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of keywords comprises a first word, wherein the first word is related to a second word found in the code portion, wherein the first word is absent in the code portion.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, from the code portion, a purpose addressed by the source code; and

determining, using a knowledgebase, the expected circumstance from the purpose.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the manner of accessing comprises a protocol usable to access the data source.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the manner of accessing comprises a set of parameters needed to access the data source.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the manner of accessing comprises a function call to access the data source.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the data source a specification of the manner of accessing the information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pseudo-code is a code block usable in the source code.

14. A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage device including computer usable code for intelligent data source selection in application development, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for selecting a set of keywords from a code portion, the code portion being a part of a source code, the source code being modified in an application development tool;

computer usable code for determining, using a subset of the set of keywords, an expected circumstance, the expected circumstance being a circumstance relevant to a purpose of the source code;

computer usable code for identifying, from a set of data sources, a data source, wherein the data source provides information usable in the expected circumstance;

computer usable code for determining a manner of accessing the information from the data source;

computer usable code for constructing pseudo-code to implement the manner of accessing the information from the data source; and

computer usable code for assigning a weight to the data source based upon a type of input used for selecting the pseudo-code, wherein the selecting uses the pseudo-code in the source code by including;

computer usable code for executing a code block corresponding to the pseudocode when the source code is executed;

computer usable code for providing runtime values to a set of parameters in the code block, the set of parameters being identified in the pseudo-code; and

computer usable code for receiving, from the data source, responsive to the providing the runtime values, data corresponding to the runtime values.

15. The computer usable program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer usable code for presenting a plurality of options for improving the source code by using information from the set of data sources, an option in the plurality of options comprising the data source, the manner of accessing the data source, and the pseudo-code;

computer usable code for receiving the input, the input selecting the option from the plurality of options and thereby selecting the pseudo-code.

16. The computer usable program product of claim 14, wherein the input comprise a copy operation, wherein the copy operation copies the pseudo-code, wherein the input comprise a paste operation, wherein the paste operation pastes the pseudo-code into the source code.

17. The computer usable program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

18. The computer usable program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

19. A data processing system for intelligent data source selection in application development, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises;

computer usable code for selecting a set of keywords from a code portion, the code portion being a part of a source code, the source code being modified in an application development tool;

computer usable code for determining, using a subset of the set of keywords, an expected circumstance, the expected circumstance being a circumstance relevant to a purpose of the source code;

computer usable code for identifying, from a set of data sources, a data source, wherein the data source provides information usable in the expected circumstance;

computer usable code for determining a manner of accessing the information from the data source;

computer usable code for constructing pseudo-code to implement the manner of accessing the information from the data source; and

computer usable code for assigning a weight to the data source based upon a type of input used for selecting the pseudo-code, wherein the selecting uses the pseudo-code in the source code by including;

computer usable code for executing a code block corresponding to the pseudocode when the source code is executed;

computer usable code for providing runtime values to a set of parameters in the code block, the set of parameters being identified in the pseudo-code; and

computer usable code for receiving, from the data source, responsive to the providing the runtime values, data corresponding to the runtime values.