Automatic comment editing for a smart integrated development environment

• US 9,733,933 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arquero, Gregg M, Hossain, Syed F., Schaeffer, Joshua A., Tang, Yunli, Dow, Eli M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dascomb, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US15/269,105
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and computer program products for automatically identifying a comment change deficiency by a code editing component executed by a processor. The automatic identification of the comment changes includes determining whether one or more character changes exist between a first code version and a second code version and determining whether one or more logical changes exist between the first code version and the second code version. Note that the first code comment relates to the character or the logical changes within the first code version. Further, the automatic identification of the comment changes includes identifying the at least one comment related to the character or the logical changes and generating a notification including the at least one comment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of automatically identifying a comment change deficiency by a code editing component executed by a processor, the method comprising:

determining, automatically by the processor, whether one or more character changes exist between a first code version and a second code version,

wherein the one or more character changes comprise when a character count at a first location of the first code version is different than a character count at a second location of the second code version by a threshold difference, the first and second locations being within the first and second code versions,

wherein the first location of the first code version indicates a same line or block of code corresponding to the second location of the second code version and the first and second locations are not the first or last line or block of code in the first or second code versions;

determining, automatically by the processor, whether one or more logical changes exist between the first code version and the second code version;

identifying, automatically by the processor, whether the comment change deficiency exists by locating and comparing a first character count of a first code comment and a second character count of a second code comment,

wherein the first and second code comments relate to the characters or logical changes within the respective first and second code versions;

generating, automatically by the processor, one or more notifications identifying the comment change deficiency when the difference of the first character count and the second character count is less than a second threshold,

wherein the code editing component comprises a plug-in of an integrated development environment managing the first code version and the second code version,

wherein the one or more logical changes comprise;

a change in code context from the first code version to the second code version, wherein

     1) the change in code context is based on the one or more character changes existing and

     2) the one or more character changes (i) take into account special characters and spaces and (ii) cause a change to code grammar;

generating, automatically by the processor, one or more suggestions regarding the comment change deficiency; and

transmitting, automatically by the processor, the generated one or more notifications and suggestions to the integrated development environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the one or more character changes exist comprises:

repeatedly analyzing the first code version and the second code version at increasing levels of granularity for the one or more character changes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a first level of the levels of granularity is a code block, and wherein a second level of the levels of granularity is a code line.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold difference is a set at a 10%.

5. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions for automatically identifying a comment change deficiency embodied therewith, the program instructions executable as a code editing component and by a processor to cause the processor to perform:

determining, automatically, whether one or more character changes exist between a first code version and a second code version,

wherein the one or more character changes comprise when a character count at a first location of the first code version is different than a character count at a second location of the second code version by a threshold difference, the first and second locations being within the first and second code versions,

wherein the first location of the first code version indicates a same line or block of code corresponding to the second location of the second code version and the first and second locations are not the first or last line or block of code in the first or second code versions;

determining, automatically, whether one or more logical changes exist between the first code version and the second code version;

identifying, automatically, whether the comment change deficiency exists by locating and comparing a first character count of a first code comment and a second character count of a second code comment,

wherein the first and second code comments relate to the characters or logical changes within the respective first and second code versions;

generating, automatically, one or more notifications identifying the comment change deficiency when the difference of the first character count and the second character count is less than a second threshold,

wherein the code editing component comprises a plug-in of an integrated development environment managing the first code version and the second code version,

wherein the one or more logical changes comprise;

a change in code context from the first code version to the second code version, wherein

     1) the change in code context is based on the one or more character changes existing and

     2) the one or more character changes (i) take into account special characters and spaces and (ii) cause a change to code grammar;

generating, automatically by the processor, one or more suggestions regarding the comment change deficiency; and

transmitting, automatically by the processor, the generated one or more notifications and suggestions to the integrated development environment.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the determining of whether the one or more character changes exist comprises:

repeatedly analyzing the first code version and the second code version at increasing levels of granularity for the one or more character changes.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein a first level of the levels of granularity is a code block, and wherein a second level of the levels of granularity is a code line.

8. A system, comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions for automatically identifying a comment change deficiency thereon, the program instructions executable as a code editing component by a processor to cause the system to perform:

determining, automatically, whether one or more character changes exist between a first code version and a second code version,

wherein the one or more character changes comprise when a character count at a first location of the first code version is different than a character count at a second location of the second code version by a threshold difference, the first and second locations being within the first and second code versions,

wherein the first location of the first code version indicates a same line or block of code corresponding to the second location of the second code version and the first and second locations are not the first or last line or block of code in the first or second code versions;

determining, automatically, whether one or more logical changes exist between the first code version and the second code version;

identifying, automatically, whether the comment change deficiency exists by locating and comparing a first character count of a first code comment and a second character count of a second code comment,

wherein the first and second code comments relate to the characters or logical changes within the respective first and second code versions;

generating, automatically, one or more notifications identifying the comment change deficiency when the difference of the first character count and the second character count is less than a second threshold,

wherein the code editing component comprises a plug-in of an integrated development environment managing the first code version and the second code version,

wherein the one or more logical changes comprise;

a change in code context from the first code version to the second code version, wherein

     1) the change in code context is based on the one or more character changes existing and

     2) the one or more character changes (i) take into account special characters and spaces and (ii) cause a change to code grammar;

generating, automatically by the processor, one or more suggestions regarding the comment change deficiency; and

transmitting, automatically by the processor, the generated one or more notifications and suggestions to the integrated development environment.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining of whether the one or more character changes exist comprises:

repeatedly analyzing the first code version and the second code version at increasing levels of granularity for the one or more character changes.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a first level of the levels of granularity is a code block, and wherein a second level of the levels of granularity is a code line.