Patent ID: 8490054
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented system of tracking and notifying a user with regard to associated software, associated modules, and associated configuration files during development and maintenance of a given software, the system comprising: an interface including display and input/output capability for the user; and a development system having a processor and memory, wherein the development system is coupled to the user interface, the development system comprises: a database, build programming for the given software, a software module tracker, requirements management tools, and the given software and the associated software include a comments area that includes an @author tag and an @modified tag, wherein the database, the build programming, the requirements management tools, and the given software are coupled to the software module tracker, and the build programming is coupled to the given software and the associated software, wherein the memory includes programming to control the processor to perform a method comprising the steps of: (A) initiating a build of the given software, wherein the given software includes details of requirements, and the associated software includes an associated software name, and the associated module includes an associated module name; (B) proceeding to step (X), unless the build is determined to be a first build; (C) when the build is a first build, determining whether the requirements are managed in the tool; (D) when the requirements are managed in the tool, importing details of the requirements from the tool; (E) storing the details of the requirements in a database and proceeding to step (G), and when the requirements are not managed in the tool; (F) displaying a screen to allow the user to enter the details of the requirements, and proceeding to the step (E); (G) invoking a software module tracker; (H) parsing the given software for the associated modules; (I) for each of associated modules found, parsing to retrieve the associated configuration files used for the associated module; (J) storing the associated configuration file for the associated module in the database; (K) finalizing data collection; (L) displaying to the user a screen of a list of all of the requirements that are in the database for the given software; (M) displaying in a dropdown to the user for each requirement all of the associated modules, the associated software, and the associated configuration files; (N) allowing the users to associate the requirements with all of the associated modules, the associated software, and the associated configuration files to establish an associated relationship; (O) storing the associated relationship in the database; (P) for each of the associated modules found, parsing the associated module; (Q) determining whether an @author tag is present, and when the @author tag is present; (R) parsing author tag data, and also when the @author tag is not present; (S) determining whether an @modified tag is present, and when the @modified tag is present; (T) parsing the modified tag data, and also when the @modified tag is not present; (U) retrieving the associated module name and the associated software name; (V) displaying a screen for the user to enter a vendor name or a point of contact (POC) for the associated software along with the associated software name; (W) storing the details of the associated module along with the associated software name, the vendor name or the POC to a table in the database, and proceeding again to the step (K); (X) when the given software build is not the first build, building the given software a second or subsequent time after the given software was updated or modified; (Y) invoking the software module tracker; (Z) parsing the given software to determine the associated modules; (AA) determining whether one or more of the associated modules or the associated configuration files have been deleted; (AB) (i) when one or more of the associated modules or the associated configuration files have been deleted, marking as “deleted” all references to the deleted associated modules in the database, and (ii) when one or more of the associated modules or the associated configuration files are not deleted, leaving the associated modules or the associated configuration files unmarked with regard to deletion; (AC) determining whether new modules or new configuration files added; (AD) when the new modules or the new configuration files added, performing the steps (H) through (O); (AE) when the new modules or the new configuration files not added, determine whether one or more of the associated modules or the associated configuration files are updated; (AF) when one or more of the associated modules or the associated configuration files are updated, retrieving the associated modules and the associated configuration files from the database; (AG) displaying to the user on a screen on an interface, a list of the associated modules, the associated software, and the associated configuration files for the updated associated module; (AH) the user looking at the list that is displayed at the step (AG), and deciding whether to modify the given software, and when the user decides to modify the given software, returning to the step (X); and (AI) repeating the method from step (A), unless the user does not modify the given software, or when one or more of the associated modules or the associated configuration files are not updated.