Patent ID: 8005704

Claim:
A method for work-item tracking in a computer system comprising a plurality of client computers and at least one server maintaining a database for the plurality of client computers, the method comprising: with a processor, receiving user input defining a plurality of work items each comprising a plurality of fields that are each associated with a corresponding field value, a first of the plurality of fields comprising a field value identifying a task, and a second of the plurality of fields comprising a field value identifying a group or person assigned to perform the task, wherein a first portion of the plurality of work items comprises current versions of work items and second portion of the plurality of work items comprises prior versions of the current versions of the work items, and wherein each of the work items in at least a subset of the plurality of work items relates to a task associated with development of software code; for each of the plurality of work items, associating each of a plurality of version identifiers with a corresponding one of the current version and one or more prior versions of the work item; storing, in the database in a computer storage medium, for each work item of the plurality of work items, work-item data comprising the current version, the one or more prior versions, and the plurality of version identifiers, and for each work item in the subset, storing in the database a link to the associated software code; receiving a user input search query comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the query specifying an assignee assigned to or status of a work item and the second portion of the query specifying a time criteria; searching the database in response to the query to identify current and prior versions of work items meeting the assignee or status specified in the first portion of the query at a time meeting the time criteria in the second portion of the query; and providing an electronic display displaying information comprising at least a portion of the work-item data associated with each of one or more prior versions assigned to the assignee as of the time specified in the second portion of the query and at least one electronic link to software code associated with the identified work items.