Patent ID: 7286999

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of managing a task of a project in an integrated development environment comprising a program editor and a compiler, the task comprising a plurality of events, the method comprising: receiving, at the integrated development environment, a set of data from a project management tool, the set of data comprising an identifier corresponding to the task and a validation flag corresponding to the task, wherein the received validation flag is set to a first value; and managing a process of the task associated with the identifier, wherein managing the process of the task comprises: at the integrated development environment: (a) automatically measuring an amount of time expended on the task associated with the identifier, wherein automatically measuring the amount of time, comprises: automatically monitoring user activity related to code being developed in the integrated development environment; for monitored user activity related to a given one of the events associated with the identifier, starting a timer at a beginning of the user activity and terminating the timer at an end of the user activity, whereby a duration of time spent on the given event is measured; and adding the measured durations of time for each given event to generate the amount of time expended on the task; and (b) transferring the amount of time to the project management tool; and at the project management tool: based on the amount of time transferred from the integrated development environment, visually identifying, in a user interface of the project management tool, the task as being at least one of: (i) behind schedule; and (ii) in a critical path for completion of the project, whereby the task is distinguished as being relatively more critical to project completion as compared to other tasks not in the critical path.