Diagrammatic control of software in a version control system

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide an improved software development tool that includes a version control system that permits multiple programmers to work simultaneously on a single software project by maintaining a central repository containing a master copy of a software project and by managing versions of the software project that the programmers make through the development process. The improved software development tool enables a programmer to interact with the version control system by interacting with a diagram or diagram element that corresponds to a project, package, diagram, or class, thus facilitating the use of the version control system.

Description

[0002] The following identified U.S. patent applications are also relied upon and are incorporated by reference in this application:

[0003] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/680,065, entitled “Method And System For Displaying Changes Of Source Code,” filed on Oct. 4, 2000;

[0004] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/680,030, entitled “Method And System For Generating, Applying, And Defining A Pattern,” filed on Oct. 4, 2000;

[0005] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/680,064, entitled “Method And System For Collapsing A Graphical Representation Of Related Elements,” filed on Oct. 4, 2000;

[0006] U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, entitled “Methods and Systems for Generating Source Code for Object Oriented Elements,” bearing attorney docket no. 30013630-0008, and filed on the same date herewith;

[0007] U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, entitled “Methods and Systems for Relating Data Structures and Object Oriented Elements for Distributed Computing,” bearing attorney docket no. 30013630-0009, and filed on the same date herewith;

[0008] U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, entitled “Methods and Systems for Finding Specific Line Of Source Code,” bearing attorney docket no. 30013630-0011, and filed on the same date herewith;

[0009] U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, entitled “Methods and Systems for Finding and Displaying Linked Objects,” bearing attorney docket no. 30013630-0012, and filed on the same date herewith;

[0010] U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, entitled “Methods and Systems for Animating the Interaction of Objects in an Object Oriented Program,” bearing attorney docket no. 30013630-0013, and filed on the same date herewith; and (4) Peter Coad, Mark Mayfield, and Jonathan Kern, Java Design: Building Better Apps & Applets (2nd Ed.), Prentice Hall (1998).

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, conventional software development tools 100 allow a programmer to view UML 102 while viewing source code 104. The source code 104 is stored in a file, and a reverse engineering module 106 converts the source code 104 into a representation of the software project in a database or repository 108. The software project comprises source code 104 in at least one file which, when compiled, forms a sequence of instructions to be run by the data processing system. The repository 108 generates the UML 102. If any changes are made to the UML 102, they are automatically reflected in the repository 108, and a code generator 110 converts the representation in the repository 108 into source code 104. Such software development tools 100, however, do not synchronize the displays of the UML 102 and the source code 104. Rather, the repository 108 stores the representation of the software project while the file stores the source code 104. A modification in the UML 102 does not appear in the source code 104 unless the code generator 110 re-generates the source code 104 from the data in the repository 108. When this occurs, the portion of source code 104 that is not protected from being overwritten is rewritten. Similarly, any modifications made to the source code 104 do not appear in the UML 102 unless the reverse engineering module 106 updates the repository 108. As a result, redundant information is stored in the repository 108 and the source code 104. In addition, rather than making incremental changes to the source code 104, conventional software development tools 100 rewrite the overall source code 104 when modifications are made to the UML 102, resulting in wasted processing time. This type of manual, large-grained synchronization requires either human intervention, or a “batch” style process to try to keep the two views (the UML 102 and the source code 104) in sync. Unfortunately, this approach, adopted by many tools, leads to many undesirable side-effects; such as desired changes to the source code being overwritten by the tool. A further disadvantage with conventional software development tools 100 is that they are designed to only work in a single programming language. Thus, a tool 100 that is designed for Java™ programs cannot be utilized to develop a program in C++. There is a need in the art for a tool that avoids the limitations of these conventional software development tools.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide an improved software development tool which overcomes the limitations of conventional software development tools. The improved software development tool of the present invention allows a developer to simultaneously view a graphical and a textual display of source code. The graphical and textual views are synchronized so that a modification in one view is automatically reflected in the other view. The software development tool is designed for use with more than one programming language.

[0013] The software development tool also includes a version control system that permits multiple programmers to work simultaneously on a single software project by maintaining a central repository containing a master copy of a software project and by managing versions of the software project that the programmers develop during the development process. The software development tool enables programmers to interact with the version control system by manipulating a diagram that corresponds to the software project, thus facilitating the use of the version control system.

[0014] In accordance with methods consistent with the present invention, a method is provided in a data processing system for managing versions of source code with a version control system. The method comprises the steps of generating a language-neutral representation of the source code; displaying a diagram representing the source code using the language-neutral representation such that the source code and the diagram are synchronized, the diagram having elements, each element having an associated file containing a portion of the source code; receiving an indication of a selection of one of the elements; determining which files are associated with the selected element; receiving an indication of a selection of a command performable by the version control system; and invoking the version control system to perform the selected command on the determined files.

[0015] In accordance with articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention, a computer-readable medium is provided containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method. The method comprises the steps of receiving an indication of a selection of an element of a diagram having corresponding source code; receiving an indication of a version control command to be performed on the corresponding source code; and, responsive to the receipt of the indication of the selected element and the receipt of the indication of the version control command, performing the version control command on the corresponding source code by a version control system.

[0016] In accordance with systems consistent with the present invention, a data processing system is provided. The data processing system includes a secondary storage device containing a software project, the software project comprising source code; a memory containing a software development tool that displays a diagram with diagram elements corresponding to the software project, that receives an indication of a selection of one of the diagram elements that corresponds to a portion of the software project, that receives a selection of a command performable by the version control system, and that invokes the version control system to perform the selected command on the portion of the software project; and a processor for running the software development tool.

[0017] In accordance with methods consistent with the present invention, a method is provided in a data processing system. The method comprises the steps of receiving an indication of a selection of an element of a diagram having corresponding source code; receiving an indication of a version control command to be performed on the corresponding source code; and, responsive to the receipt of the indication of the selected element and the receipt of the indication of the version control command, performing the version control command on the corresponding source code by a version control system.

[0018] In accordance with systems consistent with the present invention, a data processing system is provided for managing files in a software project with a version control system. The data processing system comprises a first computer including a memory containing a software development tool, which displays a diagram with diagram elements, and a client component of the version control system; a secondary storage containing a working directory; and a processor for running the software development tool; a second computer including a memory containing a software development tool and a server component of the version control system, a secondary storage containing a central repository, and a processor for running the software development tool; and a network connecting the first and second computer; wherein the software development tool on the first computer receives an indication of a selection of one of the diagram elements that corresponds to a portion of the software project, receives an indication of a command performable by the version control system, and invokes the version control system to perform the selected command on the portion of the software project.

[0019] Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an implementation of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings,

[0021] FIG. 1 depicts a conventional software development tool;

[0022] FIG. 2 depicts an overview of a software development tool in accordance with the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 3 depicts a data structure of the language-neutral representation created by the software development tool of FIG. 2;

[0024] FIG. 4 depicts representative source code;

[0025] FIG. 5 depicts the data structure of the language-neutral representation of the source code of FIG. 4;

[0026] FIG. 6 depicts a data processing system suitable for practicing the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 7 depicts an architectural overview of the software development tool of FIG. 2;

[0028] FIG. 8A depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays a list of predefined criteria which the software development tool checks in the source code;

[0029] FIG. 8B depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays the definition of the criteria which the software development tool checks in the source code, and an example of source code which does not conform to the criteria;

[0030] FIG. 8C depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays an example of source code which conforms to the criteria which the software development tool checks in the source code;

[0031] FIG. 9 depicts a flow diagram of the steps performed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2;

[0032] FIGS. 10A and 10B depict a flow diagram illustrating the update model step of FIG. 9;

[0033] FIG. 11 depicts a flow diagram of the steps performed by the software development tool in FIG. 2 when creating a class;

[0034] FIG. 12 depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays a use case diagram of source code;

[0035] FIG. 13 depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays both a class diagram and a textual view of source code;

[0036] FIG. 14 depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays a sequence diagram of source code;

[0037] FIG. 15 depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays a collaboration diagram of source code;

[0038] FIG. 16 depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays a statechart diagram of source code;

[0039] FIG. 17 depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays an activity diagram of source code;

[0040] FIG. 18 depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays a component diagram of source code;

[0041] FIG. 19 depicts a user interface displayed by the software development tool depicted in FIG. 2, where the user interface displays a deployment diagram of source code;

[0042] FIG. 20 depicts an exemplary data processing system in which the improved software development tool depicted in FIG. 2 may operate;

[0043] FIG. 21 depicts a user interface displayed by the improved software development tool, where the user interface displays a diagram and corresponding source code;

[0044] FIG. 22 depicts a user interface displayed by the improved software development tool that is used to invoke the version control system depicted in FIG. 20;

[0045] FIG. 23 depicts a user interface displayed by the improved software development tool; and

[0046] FIGS. 24A & 24B depict a flow diagram of exemplary steps performed by the improved software development tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide an improved software development tool that creates a graphical representation of source code regardless of the programming language in which the code is written. In addition, the software development tool simultaneously reflects any modifications to the source code to both the display of the graphical representation as well as the textual display of the source code.

[0048] As depicted in FIG. 2, source code 202 is being displayed in both a graphical form 204 and a textual form 206. In accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention, the improved software development tool generates a transient meta model (TMM) 200 which stores a language-neutral representation of the source code 202. The graphical 204 and textual 206 representations of the source code 202 are generated from the language-neutral representation in the TMM 200. Alternatively, the textual view 206 of the source code may be obtained directly from the source code file. Although modifications made on the displays 204 and 206 may appear to modify the displays 204 and 206, in actuality all modifications are made directly to the source code 202 via an incremental code editor (ICE) 208, and the TMM 200 is used to generate the modifications in both the graphical 204 and the textual 206 views from the modifications to the source code 202.

[0049] The improved software development tool provides simultaneous round-trip engineering, i.e., the graphical representation 204 is synchronized with the textual representation 206. Thus, if a change is made to the source code 202 via the graphical representation 204, the textual representation 206 is updated automatically. Similarly, if a change is made to the source code 202 via the textual representation 206, the graphical representation 204 is updated to remain synchronized. There is no repository, no batch code generation, and no risk of losing code.

[0050] The data structure 300 of the language-neutral representation is depicted in FIG. 3. The data structure 300 comprises a Source Code Interface (SCI) model 302, an SCI package 304, an SCI class 306, and an SCI member 308. The SCI model 302 is the source code organized into packages. The SCI model 302 corresponds to a directory for a software project being developed by the user, and the SCI package 304 corresponds to a subdirectory. The software project comprises the source code in at least one file that is compiled to form a sequence of instructions to be run by a data processing system. The data processing system is discussed in detail below. As is well known in object-oriented programming, the class 306 is a category of objects which describes a group of objects with similar properties (attributes), common behavior (operations or methods), common relationships to other objects, and common semantics. The members 308 comprise attributes and/or operations.

[0051] For example, the data structure 500 for the source code 400 depicted in FIG. 4 is depicted in FIG. 5. UserInterface 402 is defined as a package 404. Accordingly, UserInterface 402 is contained in SCI package 502. Similarly, Bank 406, which is defined as a class 408, is contained in SCI class 504, and Name 410 and Assets 412, which are defined as attributes (strings 414), are contained in SCI members 506. Since these elements are in the same project, all are linked. The data structure 500 also identifies the language in which the source code is written 508, e.g., the Java™ language.

[0052] FIG. 6 depicts a data processing system 600 suitable for practicing methods and systems consistent with the present invention. Data processing system 600 comprises a memory 602, a secondary storage device 604, an I/O device 606, and a processor 608. Memory 602 includes the improved software development tool 610. The software development tool 610 is used to develop a software project 612, and create the TMM 200 in the memory 602. The project 612 is stored in the secondary storage device 604 of the data processing system 600. One skilled in the art will recognize that data processing system 600 may contain additional or different components.

[0053] Although aspects of the present invention are described as being stored in memory, one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks or CD-ROM; a carrier wave from a network, such as Internet; or other forms of RAM or ROM either currently known or later developed.

[0054] FIG. 7 illustrates an architectural overview of the improved software development tool 610. The tool 610 comprises a core 700, an open application program interface (API) 702, and modules 704. The core 700 includes a parser 706 and an ICE 208. The parser 706 converts the source code into the language-neutral representation in the TMM, and the ICE 208 converts the text from the displays into source code. There are three main packages composing the API 702: Integrated Development Environment (IDE) 708; Read-Write Interface (RWI) 710; and Source Code Interface (SCI) 712. Each package includes corresponding subpackages. As is well known in the art, a package is a collection of classes, interfaces, attributes, notifications, operations, or behaviors that are treated as a single module or program unit.

[0055] IDE 708 is the API 702 needed to generate custom outputs based on information contained in a model. It is a read-only interface, i.e., the user can extract information from the model, but not change the model. IDE 708 provides the functionality related to the model's representation in IDE 708 and interaction with the user. Each package composing the IDE group has a description highlighting the areas of applicability of this concrete package.

[0056] RWI 710 enables the user to go deeper into the architecture. Using RWI 710, information can be extracted from and written to the models. RWI not only represents packages, classes and members, but it may also represent different diagrams (class diagrams, use case diagrams, sequence diagrams and others), links, notes, use cases, actors, states, etc.

[0057] SCI 712 is at the source code level, and allows the user to work with the source code almost independently of the language being used.

[0058] There are a variety of modules 704 in the software development tool 610 of the present invention. Some of the modules 704 access information to generate graphical and code documentation in custom formats, export to different file formats, or develop patterns. The software development tool also includes a quality assurance (QA) module which monitors the modifications to the source code and calculates various complexity metrics, i.e., various measurements of the program's performance or efficiency, to support quality assurance. The types of metrics calculated by the software development tool include basic metrics, cohesion metrics, complexity metrics, coupling metrics, Halstead metrics, inheritance metrics, maximum metrics, polymorphism metrics, and ratio metrics. Examples of these metrics with their respective definitions are identified in Tables 1-9 below.

TABLE 1
Basic Metrics
Basic Metrics        Description
Lines Of Code        Counts the number of code lines.
Number Of Attributes Counts the number of attributes. If a class has a high number of
                     attributes, it may be appropriate to divide it into subclasses.
Number Of Classes    Counts the number of classes.
Number Of Import     Counts the number of imported packages/classes. This measure
                     can highlight excessive importing, and also can be used as a
Statements           measure of coupling.
Number Of Members    Counts the number of members, i.e., attributes and operations. If
                     a class has a high number of members, it may be appropriate to
                     divide it into subclasses.
Number Of Operations Counts the number of operations. If a class has a high number of
                     operations, it may be appropriate to divide it into subclasses.

[0059]

TABLE 2
Cohesion Metrics
Cohesion Metrics    Description
Lack Of Cohesion Of Takes each pair of methods in the class and determines the set of
Methods 1           fields they each access. A low value indicates high coupling
                    between methods, which indicates potentially low reusability and
                    increased testing because many methods can affect the same
                    attributes.
Lack Of Cohesion Of Counts the percentage of methods that do not access a specific
Methods 2           attribute averaged over all attributes in the class. A high value of
                    cohesion (a low lack of cohesion) implies that the class is well
                    designed.
Lack Of Cohesion Of Measures the dissimilarity of methods in a class by attributes. A
Methods 3           low value indicates good class subdivision, implying simplicity
                    and high reusability. A high lack of cohesion increases
                    complexity, thereby increasing the likelihood of errors during the
                    development process.

[0060]

TABLE 3
Complexity Metrics
Complexity Metrics   Description
Attribute Complexity Defined as the sum of each attribute’s value in the class.
Cyclomatic           Represents the cognitive complexity of the class. It counts the
Complexity           number of possible paths through an algorithm by counting the
                     number of distinct regions on a flowgraph, i.e., the number of ‘if,’
                     ‘for’ and ‘while’ statements in the operation’s body.
Number Of Remote     Processes all of the methods and constructors, and counts the
Methods              number of different remote methods called. A remote method is
                     defined as a method which is not declared in either the class itself
                     or its ancestors.
Response For Class   Calculated as ‘Number of Local Methods’ + ‘Number of Remote
                     Methods.’ A class which provides a larger response set is
                     considered to be more complex and requires more testing than
                     one with a smaller overall design complexity.
Weighted Methods Per The sum of the complexity of all methods for a class, where each
Class 1              method is weighted by its cyclomatic complexity. The number of
                     methods and the complexity of the methods involved is a
                     predictor of how much time and effort is required to develop and
                     maintain the class.
Weighted Methods Per Measures the complexity of a class, assuming that a class with
Class 2              more methods than another is more complex, and that a method
                     with more parameters than another is also likely to be more
                     complex.

[0061]

TABLE 4
Coupling Metrics
Coupling Metrics Description
Coupling Between Represents the number of other classes to which a class is
Objects          coupled. Counts the number of reference types that are used in
                 attribute declarations, formal parameters, return types, throws
                 declarations and local variables, and types from which attribute
                 and method selections are made.
                 Excessive coupling between objects is detrimental to modular
                 design and prevents reuse. The more independent a class is, the
                 easier it is to reuse it in another application. In order to improve
                 modularity and promote encapsulation, inter-object class couples
                 should be kept to a minimum. The larger the number of couples,
                 the higher the sensitivity to changes in other parts of the design,
                 and therefore maintenance is more difficult. A measure of
                 coupling is useful to determine how complex the testing of
                 various parts of a design is likely to be. The higher the inter-
                 object class coupling, the more rigorous the testing needs to be.
Data Abstraction Counts the number of reference types used in the attribute
Coupling         declarations.
FanOut           Counts the number of reference types that are used in attribute
                 declarations, formal parameters, return types, throws declarations
                 and local variables.

[0062]

TABLE 5
Halstead Metrics
Halstead Metrics    Description
Halstead Difficulty This measure is one of the Halstead Software Science metrics. It
                    is calculated as (‘Number of Unique Operators’ / ‘Number of
                    Unique Operands’) * (‘Number of Operands’ / ‘Number of
                    Unique Operands’).
Halstead Effort     This measure is one of the Halstead Software Science metrics. It
                    is calculated as ‘Halstead Difficulty’ * ‘Halstead Program
                    Volume.’
Halstead Program    This measure is one of the Halstead Software Science metrics. It
Length              is calculated as ‘Number of Operators’ + ‘Number of Operands.’
Halstead Program    This measure is one of the Halstead Software Science metrics. It
Vocabulary          is calculated as ‘Number of Unique Operators’ + ‘Number of
                    Unique Operands.’
Halstead Program    This measure is one of the Halstead Software Science metrics. It
Volume              is calculated as ‘Halstead Program Length’ * Log2(‘Halstead
                    Program Vocabulary’).
Number Of Operands  This measure is used as an input to the Halstead Software Science
                    metrics. It counts the number of operands used in a class.
Number Of Operators This measure is used as an input to the Halstead Software Science
                    metrics. It counts the number of operators used in a class.
Number Of Unique    This measure is used as an input to the Halstead Software Science
Operands            metrics. It counts the number of unique operands used in a class.
Number Of Unique    This measure is used as an input to the Halstead Software Science
Operators           metrics. It counts the number of unique operators used in a class.

[0063]

TABLE 6
Inheritance Metrics
Inheritance Metrics  Description
Depth Of Inheritance Counts how far down the inheritance hierarchy a class or
Hierarchy            interface is declared. High values imply that a class is quite
                     specialized.
Number Of Child      Counts the number of classes which inherit from a particular
Classes              class, i.e., the number of classes in the inheritance tree down from
                     a class. Non-zero value indicates that the particular class is being
                     re-used. The abstraction of the class may be poor if there are too
                     many child classes. It should also be stated that a high value of
                     this measure points to the definite amount of testing required for
                     each child class.

[0064]

TABLE 7
Maximum Metrics
Maximum Metrics   Description
Maximum Number Of Counts the maximum depth of ‘if,’ ‘for’ and ‘while’ branches in
Levels            the bodies of methods. Logical units with a large number of
                  nested levels may need implementation simplification and
                  process improvement because groups that contain more than
                  seven pieces of information are increasingly harder for people to
                  understand in problem solving.
Maximum Number Of Displays the maximum number of parameters among all class
Parameters        operations. Methods with many parameters tend to be more
                  specialized and, thus, are less likely to be reusable.
Maximum Size Of   Counts the maximum size of the operations for a class. Method
Operation         size is determined in terms of cyclomatic complexity, i.e., the
                  number of ‘if,’ ‘for’ and ‘while’ statements in the operation’s
                  body.

[0065]

TABLE 8
Polymorphism Metrics
Polymorphism
Metrics            Description
Number Of Added    Counts the number of operations added by a class. A large value
Methods            of this measure indicates that the functionality of the given class
                   becomes increasingly distinct from that of the parent classes. In
                   this case, it should be considered whether this class genuinely
                   should be inheriting from the parent, or if it could be broken
                   down into several smaller classes.
Number Of          Counts the number of inherited operations which a class
Overridden Methods overrides. Classes without parents are not processed. High
                   values tend to indicate design problems, i.e., subclasses should
                   generally add to and extend the functionality of the parent classes
                   rather than overriding them.

[0066]

TABLE 9
Ratio Metrics
Ratio Metrics         Description
Comment Ratio         Counts the ratio of comments to total lines of code including
                      comments.
Percentage Of Package Counts the percentage of package members in a class.
Members
Percentage Of Private Counts the percentage of private members in a class.
Members
Percentage Of         Counts the percentage of protected members in a class.
Protected Members
Percentage Of Public  Counts the proportion of vulnerable members in a class. A large
Members               proportion of such members means that the class has high
                      potential to be affected by external classes and means that
                      increased efforts will be needed to test such a class thoroughly.
True Comment Ratio    Counts the ratio of comments to total lines of code excluding
                      comments.

[0067] The QA module also provides audits, i.e., the module checks for conformance to predefined or user-defined styles. The types of audits provided by the module include coding style, critical errors, declaration style, documentation, naming style, performance, possible errors and superfluous content. Examples of these audits with their respective definitions are identified in Tables 10-17 below.

TABLE 10
Coding Style Audits
Coding Style Audits    Description
Access Of Static       Static members should be referenced through class names rather
Members Through        than through objects.
Objects
Assignment To Formal   Formal parameters should not be assigned.
Parameters
Complex Assignment     Checks for the occurrence of multiple assignments and
                       assignments to variables within the same expression. Complex
                       assignments should be avoided since they decrease program
                       readability.
Don't Use the          The negation operator slows down the readability of the program.
Negation Operator      Thus, it is recommended that it not be used frequently.
Frequently
Operator ‘?:’ May Not  The operator ‘?:’ makes the code harder to read than the
Be Used                alternative form with an if-statement.
Provide Incremental In Checks if the third argument of the ‘for’ -statement is missing.
For-Statement or use
while-statement
Replacement For        Demand import-declarations must be replaced by a list of single
Demand Imports         import-declarations that are actually imported into the
                       compilation unit. In other words, import-statements may not end
                       with an asterisk.
Use Abbreviated        Use the abbreviated assignment operator in order to write
Assignment Operator    programs more rapidly. Also some compilers run faster with the
                       abbreviated assignment operator.
Use ‘this’ Explicitly  Tries to make the developer use ‘this’ explicitly when trying to
To Access Class        access class members. Using the same class member names with
Members                parameter names often makes what the developer is referring to
                       unclear.

[0068]

TABLE 11
Critical Errors Audits
Critical Errors
Audits                  Description
Avoid Hiding            Detects when attributes declared in child classes hide inherited
Inherited Attributes    attributes.
Avoid Hiding            Detects when inherited static operations are hidden by child
Inherited Static        classes.
Methods
Command Query           Prevents methods that return a value from a modifying state. The
Separation              methods used to query the state of an object must be different
                        from the methods used to perform commands (change the state of
                        the object).
Hiding Of Names         Declarations of names should not hide other declarations of the
                        same name.
Inaccessible            Overload resolution only considers constructors and methods that
Constructor Or          are visible at the point of the call. If, however, all the
Method Matches          constructors and methods were considered, there may be more
                        matches. This rule is violated in this case.
                        Imagine that ClassB is in a different package than ClassA. Then
                        the allocation of ClassB violates this rule since the second
                        constructor is not visible at the point of the allocation, but it still
                        matches the allocation (based on signature). Also the call to open
                        in ClassB violates this rule since the second and the third
                        declarations of open are not visible at the point of the call, but it
                        still matches the call (based on signature).
Multiple Visible        Multiple declarations with the same name must not be
Declarations With       simultaneously visible except for overloaded methods.
Same Name
Overriding a Non-       Checks for abstract methods overriding non-abstract methods in a
Abstract Method With    subclass.
an Abstract Method
Overriding a Private    A subclass should not contain a method with the same name and
Method                  signature as in a superclass if these methods are declared to be
                        private.
Overloading Within a    A superclass method may not be overloaded within a subclass
Subclass                unless all overloading in the superclass are also overridden in the
                        subclass. It is very unusual for a subclass to be overloading
                        methods in its superclass without also overriding the methods it is
                        overloading. More frequently this happens due to inconsistent
                        changes between the superclass and subclass-i.e., the intention
                        of the user is to override the method in the superclass, but due to
                        the error, the subclass method ends up overloading the superclass
                        method.
Use of Static Attribute Non-final static attributes should not be used in initializations of
for Initialization      attributes.

[0069]

TABLE 13
Documentation Audits
Documentation Audits Description
Bad Tag In JavaDoc   This rule verifies code against accidental use of
Comments             improper JavaDoc tags.
Distinguish Between  Checks whether the JavaDoc comments in your
JavaDoc And Ordinary program ends with ‘**/’ and ordinary C-style ones
Comments             with ‘*/.’

[0070]

TABLE 13
Documentation Audits
Documentation
Audits               Description
Bad Tag In JavaDoc   This rule verifies code against accidental use of improper
Comments             JavaDoc tags.
Distinguish Between  Checks whether the JavaDoc comments in your program ends
JavaDoc And Ordinary with ‘* */’ and ordinary C-style ones with ‘*/.’
Comments

[0071]

TABLE 14
Naming Style Audits
Naming Style Audits Description
Class Name Must     Checks whether top level classes or interfaces have the same
Match Its File Name name as the file in which they reside.
Group Operations    Enforces standard to improve readability.
With Same Name
Together
Naming Conventions  Takes a regular expression and item name and reports all
                    occurrences where the pattern does not match the declaration.
Names Of Exception  Names of classes which inherit from Exception should end with
Classes             Exception.
Use Conventional    One-character local variable or parameter names should be
Variable Names      avoided, except for temporary and looping variables, or where a
                    variable holds an undistinguished value of a type.

[0072]

TABLE 15
Performance Audits
Performance Audits     Description
Avoid Declaring        This rule recommends declaring local variables outside the loops
Variables Inside Loops since declaring variables inside the loop is less efficient.
Append To String       Performance enhancements can be obtained by replacing String
Within a Loop          operations with StringBuffer operations if a String object is
                       appended within a loop.
Complex Loop           Avoid using complex expressions as repeat conditions within
Expressions            loops.

[0073]

TABLE 16
Possible Error Audits
Possible Error Audits     Description
Avoid Public And          Declare the attributes either private or protected, and provide
Package Attributes        operations to access or change them.
Avoid Statements          Avoid statements with empty body.
With Empty Body
Assignment To For-        ‘For’-loop variables should not be assigned.
Loop Variables
Don't Compare             Avoid testing for equality of floating point numbers since
Floating Point Types      floating-point numbers that should be equal are not always equal
                          due to rounding problems.
Enclosing Body            The statement of a loop must always be a block. The ‘then’ and
Within a Block            ‘else’ parts of ‘if’-statements must always be blocks. This makes
                          it easier to add statements without accidentally introducing bugs
                          in case the developer forgets to add braces.
Explicitly Initialize All Explicitly initialize all variables. The only reason not to initialize
Variables                 a variable is where it's declared is if the initial value depends on
                          some computation occurring first.
Method finalize()         Calling of super.finalize() from finalize() is good practice of
Doesn't Call              programming, even if the base class doesn't define the finalize()
super.finalize()          method. This makes class implementations less dependent on
                          each other.
Mixing Logical            An expression containing multiple logical operators should be
Operators Without         parenthesized properly.
Parentheses
No Assignments In         Use of assignment within conditions makes the source code hard
Conditional               to understand.
Expressions
Use ‘equals’ Instead      The‘==‘ operator used on strings checks if two string objects are
Of ‘==‘                   two identical objects. In most situations, however, one likes to
                          simply check if two strings have the same value. In these cases,
                          the ‘equals’method should be used.
Use ‘L’ Instead Of ‘1’    It is beffer to use uppercase ‘L’ to distinguish the letter ‘1’ from
at the end of integer     the number ‘1.’
constant
Use Of the                The ‘synchronized’ modifier on methods can sometimes cause
‘synchronized’            confusion during maintenance as well as during debugging. This
Modifier                  rule therefore recommends against using this modifier, and
                          instead recommends using ‘synchronized’ statements as
                          replacements.

[0074]

TABLE 17
Superfluous Content Audits
Superfluous Content
Audits                 Description
Duplicate Import       There should be at most one import declaration that imports a
Declarations           particular class/package.
Don't Import the       No classes or interfaces need to be imported from the package to
Package the Source     which the source code file belongs. Everything in that package is
File Belongs To        available without explicit import statements.
Explicit Import Of the Explicit import of classes from the package ‘java.lang’ should not
java.lang Classes      be performed.
Equality Operations    Avoid performing equality operations on Boolean operands.
On Boolean             ‘True’and ‘false’ literals should not be used in conditional
Arguments              clauses.
Imported Items Must    It is not legal to import a class or an interface and never use it.
Be Used                This rule checks classes and interfaces that are explicitly
                       imported with their names-that is not with import of a complete
                       package, using an asterisk. If unused class and interface imports
                       are omitted, the amount of meaningless source code is reduced -
                       thus the amount of code to be understood by a reader is
                       minimized.
Unnecessary Casts      Checks for the use of type casts that are not necessary.
Unnecessary            Verifies that the runtime type of the left-hand side expression is
‘instanceof’           the same as the one specified on the right-hand side.
Evaluations
Unused Local           Local variables and formal parameter declarations must be used.
Variables And Formal
Parameters
Use Of Obsolete        The modifier ‘abstract’ is considered obsolete and should not be
Interface Modifier     used.
Use Of Unnecessary     All interface operations are implicitly public and abstract. All
Interface Member       interface attributes are implicitly public, final and static.
Modifiers
Unused Private Class   An unused class member might indicate a logical flaw in the
Member                 program. The class declaration has to be reconsidered in order to
                       determine the need of the unused member(s).

[0075] If the QA module determines that the source code does not conform, an error message is provided to the developer. For example, as depicted in FIG. 8A, the software development tool checks for a variety of coding styles 800. If the software development tool were to check for “Access Of Static Members Through Objects” 802, it would verify whether static members are referenced through class names rather than through objects 804. Further, as depicted in FIG. 8B, if the software development tool were to check for “Complex Assignment” 806, the software development tool would check for the occurrence of multiple assignments and assignments to variables within the same expression to avoid complex assignments since these decrease program readability 808. An example of source code having a complex assignment 810 and source code having a non-complex assignment 812 are depicted in FIGS. 8B and 8C, respectively. The QA module of the software development tool scans the source code for other syntax errors and/or other deviations from well known rules, as described above, and provides an error message if any such errors are detected.

[0076] The improved software development tool of the present invention is used to develop source code in a project. The project comprises a plurality of files and the source code of a chosen one of the plurality of files is written in a given language. The software development tool determines the language of the source code of the chosen file, converts the source code from the language into a language-neutral representation, uses the language-neutral representation to textually display the source code of the chosen file in the language, and uses the language-neutral representation to display a graphical representation of at least a portion of the project. As discussed above, in an alternative embodiment, the textual display may be obtained directly from the source code file. The source code and the graphical representation are displayed simultaneously.

[0077] The improved software development tool of the present invention is also used to develop source code. The software development tool receives an indication of a selected language for the source code, creates a file to store the source code in the selected language, converts the source code from the selected language into a language-neutral representation, uses the language-neutral representation to display the source code of the file, and uses the language-neutral representation to display a graphical representation of the file. Again, the source code and the graphical representation are displayed simultaneously.

[0078] Moreover, if the source code in the file is modified, the modified source code and a graphical representation of at least a portion of the modified source code are displayed simultaneously. The QA module of the software development tool provides an error message if the modification does not conform to predefined or user-defined styles, as described above. The modification to the source code may be received by the software development tool via the programmer editing the source code in the textual pane or the graphical pane, or via some other independent software tool that the programmer uses to modify the code. The graphical representation of the project may be in Unified Modeling Language; however, one skilled in the art will recognize that other graphical representations of the source code may be displayed. Further, although the present invention is described and shown using the various views of the UML, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other views may be displayed.

[0079] FIG. 9 depicts a flow diagram of the steps performed by the software development tool to develop a project in accordance with methods consistent with the present invention. As previously stated, the project comprises a plurality of files. The developer either uses the software development tool to open a file that contains existing source code, or to create a file in which the source code will be developed. If the software development tool is used to open the file, determined in step 900, the software development tool initially determines the programming language in which the code is written (step 902). The language is identified by the extension of the file, e.g., “.java” identifies source code written in the Java™ language, while “.cpp” identifies source code written in C++. The software development tool then obtains a template for the current programming language, i.e., a collection of generalized definitions for the particular language that can be used to build the data structure (step 904). For example, the templates used to define a new Java™ class contains a default name, e.g., “Class 1,” and the default code, “public class Class1 { }.” Such templates are well known in the art. For example, the “Microsoft Foundation Class Library” and the “Microsoft Word Template For Business Use Case Modeling” are examples of standard template libraries from which programmers can choose individual template classes. The software development tool uses the template to parse the source code (step 906), and create the data structure (step 908). After creating the data structure or if there is no existing code, the software development tool awaits an event, i.e., a modification or addition to the source code by the developer (step 910). If an event is received and the event is to close the file (step 912), the file is saved (step 914) and closed (step 916). Otherwise, the software development tool performs the event (step 918), i.e., the tool makes the modification. The software development tool then updates the TMM or model (step 920), as discussed in detail below, and updates both the graphical and the textual views (step 922).

[0080] FIGS. 10A and 10B depict a flow diagram illustrating the update model step of FIG. 9. The software development tool selects a file from the project (step 1000), and determines whether the file is new (step 1002), whether the file has been updated (step 1004), or whether the file has been deleted (step 1006). If the file is new, the software development tool adds the additional symbols from the file to the TMM (step 1008). To add the symbol to the TMM, the software development tool uses the template to parse the symbol to the TMM. If the file has been updated, the software development tool updates the symbols in the TMM (step 1010). Similar to the addition of a symbol to the TMM, the software development tool uses the template to parse the symbol to the TMM. If the file has been deleted, the software development tool deletes the symbols in the TMM (step 1012). The software development tool continues this analysis for all files in the project. After all files are analyzed (step 1014), any obsolete symbols in the TMM (step 1016) are deleted (step 1018).

[0081] FIG. 11 depicts a flow diagram illustrating the performance of an event, specifically the creation of a class, in accordance with methods consistent with the present invention. After identifying the programming language (step 1100), the software development tool obtains a template for the language (step 1102), creates a source code file in the project directory (step 1104), and pastes the template into the file (step 1106). The project directory corresponds to the SCI model 302 of FIG. 3. Additional events which a developer may perform using the software development tool include the creation, modification or deletion of packages, projects, attributes, interfaces, links, operations, and the closing of a file.

[0082] Applications to be developed using the software development tool are collectively broken into three views of the application: the static view, the dynamic view, and the functional view. The static view is modeled using the use-case and class diagrams. A use case diagram 1200, depicted in FIG. 12, shows the relationship among actors 1202 and use cases 1204 within the system 1206. A class diagram 1300, depicted in FIG. 13 with its associated source code 1302, on the other hand, includes classes 1304, interfaces, packages and their relationships connected as a graph to each other and to their contents.

[0083] The dynamic view is modeled using the sequence, collaboration and statechart diagrams. As depicted in FIG. 14, a sequence diagram 1400 represents an interaction, which is a set of messages 1402 exchanged among objects 1404 within a collaboration to effect a desired operation or result. In a sequence diagram 1400, the vertical dimension represents time and the horizontal dimension represents different objects. A collaboration diagram 1500, depicted in FIG. 15, is also an interaction with messages 1502 exchanged among objects 1504, but it is also a collaboration, which is a set of objects 1504 related in a particular context. Contrary to sequence diagrams 1400 (FIG. 14), which emphasize the time ordering of messages along the vertical axis, collaboration diagrams 1500 (FIG. 15) emphasize the structural organization of objects.

[0084] A statechart diagram 1600 is depicted in FIG. 16. The statechart diagram 1600 includes the sequences of states 1602 that an object or interaction goes through during its life in response to stimuli, together with its responses and actions. It uses a graphic notation that shows states of an object, the events that cause a transition from one state to another, and the actions that result from the transition.

[0085] The functional view can be represented by activity diagrams 1700 and more traditional descriptive narratives such as pseudocode and minispecifications. An activity diagram 1700 is depicted in FIG. 17, and is a special case of a state diagram where most, if not all, of the states are action states 1702 and where most, if not all, of the transitions are triggered by completion of the actions in the source states. Activity diagrams 1700 are used in situations where all or most of the events represent the completion of internally generated actions.

[0086] There is also a fourth view mingled with the static view called the architectural view. This view is modeled using package, component and deployment diagrams. Package diagrams show packages of classes and the dependencies among them. Component diagrams 1800, depicted in FIG. 18, are graphical representations of a system or its component parts. Component diagrams 1800 show the dependencies among software components, including source code components, binary code components and executable components. As depicted in FIG. 19, deployment diagrams 1900 are used to show the distribution strategy for a distributed object system. Deployment diagrams 1900 show the configuration of run-time processing elements and the software components, processes and objects that live on them.

[0087] Although discussed in terms of class diagrams, one skilled in the art will recognize that the software development tool of the present invention may support these and other graphical views.

[0088] Version Control System

[0089] In addition to the functionality described above, the improved software development tool integrates a version control system that permits programmers using different computers to work simultaneously on a software project by managing the various versions of the source code associated with the software project. The improved software development tool also enables programmers to interact with the version control system by manipulating a diagram or diagram element associated with a software project, thus facilitating the use of the version control system through a more intuitive interface and a more natural grouping of files. For example, FIG. 20 depicts data processing system 2000, which includes a number of computers 2002-2008 connected via a network 2010, where the users of the computers are using the version control system of the improved software development tool 610. On computers 2002-2006, software development tool 610 includes a client component 2012 of the version control system. On computer 2008, the software development tool 610 contains a server component 2014 of the version control system. Computer 2008 is pre-designated as containing a central repository 2016. Central repository 2016 is a shared directory for storing a master copy of project 612. Project 612 comprises all of the source files in a particular software project. Each of the computers 2002-2006 also includes a working directory 2007 that contains working copies of source files that programmers can make changes to without affecting the master copy in the central repository 2016.

[0090] Throughout the development process, as changes are made to source code, versions of files and packages are saved in the central repository. These versions represent snapshots of various stages of the source code as it evolves. The collection of versions stored on the central repository form a historical record of the development process that facilitates debugging and future development of the software project. Table 18 provides a list of typical version control commands and their corresponding operations, which are performed by the version control system in accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the particular version control system used and that system's settings may alter the stated functions of each command.

TABLE 18
Typical Version Control Commands
COMMAND   OPERATION
Get       Acquires a copy of one of the versions of a selected file from the central
          repository and places a read only copy of the file in the working directory
          of the requesting computer.
Check Out Acquires a copy of one of the versions of a selected file from the central
          repository, places a copy of the file in the working directory of the
          requesting computer, and prevents others from checking the file out from
          the repository.
Add       Transfers a copy of the selected file from the working directory of the
          requesting computer to the central repository.
Update    Synchronizes the working copy of a file with the most current version of
          the corresponding file in the central repository.
Check In  Commits changes that have been made to a working copy of a file on the
          requesting computer to the corresponding file on the central repository,
          thus creating a new version of the file.

[0091] An example of a version control system that is suitable for use with the improved software development tool is the Concurrent Versions System, which is an open-source version control system developed by the GNU Project (recursive acronym for “GNU's Not UNIX”), which is maintained and sponsored by the Free Software Foundation, Inc. of Boston, Mass. The Concurrent Versions System is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.cvshome.org.

[0092] FIG. 21 depicts a user interface 2102 displayed by improved software development tool 610. User interface 2102 includes a graphical representation 204 and a textual representation 206 of source code of a software project. As described above, graphical representation or diagram 204 is a diagram such as a class diagram, use case diagram, sequence diagram, collaboration diagram, statechart diagram, activity diagram, component diagram, or deployment diagram. Diagram 204 is made up of diagram elements. The diagram elements are the individual graphical symbols that combine to form diagram 204 and that serve to visually represent the source code and its structure and/or operation. For example, in the diagram depicted in FIG. 21, which is a class diagram, the rectangular box labeled “Hello” is a diagram element that represents the class named “Hello.”

[0093] An example of a typical user interaction with the version control system via a diagram element will now be described. In this example, it is assumed that the user is viewing a diagram using the improved software development tool and that the diagram visually represents a source file named “Hellojava” that contains a class named “Hello.” It is further assumed that the user wishes to verify that he has the most current version of the source code for the “Hello” class by synchronizing his working copy of the file that contains that class with the most current version of the file in the central repository (i.e., he wishes to perform an “Update” command on the file that contains the “Hello” class). With reference to FIG. 21, a user first determines which portion of source code in the software project he wishes to execute a version control command on by visually inspecting diagram 204 of user interface 2102. The user then selects the desired diagram element, in this example diagram element 2104, which corresponds to the class “Hello.” The selection is accomplished when the user right clicks within the rectangular area of the diagram element 2104. The selection of diagram element 2104 informs the version control system that the command that will soon be invoked should be performed on the file containing the class “Hello.” The user next selects the “Update” command from speedmenu 2202, depicted in FIG. 22, thus providing improved software development tool 610 with an indication of the desired version control command.

[0094] In response to the selection of the “Update” command, the improved software development tool displays a dialog box 2302, like the one depicted in FIG. 23. The user then selects any desired options associated with the “Update” command via dialog box 2302. For example, if the diagram element that a user selects represents a directory that includes multiple subdirectories, the user may select the “Recurse subdirectories” option and the “Update” command would be executed with respect to the directory and all of its subdirectories. Alternatively, the user might choose to execute a command with respect to an entire project, a package, a diagram, or a class. After options are selected, the improved software development tool 610 invokes the version control system to perform the operation corresponding to the “Update” command. In this example, the version control system synchronizes the working copy of “Hello.java” on the requesting computer with the most recent version of that file in the central repository. This assures that the user's working copy of “Hello.java” is the most up-to-date version of that file.

[0095] A detailed description will now be given, with reference to FIGS. 24A and 24B, of the steps involved in diagrammatic control of the version control system. When a user wishes to execute a version control command with respect to a specific file in a software project, the user selects the diagram element that visually represents the desired file by right clicking within the rectangular boundary of the diagram element. The relationship between diagram elements and files will be discussed further below. The selection of a diagram element by the user provides the improved software development tool with an indication of the selection of the specific diagram element (step 2404). The improved software development tool then determines the file that corresponds to the selected diagram element (step 2406), by referring to a cross-reference table maintained by the improved software development tool, which correlates the source files in the software project with the diagram elements that visually represent them. The cross-reference table contains an entry for each diagram element (e.g., the entry may be an arbitrary designation to identify each diagram element) and, for each diagram element, contains entries regarding the location and bounds of the diagram element (i.e., information regarding the position at which the diagram element is displayed on the user's screen and the area the diagram encompasses) and the source file or files that the diagram visually represents (e.g., the source code associated with the diagram element 2104 associated with the “Hello” class is located in the source file “Hello.java”).

[0096] Next, a user selects a desired version control command from a menu of commands via a speed menu like the one depicted in FIG. 22 and further selects desired command options via a dialog box like the one depicted in FIG. 23 (step 2408). These selections provide improved software development tool 610 with an indication of the desired version control command and options. Improved software development tool 610 determines which version control command has been selected based on the user selection and invokes the version control system to perform the corresponding operation on the file or set of files associated with the selected diagram element.

[0097] For example, if the “Get” command were selected (step 2410), the version control system would acquire a copy of one of the versions of a selected file (i.e., the most current version of the file may be acquired or an earlier version may be acquired) from the central repository and place a read-only copy of the file in the working directory of the requesting computer (step 2412). If the “Check Out” command were selected (step 2414), the version control system would acquire a copy of one of the versions of a selected file from the central repository, place a copy of the file in the working directory of the requesting computer, and prevent others from checking the file out from the repository (step 2416). If the “Add” command were selected (step 2418), the version control system would transfer a copy of the selected file from the working directory of the requesting computer to the central repository (step 2420). If the “Update” command were selected (step 2422), the version control system would synchronize the working copy of a file with the most current version of the corresponding file in the central repository (step 2424). If the “Check In” command were selected (step 2426), the version control system would commit changes that have been made to a working copy of a file on the requesting computer to the corresponding file on the central repository (step 2428).

[0098] After the selected operation is performed, the improved software development tool determines if any files remain on which the selected version control command is to be executed (step 2430). If files remain, the version control system proceeds to step 2410. If not, processing ends.

[0099] While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention. For example, the diagrammatic control techniques described above may be applied whenever a diagram element can be associated with a source file. In addition, one skilled in the art would understand that the diagrammatic control techniques described herein are equally applicable to quality assurance systems such as the metrics and audit systems of the improved software tool 610 described above. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing versions of source code with a version control system, the method comprising the steps of: generating a language-neutral representation of the source code; displaying a diagram representing the source code using the language-neutral representation such that the source code and the diagram are synchronized, the diagram having elements, each element having an associated file containing a portion of the source code; receiving an indication of a selected one of the elements; determining which file is associated with the selected element; receiving an indication of a selection of a command performable by the version control system; and invoking the version control system to perform the selected command on the determined file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an indication of a selection of an element includes the step of receiving an indication of a right-click of a mouse.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying a class diagram.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying a use case diagram.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying a sequence diagram.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying a collaboration diagram.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying a state transition diagram.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying an activity diagram.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying a package diagram.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying a component diagram.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying a deployment diagram.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking includes invoking the version control system to obtain a copy of the determined file from a central repository.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of invoking includes storing the copy of the determined file in a working directory.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of storing includes restricting access of the copy to be read only.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking includes invoking the version control system to acquire a copy of a version of a selected file from a central repository, to place the copy of the file in a working directory on a requesting computer, and to prevent others from checking out the file.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the version acquired by the version control system is a most current version.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking includes invoking the version control system to transfer a copy of a selected file from a working directory on a requesting computer to a central repository.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking includes invoking the version control system to synchronize a working copy of a selected file with a most current version of the file in a central repository.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking includes invoking the version control system to commit changes made to a working copy of a selected file to a corresponding file on a central repository.

20. A data processing system for managing files in a software project with a version control system, comprising: means for generating a language-neutral representation of the source code; means for displaying a diagram representing the source code using the language-neutral representation such that the source code and the diagram are synchronized, the diagram having elements, each element having an associated file; means for receiving an indication of a selected one of the elements; means for determining which file is associated with the selected element; means for receiving an indication of a selection of a command performable by the version control system; and means for invoking the version control system to perform the selected command on the determined file.

21. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication of a selection of an element of a diagram having corresponding source code; receiving an indication of a version control command to be performed on the corresponding source code; and responsive to the receipt of the indication of the selected element and the receipt of the indication of the version control command, performing the version control command on the corresponding source code by a version control system.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is a class diagram.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is a use case diagram.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is a sequence diagram.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is a collaboration diagram.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is a state transition diagram.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is an activity diagram.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is a package diagram.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is a component diagram.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the diagram is a deployment diagram.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of invoking includes invoking the version control system to obtain a copy of the determined file from a central repository.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of invoking includes storing the copy of the determined file in a working directory.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of storing includes restricting access of the copy to be read only.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the version control command comprises acquiring a copy of a most current version of a selected file from a central repository, placing the copy of the file in a working directory on a requesting computer, and preventing others from checking out the file.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the version control command comprises transferring a copy of a selected file from a working directory on a requesting computer to a central repository.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the version control command comprises synchronizing a working copy of a selected file with a most current version of the file in a central repository.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the version control command comprises committing changes made to a working copy of a selected file to a corresponding file on a central repository.

38. A data processing system for managing files in a software project with a version control system, comprising: a secondary storage device containing the software project, the software project comprising source code; a memory containing a software development tool that displays a diagram with diagram elements corresponding to the software project, that receives an indication of a selection of one of the diagram elements that corresponds to a portion of the software project, that receives a selection of a command performable by the version control system, and that invokes the version control system to perform the selected command on the portion of the software project; and a processor for running the software development tool.

39. A method in a data processing system, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication of a selection of an element of a diagram having corresponding source code; receiving an indication of a version control command to be performed on the corresponding source code; and responsive to the receipt of the indication of the selected element and the receipt of the indication of the version control command, performing the version control command on the corresponding source code by a version control system.

40. A data processing system for managing files in a software project with a version control system, comprising: a first computer including a memory containing a software development tool, which displays a diagram with diagram elements, and a client component of the version control system; a secondary storage containing a working directory; and a processor for running the software development tool; a second computer including a memory containing a software development tool and a server component of the version control system, a secondary storage containing a central repository, and a processor for running the software development tool; and a network connecting the first and second computer; wherein the software development tool on the first computer receives an indication of a selection of one of the diagram elements that corresponds to a portion of the software project, receives an indication of a command performable by the version control system, and invokes the version control system to perform the selected command on the portion of the software project.