Vector-based identification of software dependency relationships

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11455154-B2
Application number	US-202017117650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

Techniques for vector-based identification of software dependency relationships are described herein. An aspect includes determining a first dependency relationship value between a first code segment and a second code segment. Another aspect includes calculating a magnitude vector based on the first dependency relationship value and a second dependency relationship value corresponding to the first code segment and the second code segment. Another aspect includes determining a relationship score for the first code segment and the second code segment based on the magnitude vector and the first dependency relationship value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining, by a processor, a first dependency relationship value between a first code segment and a second code segment;
calculating, by the processor, a magnitude vector based on the first dependency relationship value, wherein the magnitude vector comprises a slope value corresponding to a trend in the first dependency relationship value over a discrete time window; and
calculating a second dependency relationship value corresponding to the first code segment and the second code segment, wherein the second dependency relationship value comprises a historical dependency relationship value that is within a discrete time window from the first dependency relationship value;
determining, by the processor, a relationship score for the first code segment and the second code segment based on the magnitude vector and the first dependency relationship value; and
determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related based on the relationship score being above a threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dependency relationship value is determined based on receiving an update to the first code segment.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying a developer corresponding to the first code segment based on determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related; and
updating the second code segment based on determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a respective dependency relationship value between the first code segment and each of a plurality of code segments in a software product; and
determining a respective relationship score corresponding to each of the determined respective dependency relationship values.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dependency relationship value is determined based on a source code dependency graph.

6. A system comprising:
a memory having computer readable instructions; and
one or more processors for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions controlling the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
determining a first dependency relationship value between a first code segment and a second code segment;
calculating a magnitude vector based on the first dependency relationship value, wherein the magnitude vector comprises a slope value corresponding to a trend in the first dependency relationship value over a discrete time window; and
calculating a second dependency relationship value corresponding to the first code segment and the second code segment, wherein the second dependency relationship value comprises a historical dependency relationship value that is within a discrete time window from the first dependency relationship value;
determining a relationship score for the first code segment and the second code segment based on the magnitude vector and the first dependency relationship value; and
determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related based on the relationship score being above a threshold value.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first dependency relationship value is determined based on receiving an update to the first code segment.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
notifying a developer corresponding to the first code segment based on determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related; and
updating the second code segment based on determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a respective dependency relationship value between the first code segment and each of a plurality of code segments in a software product; and
determining a respective relationship score corresponding to each of the determined respective dependency relationship values.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first dependency relationship value is determined based on a source code dependency graph.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
determining a first dependency relationship value between a first code segment and a second code segment;
calculating a magnitude vector based on the first dependency relationship value, wherein the magnitude vector comprises a slope value corresponding to a trend in the first dependency relationship value over a discrete time window; and
calculating a second dependency relationship value corresponding to the first code segment and the second code segment, wherein the second dependency relationship value comprises a historical dependency relationship value that is within a discrete time window from the first dependency relationship value;
determining a relationship score for the first code segment and the second code segment based on the magnitude vector and the first dependency relationship value; and
determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related based on the relationship score being above a threshold value.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the first dependency relationship value is determined based on receiving an update to the first code segment.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
notifying a developer corresponding to the first code segment based on determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related; and
updating the second code segment based on determining that the first code segment and the second code segment are related.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a respective dependency relationship value between the first code segment and each of a plurality of code segments in a software product; and
determining a respective relationship score corresponding to each of the determined respective dependency relationship values.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hicks Andrew C M
• Gildein Michael E
• Fitzgerald Daniel John
• Brooker Christopher G

Classifications

• G06F17/18 Primary

  for evaluating statistical data {, e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis (forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)} · CPC title

• G06F8/433 Primary

  Dependency analysis; Data or control flow analysis · CPC title

• G06F17/16

  Matrix or vector computation {, e.g. matrix-matrix or matrix-vector multiplication, matrix factorization (matrix transposition G06F7/78)} · CPC title

• G06F8/65

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F8/71

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title