Code suggestion in a software development tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619211-B2
Application number	US-98262610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2010
Priority date	Dec 30, 2010
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for the automated suggestion of code usage patterns in an IDE. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for automated suggestion of code usage patterns in an IDE is provided. The method includes receiving input of a code snippet for a source code file of a software development project loaded into memory of a host computer for display through an IDE. The method further includes matching terms of the received input to terms in different blocks of code in different source code files of the software development project. The method yet further includes selecting one of the different blocks of code as a code completion choice for insertion into the source code file in the IDE. Finally, the method includes inserting the selected one of the different blocks of code into the source code file in the IDE.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for automated suggestion of code usage patterns in an integrated development environment (IDE), the method comprising:
receiving input of a code snippet for a source code file of a software development project loaded into memory of a host computer for display through an IDE, the code snippet being a portion of source code of the source code file and the software development project including a plurality of source code files created by a plurality of developers, the plurality of developers coordinated to develop a computer program;
matching terms of the received input to terms in different blocks of code in different source code files of the software development project;
determining a popularity of use for each of the different blocks of code according to the popularity of use by other developers;
displaying an indication of each determined popularity in the IDE and also a list of the different blocks of code corresponding with the indication;
selecting automatically or manually one of the different blocks of code as a code completion choice for insertion into the source code file in the IDE; and,
inserting the selected one of the different blocks of code into the source code file in the IDE.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
loading into the IDE a particular one of the different source code files corresponding to the selected one of the different blocks of code; and,
visually emphasizing in the IDE the selected one of the different blocks of code in the particular one of the different source code files.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying an import directive in the code snippet;
further identifying in the different blocks of code other import directives; and,
displaying in the IDE a list of the other import directives as import directives frequently used in concert with the identified import directive.

4. A software development data processing system configured for automated suggestion of code usage patterns in an integrated development environment (IDE), the system comprising:
a host computer with at least one processor and memory;
an IDE executing in the memory of the host computer;
a software development project selected for editing in the IDE and a source code file of the software development project loaded in the memory and displayed in the IDE, the software development project including a plurality of source code files created by a plurality of developers, the plurality of developers coordinated to develop a computer program; and,
a code suggestion module coupled to the IDE, the module comprising program code enabled to receive input of a code snippet for the source code file, the code snippet being a portion of source code of the source code file, to match terms of the received input to terms in different blocks of code in different source code files of the software development project, to determine a popularity of use for each of the different blocks of code according to the popularity of use by other developers, to display an indication of each determined popularity in the IDE and also a list of the different blocks of code corresponding with the indication, to select one of the different blocks of code as a code completion choice for insertion into the source code file in the IDE, and to insert the selected one of the different blocks of code into the source code file in the IDE.

5. A computer program product for automated suggestion of code usage patterns in an integrated development environment (IDE), the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code for receiving input of a code snippet for a source code file of a software development project loaded into memory of a host computer for display through an IDE, the code snippet being a portion of source code of the source code file and the software development project including a plurality of source code files created by a plurality of developers, the plurality of developers coordinated to develop a computer program;
computer readable program code for matching terms of the received input to terms in different blocks of code in different source code files of the software development project;
computer readable program code for determining a popularity of use for each of the different blocks of code according to the popularity of use by other developers;
computer readable program code for displaying an indication of each determined popularity in the IDE and also a list of the different blocks of code corresponding with the indication;
computer readable program code for selecting automatically or manually one of the different blocks of code as a code completion choice for insertion into the source code file in the IDE; and,
computer readable program code for inserting the selected one of the different blocks of code into the source code file in the IDE.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , further comprising:
computer readable program code for loading into the IDE a particular one of the different source code files corresponding to the selected one of the different blocks of code; and,
computer readable program code for visually emphasizing in the IDE the selected one of the different blocks of code in the particular one of the different source code files.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 , further comprising:
computer readable program code for identifying an import directive in the code snippet;
computer readable program code for further identifying in the different blocks of code other import directives; and,
computer readable program code for displaying in the IDE a list of the other import directives as import directives frequently used in concert with the identified import directive.

Assignees

• Mccollum Lorelei M
• Best Steven F
• Girouard Janice M
• Snow Timothy B
• IBM

Inventors

• Mccollum Lorelei M
• Best Steven F
• Girouard Janice M
• Snow Timothy B

Classifications

• G06F8/33 Primary

  Intelligent editors · CPC title