JPH1027096A - Software development cooperation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To transmit and receive a message without caring about cooperation with a tool on the same calculator or another calculator. SOLUTION: The computers 1-1 and 1-2 connected via a network 2 are provided with message boxes 4-1 to 4-4 for receiving messages of tools 3-1 to 3-4 respectively. The same title is given to the message boxes 4-1 to 4-4. When an event is generated by the tool 3-1, the message is stored in the corresponding message box 4-1. The messages are mutually informed again to the message boxes of other tools by message control server 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a case where an arbitrary software development tool is used on a plurality of computers connected to each other via a network.
The present invention relates to a software development coordination system for causing these to cooperate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A system which consists of various software development tools on a plurality of computers connected to each other via a network and which exchanges information and cooperates with each other is called a distributed software development system. Call. As a tool, for example, Make
There are tools, debuggers, simulators, etc. These tools interactively create, test, and maintain software in such a network-distributed computing environment. Such an integrated software development environment includes a soft bench (Soft
Bench) environments are known. These softbench tool integration architectures provide a coordination mechanism between tools in a distributed computing environment. That is, information is mutually transmitted within a network environment through a broadcast communication function for communication between tools. For this information transmission, a broadcast message server (BMS) is prepared. This B
The MS establishes a connection with the tool when each tool is activated, and instructs the tool which of the various events occurring in the environment should be notified to other tools when the event occurs. When an event occurs during operation of a tool, the event is broadcast to other tools via BMS (HP SoftBench environment, Martin RC
agan, UNIX MAGAZINE 1990.11).

[0003]

The conventional software development cooperation system as described above has the following problems to be solved. As described above, in order for each tool to exchange information and operate cooperatively, and to proceed with software development in cooperation with each other, a message for information exchange is transmitted to each tool connected through a network in accordance with an instruction of a BMS or the like. Communication must take place. However, since there is only one BMS on any computer connected via the network,
When message communication is performed via S, message exchange between tools operating on the same computer involves communication between computers, which not only increases traffic, but also increases the cooperative operation between tools. There was a problem of becoming. On the other hand, since all the tools exchange messages via the BMS, there is a problem that the description about the messages for cooperative operation between the tools is complicated.

[0004]

The present invention employs the following structure to solve the above problems. <Structure 1> A software development tool that operates on any one of a plurality of computers connected to each other via a network is different from a software development tool that operates on the above-mentioned computer with another arbitrary partner tool. For exchanging administrative messages, a message box having the same name as each other and a message management server for managing message exchange between the message boxes are provided. A software development coordination system wherein the accepted message is re-notified to another message box having the same name.

<Explanation> Each tool is responsible for development processing of arbitrary software. The message on the software development management is any message that should be notified mutually between the tools. The tool runs on any computer connected to the network. The message management server operates on any computer, but there is no need for a tool that operates on that computer. Since the message box has the same name, the interface of each tool can be shared. Note that tools that need to exchange messages may have message boxes with the same name, and other tools may have message boxes with different names. Also,
Since the message is re-notified by the message management server, the communication load of each tool is light, and it is not necessary to be conscious of communication to other tools.

<Structure 2> A software development tool operating on any one of a plurality of computers connected to each other via a network is different from another arbitrary tool operating on the computer. A message box having the same name as each other for exchanging messages on software development management, a child message management server for managing message exchange between message boxes existing on the same computer, and a child message management server,
A parent message management server that manages message exchanges between message boxes existing on different computers, wherein the child message management server sends a message received by the message box from the tool to another identical message on the same computer. The parent message management server re-notifies the message box with the name, and the parent message management server notifies the message re-notified by the child message management server to another message box with the same name on the same computer. A software development coordination system characterized in that all message boxes are notified again via the Internet.

<Explanation> The child message management server manages message exchange between message boxes on the same computer. As a result, message exchange between tools operating on the same computer does not involve inter-computer communication. Also,
Since the parent message management server controls communication between computers, each tool does not need to be aware of whether message communication is performed between tools or between computers.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below using specific examples. <Example 1> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a software cooperation system of Example 1. This system has a configuration in which, for example, a computer 1-1 and a computer 1-2 are connected via a network 2. Computer 1-1 has 2
Kinds of tools 3-1 and 3-2 are provided. In the computer 1-1 shown in the figure, for example, a make tool 3-1 of a distributed software development system and a debugger 3-
2 exists. The computer 1-2 also has a project management tool 3-3 and a version management tool 3-4 as similar tools. In order for these tools to cooperate and perform software development in cooperation, a tool that manages message communication is required. Here, each tool 3-1
3-4 have message boxes 4-1 to 4-4 having the same name. Further, the computer 1-1 is provided with a message management server 5 for controlling message exchange between the message boxes 4-1 to 4-4.
In this example, the names of the message boxes are all set to the same “integration”.

In the above system, each tool develops software while exchanging messages such as completion of compilation, occurrence of an exception, and start of debugging. Then, messages stored in the message boxes can be exchanged between tools having message boxes with the same name. For example, when an event such as the completion of compilation occurs, the message is stored in a message box owned by the own tool. That is, a message that the compilation is completed is stored in the message box. The message boxes 4-1 to 4-4 notify the message to the message management server 5 together with the name of the self. When receiving the notification, the message management server 5 notifies the message box having the same name again of the message. Therefore, the contents of each message box having the same name are copied by the message management server 5 and made the same contents. Each of the tools 3-1 to 3-4 periodically transmits its own message box 4-1 to 4-1-4 at regular time intervals.
-4, and read out a necessary message. As a result, a message transmitted from one tool is automatically transmitted to another tool, and a cooperative operation between the tools is realized.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the system operation of the first embodiment. A more specific operation of the software cooperation system will be described with reference to FIG. For example, in this figure,
It is assumed that a make complete event has occurred in the tool 3-1. This make-up completion event is indicated by a message box 4-1 as indicated by an arrow in step S1 in FIG.
To be notified. The message box 4-1 generates a message "integration, make complete" as shown in the figure, including its own name and a message of make complete,
Notification is sent to the message management server 5 (step S2).
After receiving the message, the message management server 5 sets the message boxes 4-2 and 4-
A make completion message is notified to 3, 4-4 (steps S3, S5, S6). Thus, the same make completion message is written in message boxes 4-1 to 4-4 having the same name. Therefore, any tool can periodically poll its own message box to recognize the occurrence of the event (steps S4, S7, S7).
8). As a result, each tool can execute processing corresponding to the completion of make.

<Effect of Specific Example 1> As described above, each tool writes a message for transmitting an event or the like to an attached message box, and the message is written to another message box by the message management server 5. Other tools can poll their message boxes for events. Therefore,
Each tool only needs to write and poll a message in its own message box, and does not need to have a function such as a predetermined communication procedure in consideration of communication with other tools and communication control between computers. Therefore, the configuration and the load of the tool can be reduced.

<Embodiment 2> FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a software cooperation system according to Embodiment 2. In the example of this figure, the computer 1-1 and the computer 1-2 are connected by the network 2 as in the case of the specific example 1. Although the same applies to the case of the specific example 1, the number of computers connected to the network may be arbitrary. The computer 1-1 has two types of tools 3-1 and 3-2. The tool 3-1 is a make tool, and the tool 3-2 is a debugger tool. Calculator 1
-2 includes tools 3-3, 3-4, and 3-5.
Tool 3-3 is a project management tool, Tool 3-4
Is a version control tool, and tool 3-5 is a debugger. These are all message boxes 4-1 to 4-
I have five.

In each of the first and second embodiments, each tool may have a message box for each tool, or some tools may share one message box in the same computer. You can do it. Here, in this specific example, a child message management server is provided in one computer 10, and the child message management server 6-1 directly controls message exchange between message boxes in the same computer. ing. Then, on the computer 1-1,
A message management server 7 that manages message communication between the child message management servers 6-1 is provided.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, since the tools 3-1, 3-3, and 3-4 exchange messages with each other, a message box having the same name, that is, a name "Make" is used. Message box. On the other hand, the tools 3-2 and 3-5 include message boxes 4-2 and 4-5 named "Debug" having names different from those of the message boxes 4-1 and 4-3 and 4-4. ing.

FIG. 4 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the operation of the system according to the second embodiment. First, in FIG.
It is assumed that a version number update event has occurred in the tool 3-4 on -2. This version update event is sent to message box 4
-4 is notified (step S1). Message 4-4
Notifies the message management server 6 of a message "Make, version number update" including its own name "Make" and a version number update message (step S2). After receiving the message, the child message management server 6-2 notifies the message box 4-3 having the same name on the same computer of the version update message (step S3). Thus, the version number update message is written in the message box 4-3, and the tool 3-3 can recognize the version number update event by polling (step S4). With this configuration, when an event occurring inside the computer 1-2 is notified to another tool inside the same computer, there is an effect that network communication does not occur.

Next, the child message management server 6-2
The message "Make, version number update" received from the message box 4-4 is transmitted to the message management server 7 in order to notify a message to another computer, that is, a tool on the computer 1-1 (step S5). After receiving this message, the message management server 7 sets a child message management server 6-1 inside its own computer.
Is notified of the message (step S6). The child message management server 6-1 notifies the message box 4-1 having the same name of the version number update message (step S7). When the version number update message is written in the message box 4-1, the tool 3-1 recognizes this by polling and executes a process corresponding to the message (step S8).

[0017] As described above, since tools that require information exchange mutually have message boxes with the same name, message exchange for notifying a necessary message only to a necessary tool becomes possible.

FIG. 5 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating the operation of the system according to the second embodiment. Here, a description will be given of a process performed when an event of a spy setting occurs in the tool debugger 3-2 of the system shown in FIG. When the event of the spy setting occurs in the tool 3-2, the message is transmitted to the message box 4-2 in step S1. The name of the message box 4-2 is "Debug" as described above. Therefore, the message box 4-2 has the name “Debu
"Debug, spy setting" including "g" and spy setting
Is transmitted to the child message management server 6-1 in step S2.

When the child message management server 6-1 confirms that there is no message box with the same name inside its own computer 1-1, the child message management server 6-1 transfers the message to step S3
At the message management server 7. In step S4, the message management server 7 notifies the child message management server 6-2 of the other computer 1-2 of this message. The child message management server 6-2 searches the computer 1-2 for a message box having the name "Debug". And message box 4-5
Is notified of a spy setting message (step S5). As a result, a message of spy setting is written in the message box 4-5. The tool 3-5 receives this message by polling in step S6. Thus, the tool 3-5 recognizes the event of the spy setting by the tool 3-2, and executes a process corresponding to the event.

<Effect of Specific Example 2> As described above, the message can be selectively notified by using the message box having the same name as the destination to which the message is to be notified. Therefore, by appropriately setting the name of the message box, message communication between arbitrary tools can be performed in a simple manner without recognizing various protocols for communication control regardless of communication within a computer or between computers. Becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a software cooperation system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a system operation of a specific example 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a software cooperation system according to a specific example 2.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram (part 1) of a system operation of a specific example 2;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram (part 2) of the system operation of the specific example 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-1, 1-2 Computer 3-1 to 3-4 Tool 4-1 to 4-4 Message Box 5 Message Management Server

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A software development tool operating on any one of a plurality of computers connected to each other via a network, the software development tool comprising: A message box having the same name as each other for exchanging messages on development management, and a message management server managing message exchange between the respective message boxes are provided. A software development cooperation system characterized by re-notifying a message received from a third party to another message box having the same name. 2. A software development tool operating on any one of a plurality of computers connected to each other via a network, the software development tool comprising: A message box with the same name to exchange messages for development management, a child message management server that manages the message exchange between message boxes existing on the same computer, and a different computer through the child message management server A parent message management server that manages message exchange between message boxes that exist in the message box, wherein the child message management server receives a message received by each of the message boxes from the tool by another message of the same name on the same computer. Re-notify the box and said parent message tube The server may re-notify the message re-notified by the child message management server to another message box having the same name on the same computer to all message boxes via the child message management server on another computer. A unique software development coordination system.