Method and system for displaying changes of source code

1. A method in a data processing system for displaying versions of a source code, each version reflecting an instance in an edit history, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the language of the source code;

storing indications of the edits to the source code;

converting the source code with the indications of the edits from the language into a language-neutral representation that includes a data structure having a source code interface (SCI) model, an SCI package, an SCI class, and an SCI member; and

using language-neutral representation to simultaneously display a text representation and a corresponding graphical representation of the converted source code with the indications of the edits, showing visual differences of the source code through time,

wherein the graphical representation of the converted source code displays a diagrammatic representation of the source code to demonstrate relationships between elements of the source code, and

wherein the graphical representation of the source code is not an alpha-numeric display and is not merely a text representation on a user interface, and calculating metrics selected from a group consisting of basic metrics, cohesion metrics, complexity metrics, coupling metrics, Halstead metrics, inheritance metrics, maximum metrics, polymorphism metrics, and maximum metrics by way of a quality assurance module, which monitors the modifications to the source code.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source code and the corresponding graphical representation of the converted source code are displayed sequentially.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a rate at which the source code with the indications of the edits is displayed is adjustable.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source code with the indications of the edits is displayed in reverse order.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation is one from a group consisting of a use case diagram, a sequence diagram, a collaboration diagram, a state transition diagram, an activity diagram, a package diagram, a component diagram and a deployment diagram.

6. A method in a data processing system for displaying versions of a source code, the method comprising the steps of:

storing an edit to the source code; and

displaying simultaneously a text representation and a

corresponding language-neutral graphical representation of the source code that includes a data structure having a source code interface (SCI) model, an SCI package, an SCI class, and an SCI member with an indication of the edit,

wherein the language-neutral graphical representation of the source code displays a diagrammatic representation of the source code demonstrating relationships between elements of the source code, and

wherein the language-neutral graphical representation of the source code is not an alpha-numeric numeric display and is not merely a text representation on a user interface, and

calculating metrics selected from a group consisting of basic metrics, cohesion metrics, complexity metrics, coupling metrics, Halstead metrics, inheritance metrics, maximum metrics, polymorphism metrics, and maximum metrics by way of a quality assurance module, which monitors the modifications to the source code.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of displaying the source code comprises the steps of:

determining a language of the source code;

converting the source code from the language into the language-neutral graphical representation that includes a data structure having a source code interface (SCI) model, an SCI package, an SCI class, and an SCI member; and

using the language-neutral graphical representation to simultaneously display a text representation and a graphical representation of the converted source code with an indication of the source code edit.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the source code is displayed after the converted source code with an indication of the edit is displayed.

9. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system having versions of a source code, each version reflecting an instance in an edit history, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a language of the source code;

storing indications of the edits to the source code;

converting the source code with the indications of the edits from the language into a language-neutral representation that includes a data structure having a source code interface (SCI) model, an SCI package, an SCI class, and an SCI member; and

using the language-neutral representation to simultaneously display a text representation and a corresponding graphical representation of the source code with indications of all the edits;

wherein the graphical representation of the source code displays a diagrammatic representation of the source code demonstrating relationships between elements of the source code, and

wherein the graphical representation of the source code is not an alpha-numeric display and is not merely a text representation on a user interface, and

calculating metrics selected from a group consisting of basic metrics, cohesion metrics, complexity metrics, coupling metrics, Halstead metrics, inheritance metrics, maximum metrics, polymorphism metrics, and maximum metrics by way of a quality assurance module, which monitors the modifications to the source code.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the source code and the corresponding graphical representation of the source code are displayed sequentially.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein a rate at which the source code with the indications of the edits is displayed is adjustable.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the source code with the indications of the edits is displayed in reverse order.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the graphical representation is one from a group consisting of a class diagram, a use case diagram, a sequence diagram, a collaboration diagram, a state transition diagram, an activity diagram, a package diagram, a component diagram and a deployment diagram.

14. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system having versions of a source code, each version reflecting an instance in an edit history, the method comprising the steps of:

storing indications of the edits to the source code; and

displaying simultaneously a text representation and a language-neutral graphical representation of

the source code that includes a data structure having a source code interface (SCI) model, an SCI package, an SCI class, and an SCI member with indications of all the edits, wherein the language-neutral graphical representation of the source code of the source code displays

a diagrammatic representation of the source code to demonstrate relationships between elements of the source code, and

wherein the language-neutral graphical representation of the source code is not an

alpha-numeric display and is not merely a text representation on a user interface, and

calculating metrics selected from a group consisting of basic metrics, cohesion metrics, complexity metrics, coupling metrics, Halstead metrics, inheritance metrics, maximum metrics, polymorphism metrics, and maximum metrics by way of a quality assurance module, which monitors the modifications to the source code.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the versions of the source code are displayed sequentially.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein a rate at which the source code with the indications of the edits is displayed is adjustable.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the source code with the indications of the edits is displayed in reverse order.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the language-neutral graphical representation is one from a group consisting of a class diagram, a use diagram, a sequence diagram, a collaboration diagram, a state transition diagram, an activity diagram, a package diagram, a component diagram and a deployment diagram.

19. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system having a source code, the method comprising the steps of:

storing an edit to the source code;

displaying simultaneously a text representation and a language-neutral graphical representation of the source code that includes a data structure having a source code interface (SCI) model, an SCI package, an SCI class, and an SCI member with indications of all the edits,

wherein the language-neutral graphical representation of the source code displays a diagrammatic representation of the source code to demonstrate relationships between elements of the source code, and

wherein the language-neutral graphical representation of the source code is not an alpha-numeric display and is not merely a text representation on a user interface, and

calculating metrics selected from a group consisting of cohesion metrics, complexity metrics, coupling metrics, Halstead metrics, inheritance metrics, maximum metrics, polymorphism metrics, and maximum metrics by way of a quality assurance module, which monitors the modifications to the source code.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the step of displaying the source code comprises the steps of:

determining a language of the source code;

converting the source code from the language into the language-neutral representation; and

using the language-neutral representation to simultaneously display a text representation and a corresponding graphical representation of the converted source code with an indication of the edit.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the step of displaying the source code with the edit comprises the steps of:

converting the source code with an indication of the edit from the language into the language-neutral graphical representation; and

using the language-neutral representation of the converted source code with an indication of the edit to display the graphical representation of the source code with the edit.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the source code is displayed after the source code with the edit is displayed.

23. A data processing system comprising:

a secondary storage including a source code;

a memory device including:

a program that stores indications of edits to the source code into the memory device, and that simultaneously displays a text representation and a corresponding language-neutral graphical representation of the source code that includes a data structure having a source code interface (SCI) model, an SCI package, an SCI class, and an SCI member with indications of all edits,

wherein the language-neutral graphical representation of the source code displays a diagrammatic representation of the source code to demonstrate relationships between elements of the source code, and

wherein the language-neutral graphical representation of the source code is not an alpha-numeric display and is not merely a text representation on a user interface of the source code with the indications of the edits;

a quality assurance module which monitors the modifications to the source code and calculates metrics selected from a group consisting of basic metrics, cohesion metrics, complexity metrics, coupling metrics, Halstead metrics, inheritance metrics, maximum metrics polymorphism metrics, and maximum metrics; and

a processor for running the program.

24. The data processing system of claim 23 , wherein the source code with the indications of the edits are displayed sequentially.

25. The data processing system of claim 23 , wherein a rate at which the source codes with the indications of the edits is displayed is adjustable.

26. The data processing system of claim 23 , wherein the source code with the indications of the edits is displayed in reverse order.

27. The data processing system of claim 23 , wherein the program further

determines the language of the source code,

converts the source code with the indications of the edits from the language into the language-neutral graphical representation, and

uses the language-neutral graphical representation to simultaneously display a text representation and a corresponding graphical representation of the source code with indications of all the edits.

28. The data processing system of claim 27 , wherein the memory device further comprises a transient meta model, wherein said transient meta model stores the language neutral graphical representation of the source code.

29. The data processing system of claim 23 , wherein the graphical representation is one from a group consisting of a class diagram, a use case diagram, a sequence diagram, a collaboration diagram, a state transition diagram, an activity diagram, a package diagram, a component diagram and a deployment diagram.

30. A system for displaying versions of a source code, each version reflecting an instance in an edit history, the system comprising:

means for storing indications of the edits to the source code; and

means for simultaneously displaying a text representation and a language-neutral graphical representation of the source code that includes a data structure having a source code interface (SCI) model, an SCI package, an SCI class, and an SCI member with the indications of all the edits,

wherein the graphical representation of the source code displays

a diagrammatic representation of the source code to demonstrate

relationships between elements of the source code, and

wherein the graphical representation of the source code is not an alpha-numeric display and is not merely a text representation on a user interface, and

a means for calculating metrics selected from a group consisting of basic metrics, cohesion metrics, complexity metrics, coupling metrics, Halstead metrics, inheritance metrics, maximum metrics, polymorphism metrics, and maximum metrics.