Supporting developer-user collaborative software review in IDE

A system for integrating collaboration in an integrated development environment (IDE), the system comprising:

• a processor unit;
• and
• a memory unit for storing
• a review generator module, wherein the review generator module causes the processor to
• retrieve an application (App) identifier, wherein the App identifier links to a version of an App for a collaborative review of the App, and
• automatically post, without further human intervention, a request for review message associated to the collaborative review in a social network, the social network being external to the IDE and allowing a plurality of authorized users to review the message and comment on same, wherein
• if the version of the App for review is a first version which is a newly created App, the request for review message includes creating a new review topic for reviewing the App, and
• if the App for review is not newly created, the request for review message includes a follow-up or reply message to a previously created review topic related to the App,
• a collaboration module, the collaboration module causes the processor to generate, in response to a single mouse click in an IDE, a Review identifier for the version of the App, wherein the Review identifier is unique to the version of the App, the Review identifier includes a direct link to a collaboration module, the Review identifier comprises the App identifier, the App identifier links to the version of the App, a message identifier that links to the message posted in the social network, an IDE identifier that links to the collaboration module, and
• wherein the Review identifier, when sent to one or more other users of the collaboration, enable the one or more other users of the collaboration to directly access the collaboration module and the version of the App using the Review identifier;
• wherein the collaboration module loads and runs the version of the App, via a web browser, using the App identifier and renders a user interface configured for users to interact and review the version of the App and to post and view messages that are published in the social network.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer readable program code tangibly embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to implement a method for collaborative software development in an integrated development environment (IDE), comprising:

• retrieving an application (App) identifier by a collaboration component in the IDE, wherein the App identifier links to a version of an App for a collaborative activity;
• automatically posting, without human intervention, a request for review message associated to the collaborative activity in a social network, content of the request for review message comprising indications of a status of the App, a version of the App, a request to review, the social network being external to the IDE and allowing a plurality of authorized users to review the message and comment on same, wherein
• if the version of the App for review is a first version which is a newly created App, the request for review message includes creating a new review topic for reviewing the App, the newly created review topic not including any previously generated messages, and
• if the App for review is not newly created, the request for review message includes posting a follow-up or reply message to a previously created review topic related to the App, the previously created review topic including previously generated messages;
• generating, in response to a single mouse click in the IDE, a collaboration identifier for the version of the App, wherein the collaboration identifier is unique to the version of the App, the collaboration identifier includes a direct link to the collaboration component, the collaboration identifier comprises
• the App identifier, the App identifier links to the version of the App,
• a message identifier that links to the message posted in the social network and allows for review and/or retrieval of such messages,
• an IDE identifier that links to the collaboration component in the IDE;
• and
• sending the collaboration identifier to one or more other users of the collaboration, wherein the one or more other users of the collaboration access the collaboration component and the version of the App directly using the collaboration identifier;
• and
• rendering, by a collaboration component using the App identifier, a user interface configured to manage and trace change requests from the one or more other users to the first user to make changes to the App, wherein the user interface rendered by the collaboration component is configured to allow the user to post and view messages that are published in the social network.