Identifying resources in user interfaces for feedback

A computing device comprising:

• processing hardware;
• storage hardware storing an operating system, compiled applications comprised of code executable by the processing hardware, and an executable feedback tool;
• an application comprising code to display a user interface comprised of resource strings;
• the feedback tool comprising code configured to be executed by the processing hardware, the feedback tool, when executed, performing a process while the application is executing, the process comprising:
• receiving an indication of a resource string selected from the displayed user interface;
• receiving feedback inputted in association with selection of the resource string;
• capturing and storing context metadata comprising information identifying the application and/or a process thereof;
• sending the feedback, resource string, and context metadata via a network to a service, wherein the service infers a source code identity of the resource string by searching, based on the context metadata and the resource string, for the resource string in a data store comprising application metadata and resource strings, wherein the data store is prepared prior to execution of the application and the feedback tool by obtaining the resource strings from resource files of applications including the application;
• and
• an application resource file corresponding to the application, the application resource file comprising the feedback, the feedback having been added to the resource file based on the service inferring the source code identity of the resource string.

A method performed by one or more computing devices, the method comprising:

• receiving feedback items over a network from a plurality of devices executing respective instances of a feedback tool and one or more instances of target applications other than the feedback tool, each feedback item respectively comprising (i) a feedback string inputted by a user via an instance the feedback tool, (ii) a resource string selected via an instance of the feedback tool from an instance of a target application, and (iii) context metadata captured by an instance the feedback tool, each context metadata captured from a runtime environment managing execution of the feedback tool and one or more of the target applications, and each feedback item's feedback string being associated with the feedback item's resource string based on selection, by an instance of the feedback tool, of the resource string from a user interface displayed by the application;
• accessing a data store comprised of:
• strings obtained from resource files of software projects corresponding to the respective target applications,
• resource identifiers respectively associated with the respective strings in the data store, and
• software project metadata items respectively associated with the resource identifiers;
• identifying associations between the feedback strings in the received feedback items and resource identifiers in the data store by matching the context metadata of the feedback items with the project metadata items in the data store;
• based on the identified associations, updating the resource files of the software projects to include the feedback strings;
• and
• distributing the updated resource files to the devices.