Program Integration that Accommodates Restrictions on Merge-Locations

An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions tangibly embodied thereon which, when implemented, cause a computer to carry out a plurality of method steps comprising:

• identifying each of one or more varying portions of a customized version of a program as compared to a standard version of the program;
• identifying each of one or more common portions of the customized version of the program as compared to the standard version of the program;
• merging the customized version of the program with the standard version of the program to create a merged version of the program based on the one or more identified common portions and the one or more identified varying portions such that semantics of both the customized version of the program and the standard version of the program are preserved in the merged program;
• associating each change contributed by the customized version of the program, represented by the one or more identified varying portions in the merged version of the program, to a defined extension point in the merged version;
• and
• generating a program extension for the standard version of the program for each span of the program contained in a defined extension point span in the merged version.

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured for:
• identifying each of one or more varying portions of a customized version of a program as compared to a standard version of the program;
• identifying each of one or more common portions of the customized version of the program as compared to the standard version of the program;
• merging the customized version of the program with the standard version of the program to create a merged version of the program based on the one or more identified common portions and the one or more identified varying portions such that semantics of both the customized version of the program and the standard version of the program are preserved in the merged program;
• associating each change contributed by the customized version of the program, represented by the one or more identified varying portions in the merged version of the program, to a defined extension point in the merged version;
• and
• generating a program extension for the standard version of the program for each span of the program contained in a defined extension point span in the merged version.

A method comprising:

• identifying each of one or more varying portions of a second version of a given code as compared to a first version of the given code;
• merging the second version of the given code with the first version of the given code to create a merged version of the given code such that semantics of both the second version of the given code and the first version of the given code are preserved in the merged version of the given code;
• resolving each interference created by the one or more identified varying portions in the merged version of the given code;
• associating each change contributed by the second version of the given code, represented by the one or more identified varying portions in the merged version of the given code, to a defined extension point in the merged version;
• and
• generating a program extension for the first version of the given code for each span of the given code contained in a defined extension point span in the merged version of the given code;
• wherein at least one of the steps is carried out by a computing device.