Depicting changes to structures in an integrated development environment

A data processing system comprising:

• one or more user interface devices,
• a processor;
• and
• a source code editor executing on the processor having a logic embodied therein that:
• displays source code of a project in a graphical interface of the source code editor;
• displays at least one cross-reference marker, the at least one cross-reference marker indicating crosscutting in the source code;
• receives an input to change the source code;
• determines if a new project build is required;
• in response to determining a new project build is required, builds the project;
• change the at least one cross-reference marker in response to receiving the input to change the source code;
• highlights the at least one changed cross-reference marker and includes with the highlighting a symbol that enables tracking of a type of change being highlighted by the highlighting, wherein the symbol provides an indication whether the at least one changed cross-reference marker is an addition or deletion, wherein a plus symbol is used to indicate the addition of a new cross-reference marker and a minus symbol is used to indicate the deletion of a cross-reference marker;
• determines whether there is an existing map of crosscutting in the source code;
• and
• in response to determining an existing map exists, saving the existing map as a prior map.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage memory having computer instructions embodied therein for operating a data processing system, the instructions comprising computer instructions for:

• running a source code editor;
• displaying a source code of a project in a graphical interface of the source code editor;
• displaying at least one cross-reference marker, the at least one cross-reference marker indicating crosscutting in the source code;
• receiving an input to change the source code;
• the data processing system determining if a new project build is required;
• determining a new project build is required, building the project;
• changing at least one cross-reference marker in response to receiving the input to change the source code;
• highlighting the at least one changed cross-reference marker and including with the highlighting a symbol that enables tracking of a type of change being highlighted by the highlighting, wherein the symbol provides an indication whether the at least one changed cross-reference marker is an addition or deletion, wherein a plus symbol is used to indicate the addition of a new cross-reference marker, and a minus symbol is used to indicate the deletion of a cross-reference marker;
• determining whether there is an existing map of crosscutting in the source code;
• and
• in response to determining an existing map exists, saving the existing map as a prior map.