Integration of external software analysis processes with software configuration management applications

At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method for identifying a task to be carried out on a particular version of a software project, where information on the particular version is maintained by a software configuration management application and the task is to be performed by a software analysis process external to the software configuration management application, the method comprising:

• (A) receiving a selection, for the task, of a task template identifying a manner in which the software analysis process is configured to receive input of data regarding the particular version and instructions regarding the task to be performed by the software analysis process;
• (B) receiving customization information for the task from a user, the customization information comprising identifying information about the particular version and a condition upon which the task is to be performed;
• and
• (C) configuring, based on the task template, the identifying information, and the condition, an interface of the software configuration management application to instruct the software analysis process to perform the task on the particular version upon satisfaction of the condition.

A method for enabling communication between a software configuration management application and a software analysis process external to the software configuration management application, the software configuration management application storing information on at least one version of a software project and the software analysis process being configured to analyze an input version, the method comprising:

• operating at least one processor to perform acts of:
• (A) defining a type of analysis operation to be performed on a version stored by the software configuration management application, the type of analysis operation being one that the software analysis process is configured to perform based on input regarding the version;
• (B) determining a manner in which the software analysis process is configured to receive the input regarding the version;
• (C) configuring a task template comprising at least a portion of the manner in which the software analysis process is configured to receive the input regarding the version, the task template not including information regarding the version;
• and
• (D) making the task template available to a user of the software configuration management application such that the user can populate the task template with information regarding a particular version and request that the type of analysis operation be performed on the particular version.

At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method for enabling communication between a software configuration management application and a software analysis process external to the software configuration management application, the software configuration management application storing information on at least one version of a software project and the software analysis process being configured to analyze an input version, the method comprising:

• (A) defining a type of analysis operation to be performed on a version stored by the software configuration management application, the type of analysis operation being one that the software analysis process is configured to perform based on input regarding the version;
• (B) determining a manner in which the software analysis process is configured to receive the input regarding the version;
• (C) configuring a task template comprising at least a portion of the manner in which the software analysis process is configured to receive the input regarding the version, the task template not including information regarding the version;
• and
• (D) making the task template available to a user of the software configuration management application such that the user can populate the task template with information regarding a particular version and request that the type of analysis operation be performed on the particular version.

A computer-implemented method for enabling communication between a software configuration management application and a software analysis process external to the software configuration management application, the software configuration management application storing information on at least one version of a software project and the software analysis process being configured to analyze an input version, the method comprising:

• operating at least one processor to perform acts of:
• (A) identifying a type of task that the software analysis process is configured to perform;
• (B) determining a trigger by which the software analysis process is configured to start the type of task;
• (C) determining an input manner in which the software analysis process is configured to receive input regarding a version of a software project to be analyzed;
• (D) configuring the software configuration management application to transmit, upon receipt of an instruction from within the software configuration management application to trigger the type of task for a particular version of a software project, information about the particular version and the type of task to the software analysis process in accordance with the trigger and the input manner;
• and
• (E) making available to a user of the software configuration management application a task template defining at least a portion of the input manner and identifying additional information that the user may provide to customize the type of task corresponding to the task template, the additional information comprising information about the particular version and a condition upon which the type of task should be carried out.

At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method for enabling communication between a software configuration management application and a software analysis process external to the software configuration management application, the software configuration management application storing information on at least one version of a software project and the software analysis process being configured to analyze an input version, the method comprising:

• (A) identifying a type of task that the software analysis process is configured to perform;
• (B) determining a trigger by which the software analysis process is configured to start the type of task;
• (C) determining an input manner in which the software analysis process is configured to receive input regarding a version of a software project to be analyzed;
• (D) configuring the software configuration management application to transmit, upon receipt of an instruction from within the software configuration management application to trigger the type of task for a particular version of a software project, information about the particular version and the type of task to the software analysis process in accordance with the trigger and the input manner;
• and
• (E) making available to a user of the software configuration management application a task template defining at least a portion of the input manner and identifying additional information that the user may provide to customize the type of task corresponding to the task template, the additional information comprising information about the particular version and a condition upon which the type of task should be carried out.

A computer-implemented method for coupling a software configuration management (SCM) application and at least one external software analysis process such that, on occurrence of an event relating to a version of a software development project managed by the SCM application, the SCM application can trigger the at least one software analysis process to analyze the version, the version being stored by the SCM application as a logical grouping of one or more software components included in the version and information relating to properties of the version, the method comprising:

• operating at least one processor of at least one computing device to perform acts of:
• (A) accepting first input from an administrator of the SCM application configuring a communications channel over which the SCM application will transmit information to the at least one external software analysis process;
• (B) accepting second input from the administrator of the SCM application creating a template for providing information to the at least one external software analysis process regarding an event associated with a version of a software development project managed by the SCM application;
• (C) accepting third input from a user of the SCM application configuring an event handler to monitor for occurrence of at least one specific event associated with at least one specific version, the event handler being configured by populating the template with the third input specifying at least the at least one specific event and the at least one specific version;
• (D) on occurrence of the at least one specific event, providing information regarding the specific version to the at least one external software analysis process over the communications channel without performing any action to configure the channel to provide the information;
• and
• (E) notifying a user, via a user interface of the SCM application, of a completion status of the at least one external software analysis process.

At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out a method for coupling a software configuration management (SCM) application and at least one external software analysis process such that, on occurrence of an event relating to a version of a software development project managed by the SCM application, the SCM application can trigger the at least one software analysis process to analyze the version, the version being stored by the SCM application as a logical grouping of one or more software components included in the version and information relating to properties of the version, the method comprising:

• (A) accepting first input from an administrator of the SCM application configuring a communications channel over which the SCM application will transmit information to the at least one external software analysis process;
• (B) accepting second input from the administrator of the SCM application creating a template for providing information to the at least one external software analysis process regarding an event associated with a version of a software development project managed by the SCM application;
• (C) accepting third input from a user of the SCM application configuring an event handler to monitor for occurrence of at least one specific event associated with at least one specific version, the event handler being configured by populating the template with the third input specifying at least the at least one specific event and the at least one specific version;
• (D) on occurrence of the at least one specific event, providing information regarding the specific version to the at least one external software analysis process over the communications channel without performing any action to configure the channel to provide the information;
• and
• (E) notifying a user, via a user interface of the SCM application, of a completion status of the at least one external software analysis process.