Work item rules for a work item tracking system

A system for regulating user action affecting one or more work items of a work item tracking system for a software development environment, the system comprising:

• a computing device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing a software development environment including a first work item rule engine that, when executed by the processor, is configured to provide software development work item rules that regulate user action affecting work items during software development using the software development environment, each work item comprising a software element that can be accessed or modified by a user based on one or more of the software development work item rules, the software element being an element under development in the software development environment, the software development work item rules selectively authorizing user access and modification of specified work items, to determine, in response to a first user action, by a first user, affecting a first work item of the work item tracking system, one or more software development work item rules corresponding to the first work item, to interpret the one or more determined software development work item rules, and to respond to the first user action by authorizing user access or modification of the first work item based on the interpretation,
• wherein the work item tracking system comprises a plurality of work items organized in a logical hierarchy, the plurality of work items including the one or more work items,
• wherein a first work item corresponds to a first level of the hierarchy, and a second work item corresponds to a second level of the hierarchy having precedence over the first level,
• wherein the first work item rule engine is operative to determine a first software development work item rule corresponding to the first work item, and determine a second software development work item rule corresponding to the second work item, and
• wherein the first work item rule engine is operative to interpret the first and second software development work item rules, and to control an overriding of the interpretation of the first software development work item rule with the interpretation of the second software development work item rule based, at least in part, on the second level of the hierarchy having precedence over the first level, wherein the first work item rule engine resides on a first network element, and the first work item rule engine is operative to receive input from a user specifying the first user action, the system further comprising:
• a second work item rule engine residing on a second network element connected to the first network element by one or more communication media, the second work item rule engine operative to interpret the one or more determined work item rules differently than the one or more determined work item rules were applied by the first module.

A computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by a computer, control the computer to perform a process of regulating user action affecting one or more work items of a work item tracking system for a software development environment, the process comprising acts of:

• providing a software development environment including software development work item rules that regulate user action affecting work items during software development using the software development environment, each work item comprising a software element that can be accessed or modified by a user based on one or more of the software development work item rules, the software element being an element under development in the software development environment, the software development work item rules selectively authorizing user access and modification of specified work items;
• in response to a first user action, by a first user, affecting a first work item of the work item tracking system, determining, in a client computing device, one or more software development work item rules corresponding to the first work item;
• interpreting, in the client computing device, the one or more determined software development work item rules;
• responding, in the client computing device, to the first user action by authorizing user access or modification of the first work item based on the interpretation of the one or more determined software development work item rules;
• receiving from a user a modification to at least one software development work item rule of the work item rules;
• modifying the at least one software development work item rule according to the user modification;
• and
• responding to the first user action based on the modified software development work item rule, wherein the work item tracking system is distributed across at least a first network element and a second network element connected to the first network element by one or more communication media, the first network element comprising a first module, and the second network element comprising a second module, the process further comprising an act of:
• the first module receiving input from a user specifying a user action affecting the first work item,
• wherein the acts of determining, interpreting and responding are performed by the first module, and wherein the process further comprises:
• the second module interpreting the one or more determined work item rules.