17946168. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT simplified abstract (MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC)

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT

Organization Name

MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC

Inventor(s)

Michael C. Fanning of Redmond WA (US)

Suvam Mukherjee of Allston MA (US)

Danielle Nicole Gonzalez of LeRoy NY (US)

Christopher Michael Henry Faucon of Redmond WA (US)

Pragya Prakash of Amherst MA (US)

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17946168 titled 'SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes a patent application for a method of static analysis of a code base to identify both faults and instances where faults could have occurred but did not. The method involves computing conformance and nonconformance counts based on specified coding rules, which are then used to drive software development quality assessments and prioritize bug fixes.

• Metrics computed from conformance and nonconformance counts drive software development quality assessments.
• Bugs or bug categories may be prioritized for developer attention based on the metrics.
• Static analysis tools can be evaluated using the metrics to reduce noise in bug alerts.
• Areas of expertise of developers and developer groups can be objectively identified.
• Source code editors can be enhanced to provide specific recommendations in context.
• Other quality enhancements are also provided.

Potential Applications

The technology described in the patent application could be applied in software development companies to improve code quality, prioritize bug fixes, and enhance developer productivity.

Problems Solved

1. Identifying faults and potential fault instances in a code base. 2. Prioritizing bug fixes and improving software quality.

Benefits

1. Improved code quality and reduced bugs. 2. Enhanced developer productivity and efficiency.

Potential Commercial Applications

Optimizing Software Development Quality Assessments for Enhanced Productivity

Possible Prior Art

There may be prior art related to static analysis tools and methods for identifying faults in code bases, but specific examples are not provided in the abstract.

How does the method handle false positives in bug alerts?

The abstract does not mention how the technology addresses false positives in bug alerts. This could be a potential concern for developers relying on the tool for bug prioritization.

Are there any limitations to the scalability of this method for large code bases?

The abstract does not discuss any potential limitations or challenges related to the scalability of the method for analyzing large code bases. This could be a crucial factor for companies with extensive software projects.

Original Abstract Submitted

Static analysis of a code base is expanded beyond finding faults to also find code instances where a particular fault could have occurred but did not. A conformance count reflects code portions that satisfy a specified coding rule per static analysis, and a nonconformance count reflects code portions that do not satisfy the coding rule. Various metrics computed from the conformance count and nonconformance count drive software development quality assessments. For example, bugs or bug categories may be prioritized for developer attention, static analysis tools are evaluated based on the metrics, to reduce noise by eliminating low-value bug alerts. Particular areas of expertise of developers and developer groups are objectively identified. Source code editors are enhanced to provide specific recommendations in context. Other quality enhancements are also provided.