Open-Source Package–Repository Scoring by Version Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Selecting a safe and effective open-source software package is complicated by deceptive practices, such as packages linking to popular or reputable repositories to appear more credible, making it difficult for users to detect genuine relationships between packages and their source repositories.

Innovation Solution

A facility is developed to quantify the relationship between a package and its repository by comparing package version names and dates with project tag names and dates, determining a relationship score based on matching counts, and presenting this score to users.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If packages link to popular or reputable repositories to appear more credible, then the package's perceived credibility improves, but the ability to detect genuine package-repository relationships deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackage credibilityVSAvoidrelationship detection difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual verification of package-repository relationships with an automated computational system that uses version name matching and date comparison algorithms to objectively determine relationships, eliminating the need for users to manually assess credibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary facility that acts as a mediator between packages and repositories, providing verified relationship information through version name and date matching, thereby enabling users to distinguish genuine relationships from deceptive linkages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If manual verification of package-repository relationships is performed, then relationship accuracy can be assessed, but time consumption and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverelationship verification accuracyVSAvoidverification time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by automatically comparing version names and dates before user interaction, pre-establishing relationship verification results that are immediately available to users without requiring their time or computational resources

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements self-service by enabling the verification system to automatically assess package-repository relationships using version name matching and date comparison, eliminating the need for user intervention in the verification process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250335188A1Quantifying a relationship between an open-source package and source code in a repository

Publication Date: 2025.10.30 STACKLOK INC

AI summary

Techniques for quantifying a relationship between an open-source package and source code of a repository are disclosed. Package versions, each having a version name and a version date, are obtained from an executable software exchange. A project of a source code exchange is selected, wherein the project is identified by the package as a source from which the package is derived. Project tags established for the project are obtained, each project tag having a tag name and a tag date. A count of each matching package version and project tag is determined, wherein a match is determined by establishing that a name and date of the package version match a name and date of a project tag. A relationship score is determined based on the count of each matching package version and project tag.