Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for developing software. In one embodiment, a method for facilitating the distributed development of software components includes conducting one or more contests for the development of computer software, and rewarding contest reviewers based on the performance of the software developed. Reviewers performance may be measured, for example, using a defect statistic associated with the reviewer.

Abstract: A system and method of developing software includes a configuring a build tool configuration file with instructions to start a server software application, provision the server software application with test data; run unit tests on software that communicates with the server software application using the test data, clean up the test data, and stop the server software application. The build tool may automatically run tasks associated with the configured instructions upon changes to software that interacts with or otherwise depends the server software application.