1. A method implemented by a client computer and a server computer, related to a software artifact used in a software development environment operating on the client computer, the method comprising: storing in the server computer, artifact preferences, determined according to objective and subjective criteria, of artifact characteristics; performing, based on polling from the client computer of the server computer as to whether there has been an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences, the polling being performed repeatedly at regular timer intervals, an update cycle, including the server computer communicating to the client computer whether there is an actionable change to the software artifact with respect to the artifact preferences; and when the server computer communicates that there is an actionable change to the software artifact, the client computer performing an update action in the software development environment in response to the actionable change, the update action being determined according to a rules engine stored in the client computer, the rules engine associating particular update actions with particular actionable changes and with particular software development environments.