Automated Pattern-Based Pointcut Generation

Abstract

Abstract. One of the main problems in Aspect-Oriented Software Development is the so-called fragile pointcut problem. Uncovering and specifying a good robust pointcut is not an easy task. In this paper we propose to use Inductive Logic Programming, and more specifically the FOIL algorithm, to automatically identify intensional (or "pattern-based") pointcuts. We present the tool chain we implemented to induce a pointcut given a set of identified joinpoints. Using several realistic medium-scale experiments, we show that our approach is able to automatically induce robust pointcuts for a set of joinpoints.

Pointcut Rejuvenation: Recovering Pointcut Expressions in Evolving Aspect-Oriented Software

“…§4.1 discusses how we conservatively approximated the truth value of these relations in our implementation by using exclusively static information, i.e., through examination of the program text, while §6 touches upon future work which could result in a more accurate approximation. Many kinds of relations may be formulated, however, we mainly focus on popular relations as used in previous work [5], [7], [35] with the addition of relations useful for AO languages, e.g., Annotates. §4 reports on the appropriateness of using such relations for PCE rejuvenation in AspectJ programs; adding additional relations is discussed in §6.…”

“…Several approaches (e.g., [9], [18], [24], [31], [38]) attempt to add expressiveness to help combat this problem by altering or abstracting the underlying join point model. Others (e.g., [5], [15]) go even further by proposing approaches that combat fragility in these models. Our proposal confronts the problem from a fundamentally different perspective by combating pointcut fragility in a current language (AspectJ) and essentially maintaining a rich join point model underneath the given one.…”

“…if i = 1 ∧ s(ei) = v ∧ t(ei) = v then {If it is the first edge and both the source nor target vertices are disabled} 5 such relations may help uncover new join points in advice bodies that should be included into existing PCEs.…”