Detail

Refactoring Object-oriented programs with Aspect-oriented concepts

Refactoring is a technique to improve the internal structure of existing applications while preserving their external behaviour. The importance of refactoring as a contributor to software engineering and as a key component of test-driven development is increasingly being recognised.

Aspect-Oriented (AO) programming is a new paradigm that provides stronger modularisation capabilities than those achieved by previous technologies, namely the modularisation of crosscutting concerns.

AO refactoring is currently a research activity being undertaken by both university researchers and industry practitioners. Its purpose is to develop concepts and tools that enable the evolution of object-oriented legacy software into AO software and the smooth maintenance of existing AO software.

This presentation provides an introduction to the concepts of refactoring and pinpoints its role in the context of test-driven development. It presents various issues that arise when refactoring is applied with the mechanims and concepts of aspect-orientation. The presentation concludes with a refactoring example, comprising the extraction of a crosscutting concern to aspects, and their subsequent tidying up.