Contract4J for Design by Contract in Java Design Pattern-Like …

Short Description
by Contract in Java using two different forms of a design pattern- ….. Contract4J defines a design pattern-like protocol with two …

Website: aosd.net | Filesize: 80kb

Content
Contract4J for Design by Contract in Java:
Design Pattern-Like Protocols and Aspect Interfaces
Dean Wampler
Aspect Research Associates and
New Aspects of Software
dean@aspectprogramming.com
ABSTRACT
Recent trends in Aspect-oriented Design (AOD) have emphasized
interface-based modularity constructs that support noninvasive
advising of components by aspects in a robust and flexible way.
We show how the AspectJ-based tool Contract4J supports Design
by Contract in Java using two different forms of a design patternlike
protocol, one based on Java 5 annotations and the other based
on a JavaBeans-like method naming convention. Neither form
resembles conventional Java-style interfaces, yet each promotes
the same goals of abstraction and minimal coupling between the
cross-cutting concern of contract enforcement and the components
affected by the contracts. Unlike traditional implementations of
design patterns, which tend to be ad hoc and require manual
enforcement by the developer, the Contract4J protocol offers at
least partial support for compile time enforcement of proper
usage. This example suggests that the concept of an interface in
AOD should more fully encompass usage protocols and
conversely, aspects give us ways to enforce proper usage
programmatically.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
D.1.5 [Programming Techniques]:…