Title: Aspect mining from a modelling perspective

Authors: Jing Zhang, Jeff Gray, Yuehua Lin, Robert Tairas

Addresses: Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd., 126 Campbell Hall, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Motorola Research Labs, NIRL Autonomics Research, 1301 Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, IL 60196, USA. ' Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd., 126 Campbell Hall, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. ' Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd., 126 Campbell Hall, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. ' Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd., 126 Campbell Hall, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA

Abstract: Aspect mining aims at identifying, analysing, and refactoring crosscutting concerns throughout a legacy system for the purpose of improving software modularisation. This paper presents our investigation into raising the benefits of aspect mining to high level domain-specific models. A key contribution is the capability to identify crosscutting concerns early in development, which will assist in the modularisation of a design through aspects, before proceeding to the implementation level. Furthermore, our experience has led us to believe that aspects are easier to identify at the modelling level, because much of the accidental complexities of implementation concerns are not present in the corresponding modelling abstractions.

Keywords: aspect-oriented software development; AOSD; aspect mining; model-driven engineering; MDE; domain-specific modelling; DSM; legacy systems; software modularisation; modular software.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2008.017720

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2008 Vol.31 No.1/2, pp.74 - 82

Published online: 27 Mar 2008 *

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