1 USING METAOBJECT PROTOCOL TO IMPLEMENT TAILORING; POSSIBILITIES AND PROBLEMS

In this article we describe a prototype and how it was used to test if it is possible to use Java reflection API as a means of implementing tailoring. The tailoring capabilities of the prototype make the system configurable during runtime. The system that the prototype was modeled on is an application used by a telecommunication operator as a support system. In such a fast changing area software systems must also change. It is possible to anticipate the type and structure of some of the changing requirements and for them the prototype implements tailoring. Using the metaobject protocol idea, the modest reflection capabilities offered by Java together with a standard Java compiler and the normal Java runtime support are adequate to implement tailoring