DOI 10.1007/s11334-007-0030-3 ORIGINAL PAPER Pointcuts, advice, refinements, and collaborations: similarities, differences, and synergies

Abstract Aspect-oriented programming (AOP) is a novel programming paradigm that aims at modularizing complex software. It embraces several mechanisms including (1) pointcuts and advice as well as (2) refinements and collaborations. Though all these mechanisms deal with crosscutting concerns, i.e., a special class of design and implementation problems that challenge traditional programming paradigms, they do so in different ways. In this article we explore their relationship and their impact on modularity, which is an important prerequisite for reliable and maintainable software. Our exploration helps researchers and practitioners to understand their differences and exposes which mechanism is best used for which problem.