Towards Visual AspectJ by a Meta Model and Modeling Notation

A meta model specifies a particular visual modeling language. Aspect oriented modeling (AOM) needs meta models for aspect visual modeling to bridge the gap between the conceptual modeling of crosscut concerns and aspect oriented programming (AOP). Many researchers have proposed extensions of the UML towards graphical notations for aspects. However, notations without an underlying formal semantics and syntax are not amenable to automated tool support. Tool-supported aspect modeling requires an aspect meta model as a basis specification. This paper follows a bottom-up approach, focusing on a meta model for AspectJ, an Aspect oriented language extending Java. By tailoring UML meta classes, a Java meta model is built first, and then it is extended into an AspectJ meta model. The semantics, attributes and associations of the main meta classes are specified. These meta classes are visualized by a set of corresponding notations for aspect related diagrams. The meta model is precise, pragmatic and enables implementation of aspect modeling tools. The work promises to narrow the gap between crosscut conceptual modeling of aspects and concrete implementations in AspectJ.