XE (eXtreme Editor) - Tool Support for Evolution in Aspect-Oriented Programming

In spite of themodularizationbene!ts supportedby theAspect-Orientedprogrammingparadigm, di"erent usability issues have hindered its adoption.#e decoupling between aspect de!nitions and base code, and the compile-time weaving mechanism adopted by di"erent AOP languages, require developers to manage the consistency between base code and aspect code themselves.#ese mechanisms create opportunities for errors related to aspect weaving invisibility and non-local control characteristics of AOP languages. In short, AOP developers lack adequate support for: 1) visualizing and identifying the exact points in the code where aspects are woven; 2) preventing aspect-base code inconsistencies, and 3) evolving aspect-oriented code in a coherent way.#is paper describes XE (Extreme Editor), an IDE that supports developers in managing these issues in the functional aspect-oriented programming domain. We validate our approach through a case study showing how XE reduces the cognitive e"ort of developers in evolving AOP programs.