| Aspect-Oriented modeling should have the same relationship to Aspect Oriented Programming as Object-Oriented modeling has to Object-Oriented Programming. The maturity of AO programming should lead to AO modeling and AO support at all phases of the software development life cycle. In this thesis we presented a design methodology for modeling Aspect-Oriented Software Development using UML views. We captured the static view of the system using class diagrams, and we described the behavior of each object and object interaction using statecharts. We have identified the main components and the corresponding crosscutting components at the design phase and introduced mechanisms to weave them. The weaving process we presented implicitly weaves aspects to core components of the system. Through this design methodology we capture crosscutting concerns at an early phase of the software life cycle and maintain their semantics across the life cycle using existing automated tools. We further enhanced the methodology with design patterns. We deployed the Mediator pattern, which led to loosely coupled, highly cohesive components with acceptable performance levels (the mediator encapsulate the communication protocol). Another contribution of this research is the UML Profile for AO Software Development, which we believe it will set the stage for AO modeling techniques in general, and for modeling with UML in particular. |
