A semantical approach to method-call interception

ABSTRACT

We study a language construct superimpose for method-call interception (MCI). The construct enables a programmer to attach additional functionality to certain join points along the execution of specified method calls. This is done in a completely type-safe manner where the additional functionality shares its state with the registry location. We present the static and the dynamic semantics of MCI. We use a disciplined style of Natural semantics for an accessible specification of MCI. We organize the constructs in a design space so that we can add expressiveness to a simple object-oriented language core in a stepwise fashion. It is one simple extension to enable interactive MCI, that is, MCI code can interact with the objects involved in a method call. Another simple extension is to allow for collective MCI by using patterns for the calls to be intercepted.

REFERENCES

• 1: Isabelle Attali , Denis Caromel , Sidi Ould Ehmety, A natural semantics for Eiffel dynamic binding, ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems (TOPLAS), v.18 n.6, p.711-729, Nov. 1996 [doi>10.1145/236114.236118]
• 2: M. Auguston. Program behavior model based on event grammar and its application for debugging automation. In M. Ducassé, editor, AADEBUG, 2nd International Workshop on Automated and Algorithmic Debugging, pages 277-291, Saint Malo, France, 22-24 May 1995. IRISA-CNRS.
• 3: E. Avdicaušević, M. Lenic, M. Mernik, and V. Zumer. Separate Compilation of an Aspect-Oriented Language. Draft; University of Maribor, 2001.
• 4: L. Bougé , N. Francez, A compositional approach to superimposition, Proceedings of the 15th ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT symposium on Principles of programming languages, p.240-249, January 10-13, 1988, San Diego, California, United States [doi>10.1145/73560.73581]
• 5: S. Brandt and R. W. Schmidt. The Design of a Meta-Level Architecture for the BETA Language. In Proceedings of META '95: Workshop on Advances in Metaobject Protocols and Reflection at ECOOP'95, Aug. 1995.
• 6: Kim B. Bruce , Angela Schuett , Robert van Gent, PolyTOIL: A Type-Safe Polymorphic Object-Oriented Language, Proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming, p.27-51, August 07-11, 1995
• 7: Rémi Douence , Olivier Motelet , Mario Südholt, A Formal Definition of Crosscuts, Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Metalevel Architectures and Separation of Crosscutting Concerns, p.170-186, September 25-28, 2001
• 8: Matthew Flatt , Shriram Krishnamurthi , Matthias Felleisen, A Programmer's Reduction Semantics for Classes and Mixins, Formal Syntax and Semantics of Java, p.241-269, January 1999
• 9: I. R. Forman. JEM: A proposal for extending Java with metaclasses. Draft; IBM Austin TX, 2001.
• 10: Ira R. Forman , Scott H. Danforth, Putting metaclasses to work: a new dimension in object-oriented programming, Addison Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Redwood City, CA, 1999
• 11: Pascal Fradet , Mario Südholt, Fowards a Generic Framework for AOP, Workshop ion on Object-Oriented Technology, p.394-397, July 20-24, 1998
• 12: Shmuel Katz, A superimposition control construct for distributed systems, ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems (TOPLAS), v.15 n.2, p.337-356, April 1993 [doi>10.1145/169701.169682]
• 13: Gregor Kiczales , Jim Des Rivieres, The Art of the Metaobject Protocol, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1991
• 14: G. Kiczales, J. Lamping, A. Mendhekar, C. Maeda, C. Lopes, J.-M. Loingtier, and J. Irwin. Aspect-oriented programming. In M. Aksit and S. Matsuoka, editors, Proc. ECOOP'97---Object-Oriented Programming, 11th European Conference, volume 1241 of LNCS, pages 220-242, Jyväskylä, Finland, 9-13 June 1997. Springer-Verlag.
• 15: R. Lämmel. Declarative aspect-oriented programming. In O. Danvy, editor, Proc. 1999 ACM SIGPLAN Workshop on Partial Evaluation and Semantics-Based Program Manipulation (PEPM'99), San Antonio (Texas), BRICS Notes Series NS-99-1, pages 131-146, Jan. 1999.
• 16: R. Lämmel. Semantics of Method Call Interception. In Proc. Workshop Aspekt-Orientierung der GI-Fachgrupppe 2.1.9 Objektorientierte Software-Entwicklung, 3.- 4. Mai 2001, Universität Paderborn, 2001. Technical Report tr-ri-01-223 Universität-Gesamthochschule Paderborn.
• 17: Hidehiko Masuhara , Akinori Yonezawa, Design and Partial Evaluation of Meta-Objects for a Concurrent Reflective Language, Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming, p.418-439, July 20-24, 1998
• 18: W. D. Meuter. Monads as a theoretical foundation for AOP. In S. Mitchell and J. Bosch, editors, Workshop Reader, ECOOP'97, volume 1357 of LNCS. Springer-Verlag, 1998.
• 19: Jens Palsberg , Michael I. Schwartzbach, Object-oriented type systems, John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester, UK, 1994
• 20: Jane Pryor , Natalio Bastán, A Reflective Architecture for the Support of Aspect-Oriented Programming in Smalltalk, Proceedings of the Workshop on Object-Oriented Technology, p.300-301, June 14-18, 1999
• 21: Philip Wadler, The essence of functional programming, Proceedings of the 19th ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT symposium on Principles of programming languages, p.1-14, January 19-22, 1992, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States [doi>10.1145/143165.143169]
• 22: M. Wand, G. Kiczales, and C. Dutchyn. A Semantics for Advice and Dynamic Join Points in Aspect-Oriented Programming, Jan. 2002. To appear in FOOL 9.
• 23: AspectJ.org Site © XEROX Corporation, 2002. http://aspectj.org.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.3 Language Constructs and Features

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.1 Formal Definitions and Theory
          Subjects: Semantics
      D.3.2 Language Classifications
          Subjects: Design languages

General Terms:
Languages