Using Aspects to Support the Software Process: XP over Eclipse

Using Aspects to Support the Software Process: XP over Eclipse Oren Mishali and Shmuel Katz Technion, Israel Institute of Technology

The idea…

Aspects for Software Process support • SP-aspectssupport the Software Process (SP) • Are woven into the development environment Software product 1/14

Process management support • The problem: (defined process) – (actual process) > 0 • The solution: Software Process Management • SP-aspects add management support • The use of AOP for that purpose is novel • Flexible support, no scattering and tangling 2/14

Process modeling support • A need for a formal abstract representation of the process • Facilitates automation, helps to define the process • Promotes process understanding, training… • SP-aspects can be a process model • A novel non-functional role of aspects • Special design considerations 3/14

Our Vision…

SP-aspects repository • Supports different development methodologies • SP-aspects use the ontology of the methodology • key-events, entities, activities, predicates • Platform-independent, general and abstract • A variety of concrete forms • Users can generate concrete SP-aspects 4/14

Generating concrete SP-aspects • e.g. activity part  management strategy • Measurement • Enforcement • Automation 1. Specify Methodology & Platform 2. Choose refinements to the abstract parts 5/14

So far… • SP-aspects • Repository • Generator Using Aspects to Support the Software Process: XP over Eclipse

A case-study: XPoverEclipse • Extreme Programming (XP) • Values • Communication, feedback, simplicity and courage • Basic-principles • e.g. ‘rapid feedback’, ‘honest measurement’ • Practices • e.g. ‘pair programming’, ‘test first’, ‘collective ownership’ 6/14

A case-study: XPoverEclipse • Extreme Programming (XP) • Values • Communication, feedback, simplicity and courage • Basic-principles • e.g. ‘rapid feedback’, ‘honest measurement’ • Practices • e.g. ‘pair programming’, ‘test first’, ‘collective ownership’ • XP-aspects are defined using AspectJ • Prototype implementation over Eclipse 6/14

An Example…

Test-first • Tests should be written before the code • Is not an easy practice • TestFirst aspect: Upon creation of a coding-element there should already be a corresponding unit-test 7/14

public abstract aspect TestFirst { protected abstract pointcut creationOfUnitTests(UnitTest test); protected abstract pointcut creationOfCodingElements(CodingElement element); after(UnitTest test): creationOfUnitTests(test){ existingUnitTests.add(test); } before(CodingElement element): creationOfCodingElements(element){ if(!hasUnitTest(element, existingUnitTests)) disapproval(element); } protected abstract boolean hasUnitTest(...); protected abstract void disapproval(...); … } Ontology: Key-events Predicates Activities Entities 8/14

XP-Elements: public interfaceXPElement { public boolean isArtifact(); public String getName(); ... } public interface Artifact extends XPElement { public static final int PLANNING = 1; public static final int DESIGN = 2; public static final int CODING = 3; public static final int TESTING = 4; ... public int getPhase(); ... } public interface CodingElement extends Artifact { public static final int CLASS = 1; public static final int METHOD = 2; ... public int getKind(); ... } public interface PairProgrammers extends XPElement { public String getPilotName(); public String getNavigatorName(); ... } 9/14

A reminder… “SP-aspects have abstract and general definition and can be realized in a variety of concrete forms”

public abstract aspect TestFirst { protected abstract pointcut creationOfUnitTests(UnitTest test); protected abstract pointcut creationOfCodingElements(CodingElement element); after(UnitTest test): creationOfUnitTests(test){ existingUnitTests.add(test); } before(CodingElement element): creationOfCodingElements(element){ if(!hasUnitTest(element, existingUnitTests)) disapproval(element); } … } • What kind of coding-elements are affected? • What kind of management strategy is taken? 10/14

EclipseTestFirst extends TestFirst • Upon creation of a coding-element there should already be a corresponding unit-test 11/14

EclipseTestFirst extends TestFirst • Upon creation of a Java class there should already be a corresponding JUnit test-case named Test{ClassName} • disapproval(…) enforces the practice • XP-Elements are connected using inter-type declarations • The weaving is done using AJEER • Load-time weaving 11/14

Implementation notes • Finding the join-points is difficult • Join-points are not extension-points • XP-aspects can be changed • The way that abstract policies are realized • Modifications of the underlying environment 12/14

Related work • Process Centered Engineering Environments (PCEs) • Consider a process model as an input • No seamless integration • Eclipse-based solutions • AOP and the software process 13/14

Aspects for software process support • Aspects for XP over Eclipse are only one case-study • RUP-aspects… • A construction of a fuller set for XP has begun • Refactoring, Continuous integration • Preliminary experiments with users • Enforcement can be irritating • Automation is most popular • Except setup, XP-aspects do not affect service 14/14

Thanks… • Questions?

Using Aspects to Support the Software Process: XP over Eclipse