Workshop on
Open Aspect Languages
at
The International Conference on Aspect-Oriented Software Development
(AOSD 2006)
http://www.aosd.net/workshops/aol/2006/
March 20, 2006
Bonn, Germany
The diversity in aspect-oriented programming languages represents a diversity in aspect-oriented language features. In turn, these features render specific languages more appropriate for the modularization of specific crosscutting concerns. Although so-called ‘general-purpose’ aspect-oriented programming languages are an ideal implementation domain for many crosscutting concerns, these languages lack the expressiveness to tackle all cases of crosscutting. A solution to unanticipated crosscutting concern domains is the creation of different (domain-specific) aspect languages to form and use new AOP functionality. Extensible programming languages, or open implementations of programming languages, are a well known-methodology to achieve this solution but their techniques remain to be consolidated in the context of aspect-oriented programming languages. As a result, the full potential of AOSD is not realized. Extensible or open aspect languages can consolidate the advantages of domain-specific and general-purpose aspect languages because developers can extend, modify and customize language features through reflective and/or generative techniques. This workshop intends to investigate the design, implementation and exploitation of such open aspect languages. In particular, we solicit contributions that exploit techniques from research domains such as reflection, generative programming, domain-specific languages, multi-paradigm languages, etc. in the context of AOSD.
Different aspect languages provide different mechanisms and
language abstractions for the modularisation of crosscutting concerns. These
mechanisms have a great influence on how well particular aspects can be implemented
using a specific language. For example, different pointcut predicates, different
weaving-time possibilities and different domain-specific abstractions greatly
influence the appropriateness of an aspect language. As a consequence, the implementation
of particular aspects will occur more naturally in particular aspect languages.
This observation is obvious for domain-specific aspect languages that provide
domain-specific abstractions for the modularisation of aspects in particular
domains (e.g. business rules, user-interfaces, distribution, databases, etc.).
While these languages allow for more concise and more readable aspect implementations,
they are also limited to a specific domain. As such, the use of multiple (domain-specific)
aspect languages is needed to describe a diversity of aspects in a single software
implementation. However, the use of multiple aspect languages is not an easy
task and the interaction between aspects written in different aspect languages
is even almost impossible.
A solution to this problem can be found in extensible or open aspect languages
that allow to adapt the semantics of existing language features as well as extend
the language with new (potentially domain-specific) language features and abstractions.
In contemporary (non-aspect-oriented) programming languages and in research
domains on generative programming, reflection, product-line engineering, domain-specific
languages, etc., many different techniques are proposed to extend or modify
the language to raise the level of programming to domain-specific abstractions.
Most of these approaches are based either on generically composable abstractions
(templates, mixins, ...) with specialized composition languages (GenVoca), or
on program transformation systems (Draco, ASF+SDF, XSLT,...). Another approach
that has a long history in language extensibility is the use of full-fledged
reflective features in general-purpose programming languages (e.g. Lisp macros,
Smalltalk MOP, CLOS MOP, Prolog rule bases...).
An important body of research is exploring the above techniques in the context
of aspect-oriented programming. This workshop intends to bring together researchers
that are working in this wide domain of extensible and open aspect languages.
The workshop specifically solicits contributions relating but not limited to
the following topics:
Attendance to the workshop is limited to facilitate lively
discussions and the exchange of ideas. We invite prospective participants to
submit a 2-4 page position paper. Each submission will be read by multiple members
of the workshop program committee. Papers will be selected for presentation
at the workshop based on technical quality, novelty, relevance, and readability.
Papers previously published or already being reviewed by another conference
will not be eligible.
The workshop will be structured as a set of open panel discussions where participants
present and discuss their submitted work. Participants will be required to carefully
read the papers of the members of their own panel group prior to the workshop
to ensure lively discussions during the workshop. A particular focus of each
panel discussion will be the identification and analysis of the disadvantages
of each approach proposed by a panel member.
We invite prospective participants to submit a 2-4 pages position
paper in ACM style and PDF format, no later than January 29th (extended deadline). Each submission
will be read by multiple members the workshop program committee. Papers will
be selected for presentation at the workshop based on technical quality, novelty,
relevance, and readability. Papers previously published or already being reviewed
by another conference will not be eligible.
Submissions need to be sent to johan.brichau@vub.ac.be
Page last updated on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 13:42