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Coupling Metrics for Aspect-Oriented Programming: A Systematic Review of Maintainability Studies

  • Conference paper
Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering (ENASE 2009, ENASE 2008)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 69))

Abstract

Over the last few years, a growing number of studies have explored how Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) might impact software maintainability. Most of the studies use coupling metrics to assess the impact of AOP mechanisms on maintainability attributes such as design stability. Unfortunately, the use of such metrics is fraught with dangers, which have so far not been thoroughly investigated. To clarify this problem, this paper presents a systematic review of recent AOP maintainability studies. We look at attributes most frequently used as indicators of maintainability in current aspect-oriented (AO) programs; we investigate whether coupling metrics are an effective surrogate to measure theses attributes; we study the extent to which AOP abstractions and mechanisms are covered by used coupling metrics; and we analyse whether AO coupling metrics meet popular theoretical validation criteria. Our review consolidates data from recent research results, highlights circumstances when the applied coupling measures are suitable to AO programs and draws attention to deficiencies where coupling metrics need to be improved.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computing Department, Lancaster University, U.K.

    Rachel Burrows & François Taïani

  2. Informatics Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Alessandro Garcia

Authors
  1. Rachel Burrows
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  2. Alessandro Garcia
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  3. François Taïani
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computing, Macquarie University, 2109, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Leszek A. Maciaszek

  2. LaPa - CSIC, Spain

    César González-Pérez

  3. University of Bayreuth, Germany

    Stefan Jablonski

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Burrows, R., Garcia, A., Taïani, F. (2010). Coupling Metrics for Aspect-Oriented Programming: A Systematic Review of Maintainability Studies. In: Maciaszek, L.A., González-Pérez, C., Jablonski, S. (eds) Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering. ENASE ENASE 2009 2008. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 69. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14819-4_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14819-4_20

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-14818-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-14819-4

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