Aspectboxes-controlling the visibility of aspects

Aspect composition is still a hot research topic where there is no consensus on how to express where and when aspects have to be composed into a base system. In this paper we present a modular construct for aspects, called aspectboxes, that enables aspects application to be limited to a well defined scope. An aspectbox encapsulates class and aspect definitions. Classes can be imported into an aspectbox defining a base system to which aspects may then be applied. Refinements and instrumentation defined by an aspect are visible only within this particular aspectbox leaving other parts of the system unaffected.