Disentangling Crosscutting in AOSD: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Crosscutting is usually described in terms of scattering and tangling. However, the distinction between these three concepts is vague, sometimes leading to ambiguous statements and confusion. We propose a conceptual framework for crosscutting. Crosscutting is clearly distinguished from scattering and tangling. The definitions of these concepts are formalized and visualized with matrices and matrix operations. We discuss the relation between the concepts crosscutting, decomposition and coupling. Categories and Subject Descriptors D.1.5 [Software Engineering]: Object-oriented programming