Demeter and Aspect-Oriented Programming

Karl Lieberherr
College of Computer Science
Northestern University
Boston, MA

Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) is an emerging programming 
technique for writing
programs which are easier to evolve than traditional programs.
Demeter and its latest incarnation, called Demeter/Java, is
a perfect example of AOP supporting the aspects Structure,
Behavior (with subaspects Traversals and Behavior Modification),
Object Description, Synchronization, Remote Invocation. 
Demeter supports Adaptive Programming (AP)
where programs adapt, without change, to interesting changes
in the object structure.  We illustrate the benefits of AP (simpler programs,
easier evolution, even partially automated evolution, more understandable
programs) in terms of a bus simulation example and show the link between
AP and the Law of Demeter.

For an earlier version of this talk, see:
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/research/demeter/talks/erfurt-keynote/erfurt-talk.ppt