Role-based refactoring of crosscutting concerns

Improving the structure of code can help developers work with a software system more efficiently and more consistently. To aid developers in re-structuring the implementation of crosscutting concerns using aspect-oriented programming, we introduce a role-based refactoring approach and tool. Crosscutting concerns (CCCs) are described in terms of abstract roles, and instructions for refactoring crosscutting concerns are written in terms of those roles. To apply a refactoring, a developer maps a subset of the roles to concrete program elements; a tool can then help complete the mapping of roles to the existing program. Refactoring instructors are then applied to manipulate and modularize the concrete elements corresponding to the crosscutting concern. Evaluation of the prototype tool on a graphical editing framework suggests that the approach helps planning and executing complex CCC refactorings.