Enhancing UML State Machines with Aspects

Abstract. Separation of Concerns (SoC) is an important issue to reduce the complexity of software. Recent advances in programming language research show that Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) may be helpful for enhancing the SoC in software systems: AOP provides a means for describing concerns which are normally spread throughout the whole program at one location. The arguments for introducing aspects into programming languages also hold for modeling languages. In particular, modeling state-crosscutting behavior is insufficiently supported by UML state machines. This often leads to model elements addressing the same concern scattered all over the state machine. We present an approach to aspect-oriented state machines, which show considerably better modularity in modeling state-crosscutting behavior than standard UML state machines.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: MODELS
• Authors: Gefei Zhang, Matthias M. Hölzl, Alexander Knapp
• Keywords: Modeling State-crosscutting Behavior, MODELS 2007, State Machines, UML State Machines