org.aspectj/docs/release/README-1.6.3.adoc

= AspectJ 1.6.3

_© Copyright 2008 Contributors. All rights reserved._

* xref:#split[Split matching/weaving]
* xref:#bugsfixed[Bugs fixed]
* xref:#notable[Notable bug fixes]
* xref:#whatsnext[What's next?]

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[[split]]
== Split matching/weaving

The main goal of AspectJ 1.6.3 was to make the line between matching and
weaving more explicit and introduce the notion of a matcher artifact.
This matcher would enable reuse of the semantics of AspectJ pointcut
matching without including the unnecessary code that is the weaver. Why?
In some environments, for example Spring AOP, the weaving may be done in
an entirely different way and the default weaver included in
aspectjweaver.jar is just unnecessary code. Some users also find they
have trouble getting approval for using the 'aspectjweaver.jar' in their
projects because it includes a bytecode modification library, even when
they are not using that code.

The result of this work is documented in
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=246125[bug 246125] and
there is now a new jar file in the distribution called
org.aspectj.matcher.jar that includes a first pass at the matching code.
It is not quite as slimmed down as it could be but is a first pass that
includes no bytecode modification toolkit.

To use this matcher standalone it simply requires an abstraction of some
type system to be plugged in. The matcher code can then be used to parse
standard pointcuts and answer questions about whether they match against
that type system. There is no documentation on how to do this yet, as we
don't think many users will be contributing new type systems, but
internally we are working on an Eclipse JDT type system abstraction that
will enable us to show matches in AJDT without actually compiling code
(currently the two type system abstractions we ship are bytecode based
and reflection based - both of which require compilation).

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[[bugsfixed]]
== Bugs fixed

The complete list of issues resolved for AspectJ 1.6.3 (more than 50)
can be found with this bugzilla query:

* https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&product=AspectJ&target_milestone=1.6.3&long_desc_type=allwordssubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&bug_file_loc=&status_whiteboard_type=allwordssubstr&status_whiteboard=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords=&bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=VERIFIED&bug_status=CLOSED&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0=[Bugs
resolved]

During 2008, there have been four AspectJ releases, fixing almost 200
issues.

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[[notable]]
== Notable bug fixes

* More improvements to the way AspectJ/AJDT communicate (251277, 249216,
258325)
* More ajdoc improvements (256514)
* Better support for non standard annotation style parameter ordering
(164573, 219419)
* Fixed long standing issue with extending Spring SecurityInterceptor
(252722)
* Ensure parameter annotations made on an ITD reach the target affected
type (256669)

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[[whatsnext]]
== What's next?

The JDT World should be completed in the 1.6.4 timeframe and that will
surface as benefits in AJDT, possibly leading to better LTW tooling.
Some improved syntax for intertype declarations is a possible candidate
feature (see discussion in
https://dev.eclipse.org/mhonarc/lists/aspectj-users/msg10208.html[this
mailing list thread]). A possible introduction of a code style syntax
for the mixin style that is @DeclareParents (and a renaming of
@DeclareParents to perhaps DeclareMixin or DeclareDelegate).

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