The idea behind AOP is kinda cool and I wanted to play around with AspectJ for some time but never tried because I didn’t know how to setup AspectJ for eclipse. If you feel the same, here’s a simple tutorial on how to setup AOP for Eclipse in 5 minutes.

Step 1:Install the AspectJ Development Tools in Eclipse

This is explained with more details on this page.

1. Help->Software Updates->Find and Install…
2. “Search for new features to install” and “Next”
3. “New Remote Site…”
4. “New Update Site” with any name (e.g. “AJDT Update Site”) and “http://download.eclipse.org/technology/ajdt/30/update”
5. select AspectJ and later Eclipse AspectJ Development Tools
6. accept License Agreement

Step 2: create Test files

This example was taken from “AspectJ in Practice: Reap the Benefits of Modularity”.

1. New Project
2. AspectJ Projekt
3. Finish
4. “New->Class”
   create a new class called TestClass

   public class TestClass {
     public static void method1() {
       System.out.println(”Hello World!”);
     }
   
     public static void method2() {
       System.out.println(”Really Hello!”);
     }
   
     public static void say(String x) {
       System.out.println(x);
   }
   
     public static void main(String[] args) {
       method1();
       method2();
       say(”I can talk!”);
     }
   }

5. “New->Other” “Aspect”
   create a new Aspect called TestMe

   public aspect TestMe {
   
     public pointcut methodCall(): call(public* TestClass.*());
     public pointcut methodCallArg(String a): call(public* TestClass.*(String)) && args(a);
   
     before(String a): methodCallArg(a) {
       System.out.print(”n — TestClass.”);
       System.out.println(thisJoinPointStaticPart.getSignature().getName() + “(” + a + “) start –”);
     }
   
     after(String a): methodCallArg(a) {
       System.out.print(”n — TestClass.”);
       System.out.println(thisJoinPointStaticPart.getSignature().getName() + “(” + a + “) stop –”);
     }
   
     before(): methodCall() {
       System.out.println(”n — TestClass.” + thisJoinPointStaticPart.getSignature().getName() + ” start –”);
     }
   
     after(): methodCall() {
       System.out.println(” — TestClass.” + thisJoinPointStaticPart.getSignature().getName() + ” stop –n”);
     }
   }

Step 3: Run application

Select TestClass->Run As->Java Application. The output should look like this

 — TestClass.method1 start –
Hello World!
 — TestClass.method1 stop –

 — TestClass.method2 start –
Really Hello!
 — TestClass.method2 stop –

 — TestClass.say(I can talk!) start –
I can talk!

 — TestClass.say(I can talk!) stop –

to turn this aspect off, open build.ajproperties and deselect TestMe.aj

Now start the application again and the output should look like this

Hello World!
Really Hello!
I can talk!