Patent ID: 8359579

Claim:
A method for generating one or more satisfaction records for a dynamic pointcut expression in an aspect-oriented software application, the dynamic pointcut expression including at least one criterion relating to the aspect-oriented software application wherein the satisfaction of the criterion can be determined only at execution time of the aspect-oriented software application, the method comprising the steps of: analyzing, by aspect code linked to the aspect-oriented software application by an aspect linker, the aspect-oriented software application to generate a first set of locations in the aspect-oriented software application where the at least one criterion is potentially satisfied, wherein the first set of locations are join points that could be matched by the dynamic pointcut expression when the aspect-oriented software application is executed; executing the aspect-oriented software application; monitoring, by the aspect code linked to the aspect-oriented software application by the aspect linker, the aspect-oriented software application to generate a second set of locations in the aspect-oriented software application where the at least one criterion is actually satisfied, wherein the second set of locations are join points that are actually matched by the dynamic pointcut expression when the aspect-oriented software application is executed; for each location in the second set of locations generating, by the aspect code linked to the aspect-oriented software application by the aspect linker, a satisfaction record indicating that the aspect-oriented software application satisfied the at least one criterion at the location; and for each location in the first set of locations not in the second set of locations generating, by the aspect code linked to the aspect-oriented software application by the aspect linker, a satisfaction record indicating that the aspect-oriented software application did not satisfy the at least one criterion at the location.