Scenarios for applying crosscutting concerns

Aspects should be visible throughout the full lifecycle of a software product. While most AOP-efforts currently focus on the implementation level, aspects play an import role at the design and even the requirements phase. Preserving the crosscutting nature of requirements in a consistent way makes the user more aware of their complexity and also allows traceability in later phases. Having multiple views on the same software design facilitates more robust, knowledge-based modeling of a system. However, both require adequate, currently non-existing tool support.

Some concerns need to pass through each level of a design. E.g. requirements can state that security is needed. At the highest design levels, some decisions are made w.r.t. this requirement, but it should be passed further down. Otherwise, at the lowest level one could easily hardcode a passe-partout password and violate security. AOP-contexts encompassing all phases of the software lifecycle can solve this problem.