| Abstract: | Server‐side component models such as Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) add powerful abstractions to the bare ‘business objects’ layer in order to support a clean separation of server‐side application logic from other concerns such as distribution, security, transaction management and persistence. An improved separation of concerns is also the main goal of aspect‐oriented programming (AOP). This paper compares the two approaches and reasons about the possibility of substituting (parts of) component models using AOP mechanisms. We conclude that AOP is a promising approach to eliminate important shortcomings of the container‐based component approach. However, our analysis of concrete aspect‐oriented languages shows that current AOP technology is not yet mature enough to supersede component models. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
