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Advice

Vangie Beal
Last Updated May 24, 2021 7:34 am

In computing, advice triggers a new behavior or action in existing code in aspect-oriented programming, allowing users to add another procedure without changing the rest of the code. Aspect-oriented programming (AOP) separates code into modules called concerns, helping differentiate types of code. Abstractions (or functions) group these concerns together. But some concerns cross into different categories of code and are known as cross-cutting concerns. Cross-cutting concerns are often caused by security procedure updates and changes.

Aspect-oriented programming

Aspect-oriented programming allows programming to develop dynamically according to the demand for new code. AOP groups cross-cutting code into aspects

Typically, aspects are interwoven messily within the code, meaning they aren t easily packaged and individually updated. The program has to continue functioning properly if code needs to be updated or changed. AOP allows programmers to add new functions (often security related) while making sure that the existing code continues to behave the same. AOP does this through pointcuts and advice.

Within an aspect, pointcuts mark a specific place in the program where a new function needs to be added. At the pointcut, advice is applied. Advice necessitates a new action to add to the program and can also be copied to every similar pointcut in the program (rather than being applied manually in each location). Advice allows a new procedure to act on the code without changing the rest of the program s behavior. Often, programmers use advice when adding new security procedures or modifying login processes to the system.