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Kava - A Reflective Java Based on Bytecode Rewriting

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Reflection and Software Engineering (OORaSE 1999)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1826))

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Abstract

Current implementations of reflective Java typically either require access to source code, or require a modified Java platform. This makes them unsuitable for applying reflection to Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) systems. The high level nature of Java bytecode makes on-the-fly rewritings of class files feasible and this has been exploited by a number of authors. However, in practice working at bytecode level is error prone and leads to fragile code. We propose using metaobject protocols in order to specify behavioural changes and use standard bytecode rewritings to implement the changes. We have developed a reflective Java called Kava that provides behavioural runtime reflection through the use of bytecode rewriting of Java classes. In this paper we discuss the binary rewriting approach, provide an overview of the Kava system and provide an example of an application of Kava.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU

    Ian Welch & Robert J. Stroud

Authors
  1. Ian Welch
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  2. Robert J. Stroud
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Informatica, Sistemistica e Comunicazione, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Italy

    Walter Cazzola

  2. Universitàa di Genova - DISI, Via Dodecaneso 35, 16146, Genova, Italy

    Walter Cazzola

  3. Department of Computer Science, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK

    Robert J. Stroud

  4. Dipartimento di Informatica, Sistemistica e Comunicazione, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Via Bicocca degli Arcimboldi 8, 20126, Milano, Italy

    Francesco Tisato

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© 2000 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Welch, I., Stroud, R.J. (2000). Kava - A Reflective Java Based on Bytecode Rewriting. In: Cazzola, W., Stroud, R.J., Tisato, F. (eds) Reflection and Software Engineering. OORaSE 1999. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1826. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45046-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45046-7_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-67761-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-45046-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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