Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) Roadmap

This is a roadmap item to implement Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) in D, either as an addon or as a dialect/modification of the language.

Overview

AOP allows moving "chores" (cross-cutting concerns) out of the main algorithm and into separate "aspects". This is particularly useful in D where template metaprogramming can already achieve some level of decoration, but a first-class AOP system could provide much cleaner syntax and more powerful interception.

Implementation Strategy

I expect this implementation to be disruptive, as it changes how code execution is modeled.

Options under consideration: * Dlang Addon: A library leveraging CTFE, mixins, and UDAs to wrap functions automatically. * Dlang Modification: A custom compiler fork (LDC or GDC based) that introduces aspect syntax directly. * Dlang Dialect: A standalone modification of D that treats aspects as core language features.

Goals

  • Cleaner Algorithms: Keep business logic free from logging, authorization, and audit chores.

  • Non-Invasive: Apply aspects without modifying the caller or the original function body.

  • Performance: Ensure that aspect injection happens at compile-time to maintain D’s high-performance characteristics.

Reference

See also: Aspect-Oriented Programming on Simple Wikipedia.