@AspectJ Class level Annotation Advice with Annotation as method argument

Question

How can I get the annotation to be passed as the argument for the Advice defined for class-level annotation? Is it possible?

From the post here I am able to get the point cut that identifies all the public method in the class which is marked by a specific Annotation. I am able to get the advice applied as well. However, I don’t know how to get the annotation variable passed as argument in above case.

For a method-level annotation, I am able to get the pointcut and advice in which I can get the annotation passed as argument, but I don’t know how to achieve the same for class-level annotation.

The below code works, but I need to get the annotation as the argument for the advice “LogExecutionTimeByClass” in below program and I couldn’t able to get appropriate advice or pointcut for the same.

Annotation:

import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

@Target({ElementType.TYPE, ElementType.METHOD})
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
public @interface LogExecutionTime {
String level();
}

Aspect:

import org.aspectj.lang.ProceedingJoinPoint;
import org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Around;
import org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Aspect;
import org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Pointcut;

@Aspect
public class LogTimeAspect {

    /*
     * Pointcut to match all the public methods.
    */
    @Pointcut("execution(public * *(..))")
    public void publicMethod() {}

    /*
     * Advice for the public methods that are marked with Annotation "LogExecutionTime" and it works as expected no issue.
    */ 
    @Around("publicMethod() && @annotation(annotation) ")
    public Object LogExecutionTimeByMethod(final ProceedingJoinPoint joinPoint,final LogExecutionTime annotation) throws Throwable 
    {
        System.out.println("Invoking the method " +joinPoint.getSignature() +" by LogExecutionTimeByMethod Advice");
        return joinPoint.proceed();
    }


    /*
     * Pointcut to match all the public methods that are defined under the Class marked with Annotation LogExecutionTime.
    */
    @Pointcut("within(@LogExecutionTime *)")
    public void beanAnnotatedWithMonitor() {}

    @Pointcut("publicMethod() && beanAnnotatedWithMonitor()")
    public void publicMethodInsideAClassMarkedWithAtMonitor() {}

    /*
     * Below Advice works but I need the LogExecutionTime annotation as an argument to below method. (similar to the advice "LogExecutionTimeByMethod" 
     * defined above)
    */
    @Around("publicMethodInsideAClassMarkedWithAtMonitor()")
    public Object LogExecutionTimeByClass(final ProceedingJoinPoint joinPoint) throws Throwable 
    {
        System.out.println("Invoking the method " +joinPoint.getSignature() +" by  LogExecutionTimeByClass Advice");
        //System.out.println("Invoked by " + annotation.value()); //Need the Annotation Variable here as well...
        return joinPoint.proceed();
    }

/*
    */
}

Annotated Class:

@LogExecutionTime(level="Class_Level_Invocation")
public class Operator {

    @LogExecutionTime(level="Method_Level_Invocation")
    public void operate()  throws InterruptedException {
        Thread.sleep(1000);
    }

    public void operate1() throws InterruptedException {
        Thread.sleep(1000);
    }
}

Main Program:

public class AspectJMain {
     public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {
            Operator op = new Operator();
            op.operate();
            op.operate1();
        }
}

Output:

Invoking the method void Operator.operate() by LogExecutionTimeByMethod Advice
Invoking the method void Operator.operate() by  LogExecutionTimeByClass Advice
Invoking the method void Operator.operate1() by  LogExecutionTimeByClass Advice

Please note that using Spring is is not an option. I have to use AspectJ compiler. I compiled my classes and packaged them as jar and use ApsectJ compiler to woven the aspect using below command.

ajc -inpath core.jar -outjar ..\lib\core_woven.jar -1.5

Any pointer would be helpful.

Answer 1

The solution is actually quite simple. I am writing my code in native AspectJ style, I prefer it for clarity. You will be easily able to adjust it to @AspectJ annotation style:

public aspect LogTimeAspect {
    pointcut publicMethod() : execution(public * *(..));

    before(LogExecutionTime logAnn) : publicMethod() && @annotation(logAnn) {
        System.out.println(thisJoinPointStaticPart + " -> " + logAnn.level());
    }

    before(LogExecutionTime logAnn) : publicMethod() && @within(logAnn) {
        System.out.println(thisJoinPointStaticPart + " -> " + logAnn.level());
    }
}

The output is as follows:

execution(void Operator.operate()) -> Method_Level_Invocation
execution(void Operator.operate()) -> Class_Level_Invocation
execution(void Operator.operate1()) -> Class_Level_Invocation

As you can see,

• there is no need for around() advice, before() is sufficient unless you want to manipulate any parameters or block the captured method executions,
• you can bind the annotations in question via @annotation() or @within() to named parameters if you just use the correct syntax.

Enjoy! :-)

---

Update: Here is the @AspectJ version of the aspect for your convenience and because you seemed to have problems adapting my solution from the native syntax:

import org.aspectj.lang.ProceedingJoinPoint;
import org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Around;
import org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Aspect;
import org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Pointcut;

@Aspect
public class LogTimeAspect {
    @Pointcut("execution(public * *(..))")
    public void publicMethod() {}

    @Around("publicMethod() && @annotation(logAnn)")
    public Object LogExecutionTimeByMethod(ProceedingJoinPoint joinPoint, LogExecutionTime logAnn) throws Throwable {
        System.out.println(joinPoint + " -> " + logAnn.level());
        return joinPoint.proceed();
    }

    @Around("publicMethod() && @within(logAnn)")
    public Object LogExecutionTimeByClass(ProceedingJoinPoint joinPoint, LogExecutionTime logAnn) throws Throwable {
        System.out.println(joinPoint + " -> " + logAnn.level());
        return joinPoint.proceed();
    }
}

The results will be identical to my original version.