Running Object Teams programs

Technically running an Object Teams program involves a special runtime enviroment (the OTRE - Object Teams Runtime Environment) which provides fundamental classes and performs load-time weaving for connecting aspects with their bases. All this is hidden as to make running Object Teams programs as easy as running Java programs.

The OT/J specific launch types ( Object Teams Application, Object Teams Eclipse Application OT/Equinox Framework) are no longer needed and are gradually being faded out.

For launching OT/J programs use any of the launching techniques offered by Eclipse: You may, e.g., invoke a Run As/Debug As option from a context menu or use one of the run/debug tool bar buttons. From here just select one of the standard launch configuration types:

• Java Application
• Remote Java Application
• JUnit
• JUnit Plug-in Test
• Eclipse Application
• OSGi Framework

For Java Applications (, ) this checkbox is found on the JRE tab:

• If the new option is checked the application will be launched with the Object Teams Runtime Environment (OTRE) enabled which is needed to weave callin bindings into base classes. Conversely, disabling the OTRE lets you run an OT/J application with all callin-bindings disabled. But note that a few more OT/J mechanisms will not work either (like decapsulation).
• For OT/J projects this option is enabled by default.
• If Enable OTRE is checked an additional Team Activation tab will be shown.
  (If a launch configuration was opened while the OTRE was disabled, you need to re-open this configuration (e.g., unselect and select) in order for the new tab to show.)
• Additionally, the check box Java 5 JPLIS Launching lets you select between two technologies (JMangler vs. JPLIS), by which the OTRE is hooked into the JVM. The newer option JPLIS has graduated from experimental status and its use is now encouraged.

For Remote Debugging of a java applications () this checkbox is found on the Connect tab:

For launching a Runtime Workbench (, ) the new checkbox is right on the main page:

For OSGi Framework launches () the runtime environment is configured on the Settings tab:

Team activation:

I you wish to compose your program from a base application and a number of aspects, you may use a launch configuration to select which aspects should be included. Use the tab Team Activation to select existing teams and put them into the desired order.

The effect is that each team in the list will be instantiated and activated before the main method of the program executes. This can actually be observed if Stop in main is checked for debugging: the program will actually stop before entering main, the next step will perform all pending team instantiations/activations and only then the program starts (You might want to use the team monitor to observe team instantiation/activation).

Since a team can intercept method calls in a base application simply adding a team to an existing application can indeed produce different behavior.