Install aspectj with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• aj
• aj5
• ajc
• ajdoc

Project history

The current Eclipse project page describes AspectJ as a seamless aspect-oriented extension to the Java programming language. The official change history carries copyright from Palo Alto Research Center for 1998-2002, reflecting the project's pre-Eclipse PARC origins, and documents alpha, beta, release-candidate, and 1.0.0 milestones before the later Eclipse-hosted release stream.

AspectJ's artifacts are divided into runtime, weaver, tools/compiler, and matcher modules. The repository README says these are published to Maven Central under the `org.aspectj` group ID and that an installer can install AspectJ on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The release history tracks AspectJ alongside Java itself. AspectJ 1.8.0 added Java 8 compilation support in 2014, and AspectJ 1.9.0 targeted Java 9 modules in 2018. The latest documentation index also tracks ongoing Java version compatibility, release notes, runtime API, weaver API, and problem-diagnosis docs.

Adoption history

AspectJ became a fixture of Java build and framework culture because it could modularize cross-cutting concerns such as logging, monitoring, error handling, synchronization, and policy checks. It is consumed directly through `ajc` and indirectly through weaver/runtime jars, Maven coordinates, Ant tasks, and integration with IDE tooling.

The Homebrew input records AspectJ in Homebrew, Debian, MacPorts, Nix, and Ubuntu. That is unusually broad for a language extension and reflects its use both as a CLI compiler package and as a set of Java build artifacts.

How it is used

Package users normally reach AspectJ through `ajc` for source compilation and weaving, `ajdoc` for documentation, the runtime jar for woven code, and the weaver jar for binary or load-time weaving. The developer guide documents the command-line compiler and Ant task support, while the programming guide teaches join points, pointcuts, advice, inter-type declarations, idioms, and pitfalls.

In modern Java builds, AspectJ is also often used as Maven artifacts: `aspectjrt`, `aspectjweaver`, `aspectjtools`, and `aspectjmatcher`. That dual distribution story is why it appears both in language-runtime dependency graphs and OS package managers.

Why package nerds care

AspectJ is significant because it is not just a compiler package: it changes the bytecode and runtime shape of Java programs. Package upgrades can affect source compatibility, woven class files, Java language-level support, Maven artifacts, and build plugins.

For package nerds, it is a classic example of a language tool whose OS package, Maven coordinates, IDE integration, Ant tasks, and documentation all have to stay aligned with the Java release train.

Timeline

• 1998-2002: Official change history carries Palo Alto Research Center copyright for early AspectJ development.
• 1.0alpha1 to 1.0.0: Official change history documents the alpha, beta, release-candidate, and 1.0.0 line.
• 2014: AspectJ 1.8.0 becomes available with Java 8 compilation support.
• 2018: AspectJ 1.9.0 becomes available with Java 9 module-related support.
• Current: The Eclipse documentation index maintains release notes, compatibility tables, runtime API, weaver API, programming guide, development guide, and problem-diagnosis guide.

Related projects

• AspectJ is part of the Eclipse Tools project area and is closely related to Eclipse JDT compiler work, AJDT Eclipse support, Maven Central artifacts under `org.aspectj`, and Java build tools such as Ant and Maven.

Sources

• https://eclipse.dev/aspectj/doc/latest/index.html
• https://eclipse.dev/aspectj/doc/latest/release/changes.html
• https://github.com/eclipse-aspectj/aspectj#readme
• https://github.com/eclipse-aspectj/aspectj/blob/master/docs/release/README-1.8.0.adoc
• https://github.com/eclipse-aspectj/aspectj/blob/master/docs/release/README-1.9.0.adoc
• https://projects.eclipse.org/projects/tools.aspectj
• input.source_facts.package-manager