The need for adaptability in software is growing, driven in part by the emergence of pervasive and autonomic computing. In many cases, it is desirable to enhance existing programs with adaptive behavior, enabling them to execute effectively in dynamic environments. In this paper, we propose a general programming model called transparent shaping to enable dynamic adaptation in existing programs. We describe an approach to implementing transparent shaping that combines four key software development techniques: aspect-oriented programming to realize separation of concerns at development time, behavioral reflection to support software reconfiguration at run time, component-based design to facilitate independent development and deployment of adaptive code, and adaptive middleware to encapsulate the adaptive functionality. After presenting the general model, we discuss two specific realizations of transparent shaping that we have developed and used to create adaptable applications from existing programs.
