LEESA: Embedding Strategic and XPath-Like Object Structure Traversals in C++

Traversals of heterogeneous object structures are the most common operations in schema-first applications where the three key issues are separation of traversal specifications from type-specific actions, expressiveness and reusability of traversal specifications, and supporting structure-shy traversal specifications that require minimal adaptation in the face of schema evolution. This paper presents Language for Embedded quEry and traverSAl (LEESA), which provides a generative programming approach to address the above issues. LEESA is an object structure traversal language embedded in C++. Using C++ templates, LEESA combines the expressiveness of XPath's axes-oriented traversal notation with the genericity and programmability of Strategic Programming.