title: execution Vs. call Join point
body: <p>I have two different aspect classes to count the number of non-static method calls for an execution of a test program. The first aspect counts methods on "call" join points:</p>
  
  <pre class="lang-java prettyprint-override"><code>pointcut methodCalls() : call (!static * test..*(..));
  before(): methodCalls() {
          counter.methodCallCounter();
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>while the second aspect counts methods on "execution" join points:</p>
  
  <pre class="lang-java prettyprint-override"><code>pointcut methodCalls() : execution (!static * test..*(..));
  before(): methodCalls() {
          counter.methodCallCounter();
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>methodCallCounter() is a static method in counter class.</p>
  
  <p>The number of method calls for small test program is the same. But when I change the test program with a larger program the number of method calls in the second aspect class (with execution pointcut) is more than the number of method calls in the aspect class with call pointcut. This is reasonable since the call join point does not pick out the calls made with super and therefore does not count them. </p>
  
  <p>However, I encountered a case where for the specific execution of program the number non-static method calls in the aspect class with "call pointcut" was higher than the number of method calls in the aspect class with "execution pointcut". I can not find any interpretation why this is happening. Any thought about the reason of second situation is appreciated.</p>