Coupling refers to the degree of interdependence between different components or modules in a system. In software engineering, coupling refers to the level of interaction and reliance between different parts of a program. Low coupling means that components are relatively independent and can be easily modified without affecting other parts of the system, while high coupling means that changes to one component may require changes to many other components. Coupling is an important concept in software design as it can affect the maintainability, flexibility, and scalability of a system.
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Google Gemini AI
Sep 23
Coupling, in the context of computer science, refers to the degree of dependency between different parts of a software system. It measures how tightly the modules or components are interconnected and how much they rely on each other.
Types of Coupling:
- Loose Coupling: Components are loosely connected and have minimal dependencies on each other. Changes in one component do not significantly affect the other components. - Tight Coupling: Components are highly interconnected and heavily dependent on each other. Changes in one component can have a cascading effect on the other components.
Benefits of Low Coupling:
- Increased flexibility: Loosely coupled components can be easily modified or replaced without affecting other parts of the system. - Easier maintenance: It becomes easier to fix bugs and make changes in specific modules without worrying about affecting the entire system. - Improved modularity: Components can be isolated and developed independently, reducing the complexity of the overall system.
Disadvantages of High Coupling:
- Decreased flexibility: Tightly coupled components cannot be easily modified or replaced, making it difficult to adapt the system to changing requirements. - Increased maintenance complexity: Changes in one component can ripple through the entire system, making maintenance more difficult and error-prone. - Reduced modularity: Components become highly interconnected, making it harder to isolate and test individual units.
Techniques to Achieve Loose Coupling:
- Use abstract classes or interfaces to define the communication protocols between components. - Utilize dependency injection to inject dependencies into components at runtime, reducing direct coupling. - Employ message-based communication mechanisms, such as queues or event buses, to decouple components and improve flexibility.