CSC/ECE 517 Summer 2008/wiki3 3 lc

Low Coupling

Basic Description

Coupling, also known as dependence, is a measurement of the degree in which two program modules relies on each other two complete a task. When these two modules have a very stable interface between one another, one which does not require or even concern itself with the internal structure of the other module, you have "low" coupling. Other terms used to describe this situation may be "loose" or "weak" coupling. This document seeks to explain low coupling including when it should be used, when it should not be used, and how exactly you may make use of this technique in your own program.

Problem Description

We introduced the idea of low coupling in Lecture 20, and used the Observer pattern as an example in Lecture 23. But we've really only scratched the surface on what there is to know about achieving low coupling. Browse the Web and the ACM DL for other information, both theoretical and practical, and produce a guide to what there is to know about low coupling. Be sure to highlight those aspects that would be appropriate for inclusion in CSC/ECE 517.