What are the differences between cohesion and coupling in software design?

What are the differences between cohesion and coupling in software design?

Cohesion refers to how closely related and focused the responsibilities of a single module are, while coupling refers to how dependent modules are on each other. High cohesion is desirable, as it means a module is well-defined and focused, whereas low coupling is preferred to reduce dependencies.

Can you give examples of high cohesion and low coupling?

Sure! An example of high cohesion is a class that handles all user authentication tasks. An example of low coupling is using interfaces to allow different modules to interact without being tightly linked.

Why is it important to achieve high cohesion and low coupling?

Achieving high cohesion and low coupling leads to more maintainable, understandable, and flexible code. It makes it easier to modify or replace components without affecting others.

How can I measure cohesion and coupling in my code?

You can measure cohesion by evaluating the relatedness of functions within a module, and for coupling, you can analyze the number of dependencies between modules. Tools like static code analyzers can help with this.