Coupling (computer science)

Coupling in computer science means how much two parts of a computer program (or system) depend on each other. Think of two kids playing together – if they’re playing with separate toys and don’t really need each other to play, they have low "coupling." But if they’re playing a game that requires both of them to work together, they have high "coupling."

In computer systems, coupling works the same way. If two parts of a program can work independently and don’t have to rely on each other too much, they have low coupling. If they’re dependent on each other and have to work very closely together, they have high coupling.

High coupling can be a problem because if one part of the program changes, it can cause problems in the other part. It’s like if one kid decides to change the game they’re playing, the other kid might not know what to do and get confused. On the other hand, low coupling makes it easier to make changes without breaking the entire system. Think of it like being able to switch toys without ruining the game.

So, to summarize coupling in computer science – it’s like two kids playing together, where low coupling means they can play independently and high coupling means they have to work very closely together. High coupling can cause problems if one part of the program changes, while low coupling makes it easier to make changes without breaking everything.