How do you learn and apply new concepts and techniques on coupling and cohesion in web development?

1 What are coupling and cohesion?

Coupling refers to the degree of interdependence or interaction between the components or modules of a system. High coupling means that the components are tightly connected and depend on each other for functionality, while low coupling means that the components are loosely connected and can function independently. Cohesion refers to the degree of relatedness or similarity of the responsibilities or tasks within a component or module. High cohesion means that the component has a clear and single purpose, while low cohesion means that the component has multiple and diverse responsibilities.

2 Why are they important?

Coupling and cohesion affect the quality attributes of your web applications, such as readability, testability, reusability, modularity, and extensibility. High coupling and low cohesion make your code more complex, difficult to understand, test, reuse, and modify. Low coupling and high cohesion make your code more simple, clear, easy to test, reuse, and extend. Therefore, you should aim for low coupling and high cohesion in your web development projects.

3 How do you measure them?

To measure the coupling and cohesion of your web applications, there are different metrics and tools available. Fan-in and fan-out measure the number of incoming and outgoing connections between modules, while lack of cohesion in methods (LCOM) and cohesion among methods in class (CAMC) measure the degree of dissimilarity or similarity of the methods within a class. Code analysis tools, such as SonarQube and NDepend, generate reports or visualizations of the coupling and cohesion metrics. Additionally, design tools, such as UML tools, can help you design your web applications using diagrams or models that show the relationships and dependencies between the components or modules.

4 How do you improve them?

Improving the coupling and cohesion of web applications can be achieved through various strategies and techniques, such as abstraction, encapsulation, decomposition, and composition. Abstraction involves hiding the complexity of a component or module, while encapsulation wraps data and behavior into a single unit. Decomposition breaks down large components into smaller ones, whereas composition combines smaller components into more complex ones. All of these processes reduce the coupling and increase the cohesion by separating concerns, protecting internal states and logic, dividing problems into manageable parts, and reusing existing functionality.

5 How do you learn and apply them?

The best way to learn and apply the concepts and techniques of coupling and cohesion is to practice them in your web development projects. You can start by reviewing your existing code and identifying the areas where you can improve the coupling and cohesion using the metrics and tools mentioned above. You can then refactor your code using the strategies and techniques mentioned above to make it more modular, readable, testable, reusable, and extensible. You can also learn from other web developers by reading their code, following their design patterns, and asking for feedback.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?