(1) In computer science, tight
coupling (or tightly coupled) is a type of coupling
that describes a system in which
hardware and software
are not only linked together, but are also dependant upon each other. In a
tightly coupled system where multiple systems share a workload, the entire
system usually would need to be powered down to fix a major hardware problem,
not just the single system with the issue.
(2) In software the term tight coupling is used to define
software that will work only in one part of a specific type of system and the
software is dependant on other software. For example, an
operating system would be considered
tightly coupled as it depends on software drivers to correctly install and
activate the system's peripheral devices.
Design loosely coupled modules - object oriented systems This article explains the coupling between the classes. It also explains the consequences of high coupling. The article then classifies coupling and explains each type of coupling along with the ways to eliminate the coupling.
Long-lived systems: decoupling Systems that are clearly separated from each other live longer than systems that are coupled.
Towards a More Effective Coupling of Reflection and Runtime Metamodels for Middleware (PDF) Reflection plays an important role in the flexibilisation of middleware platforms. Through dynamic inspection, middleware interfaces can be discovered and invoked at runtime, and through adaptation the structure and behavior of the platform can be modified on-the fly to meet new user or environment demands.
