Thread: Coupling in Java Code

The the Coupling Corruption Propagation is an OO metric that computed as follows:

Coupling Corruption Propagation = Number of child methods invoked with the parameters based on the parameters of the original invocation.

In the code bellow, a parent method calculateStringBuildSpeed invokes a child method called buildString with the parameter length. The method buildString then calls three child methods of its own callStartTime, callEndTime, and reportResult. The methods callStartTim and callEndTime do not take any parameter. Therefore, they are effectively immune to any coupling effects that originate from calculateStringBuildSpeed. However,
reportResult takes one variable stringLength that is calculated from the original length variable. If the variable is ever compromised (i.e., it becomes null, has a value that exceeds the int range, or contains a value that reportResult cannot use), then reportResult method could indirectly be corrupted from calculateStringBuildSpeed. Therefore, the coupling corruption propagation is 2 in the following code.

So how can I modify the following code so that the Coupling Corruption Propagation will decrease for example into 1 or 0

-------------------------------------------------

Public void CalculateStringBuildSpeed(double
numOfElements)
{
buildString (numOfElements);
}
.
.
.
public String buildString(double length) {
String result = "";
int startTime;
int endTime;
int stringLength = (int) length;
startTime = callStartTime();
System.out.println("Starting Now");
for (int i = 0; i < stringLength; i++) {
result += (char)(i%26 + 'a');
}
endTime = callEndTime();
reportResult(startTime,endTime,stringLength);
return result;
}

---------------------------------------------------------

Public void CalculateStringBuildSpeed(double
numOfElements)
{
buildString (numOfElements);
}
.
.
.
public String buildString(double length) {
String result = "";
int startTime;
int endTime;
int stringLength = (int) length;
startTime = callStartTime();
System.out.println("Starting Now");
for (int i = 0; i < stringLength; i++) {
result += (char)(i%26 + 'a');
}
endTime = callEndTime();
reportResult(startTime,endTime,stringLength);
return result;
}

Public void CalculateStringBuildSpeed(double numOfElements)
{
    buildString (numOfElements);
}
.
.
.
   public String buildString(double length) {
      String result = "";
      int startTime;
      int endTime;
      int stringLength = (int) length;
      startTime = callStartTime();
      System.out.println("Starting Now");
      for (int i = 0; i < stringLength; i++) {
           result += (char)(i%26 + 'a');
      }
      endTime = callEndTime();
      reportResult(startTime,endTime,stringLength);
      return result;
}

Originally Posted by Norm

That looks better.


Can you explain how the logic needs to be changed for that? Once you have the logic, we can help you write the code to implement it.

Coupling between methods is the concept that two or more methods are reliant on each other in some way. This could involve data sharing or decision making in the child methods using one of its call parameters. The effects of coupling can easily ripple into other methods several levels down the call chain. Coupling corruption propagation is meant to measure the total number of methods that could be affected by erroneous originating method. An arithmetic error can result when certain ranges of parameter values can be accepted in one method, but this range of values may exceed limits in another method that takes the same parameter. Such a situation can result in exception errors as well. Another potential security flaw results when a critical parameter is forced to remain at a certain value, and the result remains the same no matter what other parameters are changed.