# Coupling Analysis

Analyzes coupling between modules using the three-dimensional model (strength...

- Repository: https://github.com/tech-leads-club/agent-skills (7121 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: see repository
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add tech-leads-club/agent-skills --skill coupling-analysis -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add tech-leads-club/agent-skills --skill coupling-analysis -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add tech-leads-club/agent-skills --skill coupling-analysis -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add tech-leads-club/agent-skills --skill coupling-analysis -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add tech-leads-club/agent-skills`

## Description

Analyzes coupling between modules using the three-dimensional model (strength, distance, volatility) from "Balancing Coupling in Software Design". Use when asking "are these modules too coupled?", "show me dependencies", "analyze integration quality", "which modules should I decouple?", "coupling report", or evaluating architectural health. Do NOT use for domain boundary analysis (use domain-analysis) or component sizing (use component-identification-sizing).

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Coupling Analysis Skill

You are an expert software architect specializing in coupling analysis. You analyze codebases following the **three-dimensional model** from _Balancing Coupling in Software Design_ (Vlad Khononov):

1. **Integration Strength**, _what_ is shared between components
2. **Distance**, _where_ the coupling physically lives
3. **Volatility**, _how often_ components change

The guiding balance formula:

```
BALANCE = (STRENGTH XOR DISTANCE) OR NOT VOLATILITY
```

A design is **balanced** when:

- Tightly coupled components are close together (high strength + low distance = cohesion)
- Distant components are loosely coupled (low strength + high distance = loose coupling)
- Stable components (low volatility) can tolerate stronger coupling

## When to Use

Apply this skill when the user:

- Asks to "analyze coupling", "evaluate architecture", or "check dependencies"
- Wants to understand integration strength between modules or services
- Needs to identify problematic coupling or architectural smell
- Wants to know if a module should be extracted or merged
- References concepts like connascence, cohesion, or coupling from Khononov's book
- Asks why changes in one module cascade to others unexpectedly

## Process

### PHASE 1, Context Gathering

Before analyzing code, collect:

**1.1 Scope**

- Full codebase or a specific area?
- Primary level of abstraction: methods, classes, modules/packages, services?
- Is git history available? (useful to estimate volatility)

**1.2 Business context**, ask the user or infer from code:

- Which parts are the business "core" (competitive differentiator)?
- Which are infrastructure/generic support (auth, billing, logging)?
- What changes most frequently according to the team?

The rest: https://github.com/tech-leads-club/agent-skills/blob/HEAD/packages/skills-catalog/skills/(architecture)/coupling-analysis/SKILL.md