Arrange the following in the increasing order of coupling from lowest coupling to highest coupling:
A. Common Coupling
B. Stamp Coupling
C. Control Coupling
D. External Coupling
E. Content Coupling
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is D

In software engineering, coupling refers to the degree of interdependence between software modules. The lower the coupling, the better the modularity and maintainability of the system. The standard hierarchy of coupling types, from lowest to highest (least to most interdependent), is:
Control Coupling < Common Coupling < Stamp Coupling < External Coupling < Content Coupling
Thus, the increasing order is: C → A → B → D → E
Information Booster:
1. Control Coupling (C):
· A module controls the flow of another by passing control flags.
· Considered the least harmful among coupled structures.
2. Common Coupling (A):
· Modules share the same global data.
· Changes in global data affect all the modules using it.
3. Stamp Coupling (B):
· Modules share a data structure and use only a part of it.
· Leads to unnecessary dependency.
4. External Coupling (D):
· Modules share externally imposed data formats or communication protocols.
· More rigid due to outside dependencies.
5. Content Coupling (E):
· One module directly accesses or modifies the internal data or logic of another.
· Most dangerous and tightly bound form of coupling.
Additional Knowledge:
· Lower coupling is desirable in software design as it increases modularity, testability, and maintainability.
· High coupling increases complexity, risk of errors and tight dependency, making changes harder to manage.