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Thomas Meng (talk | contribs) m →Side effects: temporal coupling link |
Stevebroshar (talk | contribs) a function can call itself (not just other software); reuse of 'unit' does not add value; interface (syntax) is important as behavior (semantics) |
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|publisher=NIST
|quote=Callable unit: (Of a software program or logical design) Function, method, operation, subroutine, procedure, or analogous structural unit that appears within a module.
|access-date=9 February 2024}}</ref> of [[software logic]] that has a well-defined [[Interface (computing)|interface]] and [[behavior]] and can be invoked
Callable units provide a powerful programming tool.<ref name="knuth1">{{cite book |title= The Art of Computer Programming, Volume I: Fundamental Algorithms |author= Donald E. Knuth |year= 1997 |author-link= Donald Knuth |publisher= Addison-Wesley |isbn=0-201-89683-4}}</ref> The primary purpose is to allow for the decomposition of a large and/or complicated problem into chunks that have relatively low [[cognitive load]] and to assign the chunks meaningful names (unless they are anonymous). Judicious application can reduce the cost of developing and maintaining software, while increasing its quality and reliability.<ref name="structprog">{{cite book |author= O.-J. Dahl |author2=E. W. Dijkstra |author3=C. A. R. Hoare |title= Structured Programming |publisher= Academic Press |year= 1972 |isbn= 0-12-200550-3}}</ref>
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