- “Orthogonality” is a term from geometry. Two lines are orthogonal if they meet at right angles, such as the axes on a graph.
- In computing the term signifies a kind of independence or decoupling. Two or more things are orthogonal if changes in one do not affect the other.
- It’s closely related to the DRY principle, with DRY you’re looking to minimise duplication within a system, whereas with orthogonality you reduce the interdependency among the system’s components.