Action at a Distance (Computer Science) (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Action at a distance is an anti-pattern (a recognized common error) in which behavior in one part of a program varies wildly based on difficult or impossible to identify operations in another part of the program. The way to avoid the problems associated with action at a distance are a proper design which avoids global variables and alters data in a controlled and local manner. The term is based on the concept of action at a distance in physics, referring to a process that allows objects to interact instantaneously without a mediator like a photon. In particular, Albert Einstein referred to effects in quantum mechanics as "spooky action at a distance."