# Inappropriate Intimacy

> A defect in which modules depend on each other's internal structure or private state.

Record: `architecture:inappropriate-intimacy`
Kind: anti-pattern
Layer: [Enforcement Core](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/enforcement-core.md)
Severity: discouraged
Scope: modularity, contract_compatibility
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology#architecture-inappropriate-intimacy

Listed in [Architecture principles](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/architecture.md), after [Feature Envy](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/feature-envy.md) and before [Message Chain](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/message-chain.md).

## Repair

- Refactored by: hide_internal, introduce_public_contract, add_facade, restrict_exports
- Detected by: friend-like access, private API usage, tests_reach_internals, internal_package_import
- Violated by: Allow modules or classes to rely on each other’s internals, private structure, lifecycle, or undocumented state.
- Measured by: private-member accesses across modules
- Enforced by: visibility and export rules, tests limited to public interfaces

## Severity

- [discouraged](https://banes-lab.com/records/vocabulary/severity-discouraged.md)

## Category

- [Anti-patterns](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture-category/anti-patterns.md)

## Force

- [Contract compatibility](https://banes-lab.com/records/force/contract-compatibility.md)
- [Modularity](https://banes-lab.com/records/force/modularity.md)

## Negated by

- [Low Coupling](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/low-coupling.md)

## Linked from

- [The direction axis](https://banes-lab.com/software-architecture/model/the-direction-axis.md)
- [Anti-patterns](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-anti-patterns.md)
- [Core Modular Design](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-core-modular-design.md)
- [Core Modular Design](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon/lexicon-category-core-modular-design.md)
- [Severity levels](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-vocabulary-severity.md)
- [The forces](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-forces.md)