Temporal cohesion means

Answer: Cohesion with respect to time — Temporal cohesion groups together operations that are executed at the same time or during the same phase.

• Definition: Temporal cohesion groups module elements because they must be executed together (for example, initialization or cleanup sequences).

• Example: A startup module that reads configuration, opens log files, and initializes services — these tasks are grouped because they occur at program startup.

• Relative strength: Temporal cohesion is stronger than coincidental cohesion but weaker than functional cohesion; it groups by timing rather than by a single cohesive responsibility.

Why the other answer texts are incorrect:

• Coincidental cohesion: Groups unrelated tasks arbitrarily; there is no timing-based reason for grouping.

• Cohesion between temporary variables: Misleading: this describes variable lifetime or scope, not the timing-based grouping that defines temporal cohesion.

• Cohesion between local variables: Also incorrect: local variable scope is unrelated to how or why module elements are grouped by execution time.