There is also a noun, an abstraction, and it’s what we are interested in. We think of it as something very loosely related to reality, and it often conveys the sense of something difficult to understand. In our day-to-day life, as human being speaking to other human beings, we mostly know abstract as an adjective: abstract art, abstract ideas, or abstract concepts, for example. Let’s begin by defining what we are talking about. The General Concept of Abstraction What’s an Abstraction, Exactly? Now, let’s explore how we can understand the world without going crazy, thanks to the magic of abstractions. If you have any question, I’m here for you. Save it somewhere and come back to it with a fresh mind. It’s okay to skip some parts if you don’t get them. Don’t try to read or understand everything at once. Understand the difference between abstraction and indirection, two concepts tightly linked, but still different.Ī word of caution: this article goes in depth.Analyzing the (obvious) benefits of using abstractions, but as well their drawbacks.Cover what are the different sorts of abstraction you can find in software development.Define what an abstraction is, illustrated with examples.Today, I would like to go with you on a deep dive in the world of abstractions. That means we really don’t understand it. I couldn’t reduce it to the freshman level. This was a proof that I had to dig more the concept. However, when I had to explain to a less experienced developer what it was, I couldn’t easily give a precise and simple definition. It sounds pretty important to understand what it is. Abstraction is attractive, sexy, old and modern at the same time. Authors wrote about it, birds sing about it, its name is whispered all around the kingdoms. Everybody praises its virtues and its power. It’s one of the most important concepts in software engineering and in computer science. A word, I’m sure, you’ve seen (or heard) many times.

, updated Twitter #Fundamentals #PHP What Are Abstractions in Software Engineering with ExamplesĪbstraction.

Software indirection