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Sunday 29 September 2013

Abstraction


                Abstraction is a process of hiding complex implementation details of a system and showing only the required functions of the system to the end users.

                For any end user only thing that matters the most is, What a system does? And not, How it does it?

                I would like to explain Abstraction by using two simple examples, one is general example and other is more relevant to the software.  


                For more general example consider a car, for outer look you find car as a single object with the help of which you can travel easily. When you go a little closer you will find many objects integrated in it, like steering wheel, gear lever, brakes, accelerator, clutch, audio system, AC controller, etc. Further each of these components is more specialized into sub components. Again deeper when you open its hood you will find engine, transmission type of engine, many mechanical and electrical components, etc etc… But as driver if you think, do you need to know all these complex implementations to drive a car? No right. You just need to know how to handle a steering wheel, brake, gear, accelerator and clutch. These five components act as interface to the internal operations of the car. So only an abstract view of car is seen when you are driving it. This view is sufficient from a driver’s point of view.  


              Since we are dealing with Java, it is necessary to provide you with more relevant example of abstraction in Java’s development environment. So lets’ start! Remember the signup form which you have to fill while creating a new gmail or yahoo account. As a user What you do? You just fill the form with the required information and press the submit button right? No user will worry about the process that takes place after pressing the submit button. Because it not necessary for him. His work is done just by pressing the submit button. Here signup form hides all the implementation details of the web application from the end users. An abstract view of whole web application is created using signup form. The below image can be referred for the above explanation, it shows you how a web application is divided into layers to reduce the complexity when it reaches the user. 





              Can you think of more examples of abstractions around you? You will surely find hundreds of them around you. Even the computer system or the mobile which you are using now to read this blog provides you with many abstracted view of several complex software implementations within it. Think about it!!

               I guess I have helped you with Abstraction. You can follow me on twitter and also subscribe to this blog for free to get regular updates. Good day :)