Define: Abstraction Principle

Abstraction Principle:

The Abstraction Principle is a fundamental concept in computer science and software engineering that promotes the separation of concerns and the creation of modular, reusable, and maintainable code. It states that complex systems should be designed and implemented using layers of abstraction, where each layer hides the implementation details and exposes only the necessary functionality to the layer above.

By applying the Abstraction Principle, developers can create high-level abstractions that encapsulate lower-level details, allowing for easier comprehension, modification, and extension of the system. This principle enables the development of software components that can be reused in different contexts without requiring knowledge of their internal workings.

Abstraction is achieved through the use of interfaces, abstract classes, and other mechanisms that define a contract between different parts of a system. This contract specifies the methods, properties, and behaviors that are accessible to other components, while hiding the underlying implementation details.

The Abstraction Principle is closely related to other principles such as encapsulation, modularity, and information hiding. It helps to reduce complexity, improve code maintainability, and facilitate collaboration among developers working on different parts of a system.