Managing Abstraction-Induced Complexity

ion-Induced Complexity David Keppel UWCSE TR 93-06-02 June 11, 1993 Abstract Abstraction reduces the apparent complexity of an implementation by hiding all but "the most relevant" details. However, no interface is suitable for all the users of the implementation for exactly the same reason: each user has a slightly different view of what is "most relevant." Thus, although abstractions can reduce complexity, working around their limitations can introduce other complexities. Some abstractions are designed to minimize the added complexity. This paper examines five common abstraction models and uses common examples to contrast the tradeoffs presented by each model. 1 Introduction "You can have any two: fast, clean, robust." -- Programmer's Adage Abstraction reduces the apparent complexity of an implementation by hiding all but "the most relevant" details. However, no interface is suitable for all the users of the implementation for exactly the same reason: each user has a slightly diffe..