Is my understanding of abstraction correct?

Question

I've read the other posts discussing abstraction and encapsulation, but I'm not confident I understand them; or maybe I understand them but feel unsatisfied with the clarity of their content. Here are my understandings of abstraction and encapsulation. In what regards are they accurate/inaccurate/complete/incomplete?

"Abstractions are data types created by programmers to extend a language when primitive data types are insufficient. Like primitive data types, abstractions have specifications which list the inputs they require and the outputs they return, but the specifications do not overwhelm programmers with the methods, functions, and variables used to operate on the inputs. A class is an example of an abstraction. An API is another example of an abstraction."

"Encapsulation is the state of having abstract data types — i.e. classes — isolated from each other so their methods, functions, and variables do not conflict with each other, and so programmers can easily reuse an existing class in other programs without being concerned that doing so would interfere with the rest of the program (presuming the programmer correctly provides the required inputs and correctly handles the data that get returns)."

Answer 1

I've never come across that definition of encapsulation before. That definition sounds more like what namespaces are for. I've always read about encapsulation being purely about the ability to restrict access to certain components of your code, such as access modifiers in OOP languages. However, there seems to be a two definitions of encapsulation on wikipedia, which is news to me:

Encapsulation is the packing of data and functions into a single component. The features of encapsulation are supported using classes in most object-oriented programming languages, although other alternatives also exist. It allows selective hiding of properties and methods in an object by building an impenetrable wall to protect the code from accidental corruption.

In programming languages, encapsulation is used to refer to one of two related but distinct notions, and sometimes to the combination thereof:

1. A language mechanism for restricting access to some of the object's components.
2. A language construct that facilitates the bundling of data with the methods (or other functions) operating on that data.

Some programming language researchers and academics use the first meaning alone or in combination with the second as a distinguishing feature of object-oriented programming, while other programming languages which provide lexical closures view encapsulation as a feature of the language orthogonal to object orientation.

The second definition is motivated by the fact that in many OOP languages hiding of components is not automatic or can be overridden; thus, information hiding is defined as a separate notion by those who prefer the second definition. source

So, I guess I've always defined encapsulation in terms of point #1, but it looks like some people define it as the ability to bundle methods and data together, and term #1 "information hiding".

Answer 2

I'd say your understanding is correct ... so much, so, that I hesitate to comment more specifically.

However, if I were to comment, I might say that "Data types can be used to implement abstractions ...", rather than "Abstractions are data types ...", since abstractions can exist outside of software (it hurt me to say that :-).

But that's just nitpicking. I think you understand. I hope I do, after 36 years of coding ... mostly in languages that support reasonable levels of abstraction (PL/1, Pascal, C, C++, Java).

There are a lot of nice intelligent people in industry, though, who have no concept of abstraction in software, and consider it pretentiously high brow.

Personally, I think that good clear misnomer-free abstraction is a key technical ingredient of solid software engineering.

Answer 3

I prefer Robert C. Martin's definition in APPP:

Abstraction is the elimination of the irrelevant and the amplification of the essential.