abstraction layer (redirected from Abstract interface)

Software that translates a high-level request into the low-level commands required to perform the operation. The most common abstraction layer is the programming interface (API) between an application and the operating system. High-level calls are made to the operating system, which executes the necessary instructions to perform the task.

Domain Name Abstraction
The domain names and URLs on the Internet provide an abstraction layer that enables a name domain such as www.computerlanguage.com to be converted into the numeric IP address of the company's Web server. See Internet domain name.

Extensible Resource Identifiers (XRIs)
XRIs provide an abstraction layer higher than domain names. They enable a simple name that is constant to point to a domain name that may change. See XRI and level of abstraction.