Abstraction in software is a tool that facilitates communication. But it's often misused as a "problem-solving tool". Abstraction doesn't solve problems, the details do.

1. Abstraction Is A
Communication Tool
terry@odd-e.com

2. Who Am I
2
• I am Terry Yin
• Work for Odd-e
• Experienced in software development
• Focus on technical coaching
• Love programming
• A father
Me

3. 3

4. How do you put an elephant into a
refrigerator?
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5. 5

6. 6
David Wheeler: ”All problems in computer science
can be solved by another level of indirection";
Kevlin Henney: "...except
for the problem of too
many layers of
indirection."
FTSE (The Fundamental Theorem
of Software Engineering)

7. Does Abstraction Solve Problems?
7

8. When there are too many customer
tickets
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Create a new role called Customer
Tickets Manager

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Do you know the OSI 7-layer model?

10. 10
7-layer is too old…

11. But where is the religious layer?
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13. Object-Oriented
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Parent
Child
X

14. Model Driven Architecture
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15. Component Team vs. Feature Team
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http://less.works

16. Abstraction in Contract
Negotiation
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17. Communication Tool
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18. The key is working software
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19. Ways Of Communication
•Reading code
•Documentation
•Discussion
•Design workshop
•Requirement workshop
•Product review
•Bug reporting
•…
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20. Abstraction In Code
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21. Information Hiding and
Encapsulation
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Sometimes, a little smartness might help the
communication, especially when it becomes a convention.
It will become a disaster if over used.

23. Single Layer Abstraction Principle
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24. Communication With Code
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Hey! I’m changing the method that
conflicts with your changes!
Roger!
... done and committed!
Ok! I’ll update and check
the merged changes!
... Looks good!
Great!

25. Documentation
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26. Can you give me an example?
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27. Requirement
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Technical
Activity
Workflow
RuleClarity
Stability
Specification
Users can
understand
Automation
Technical

28. Cucumber vs. Robot
Framework
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"Being abstract is something
profoundly different from being
vague … The purpose of
abstraction is not to be vague,
but to create a new semantic
level in which one can be
absolutely precise."
Edsger W. Dijkstra

32. You’ve reached the end
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Thanks!