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Abstractions usually only work within a boundary. If you understand the underlying implementation you know its limitations. Abstractions help you to not think

• TeMPOraL 7y ago
  Abstractions are almost never self-contained enough. It's much easier to work within the bounds of an abstraction if you have at least a basic idea about the thing that's being abstracted.
• justanotherc 7y ago
  > If you understand the underlying implementation you know its limitations Maybe in some cases, but then I could probably make a case for that being a poorly built abstraction. All you really need to understand about an abstraction is the required inputs, and the expected output. Having knowledge about what's going on in the black box inside doesn't really serve a functional purpose IMO. This is the very purpose of abstractions. If we sat and reflect on all the abstractions we utilize every day, we would realize we can't possible have intimate knowledge of how they all work. We just don't have enough space in our brains. I have no idea how my OS runs under the hood. I don't care as long as the inputs I provide yield the expected output. Same goes for how my phone connects me on a call, or how my car manages air/fuel ratio in order to control engine power.