abstraction layer
nounUK /æbˈstrækʃən ˈleɪə/
US /æbˈstrækʃən ˈleɪər/
A helper that hides the hard parts so you can use something more easily.
The app uses an abstraction layer so it can talk to different databases without changing its code.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A level in a computer system that hides the details of the level below it.
The operating system's abstraction layer lets programs read files without knowing the disk type.
3. A design pattern that simplifies complex systems by exposing only essential features.
The graphics library acts as an abstraction layer over the raw hardware calls.
4. Any conceptual boundary that separates how something is used from how it works.
Money is an abstraction layer that lets people trade goods without bartering.