Software Interface

A Software Interface is a computational interface that defines interaction contracts between software components through programmatic protocols.

• AKA: Software Boundary, Software Contract, Program Interface, Software Interaction Point, Component Interface, Software API.
• Context:
  • It can typically specify Interface Method Signatures through function declarations.
  • It can typically enforce Interface Compatibility Rules via version management.
  • It can typically enable Software Component Integration through standardized protocols.
  • It can often provide Data Exchange Mechanisms via serialization formats.
  • It can often implement Error Handling Protocols through exception specifications.
  • It can often support Asynchronous Communication Patterns via callback mechanisms.
  • It can range from being a Simple Software Interface to being a Complex Software Interface, depending on its method count.
  • It can range from being a Synchronous Software Interface to being an Asynchronous Software Interface, depending on its execution model.
  • It can range from being a Local Software Interface to being a Remote Software Interface, depending on its network boundary.
  • It can range from being a Public Software Interface to being a Private Software Interface, depending on its access scope.
  • It can range from being a Stable Software Interface to being an Evolving Software Interface, depending on its change frequency.
  • It can range from being a Binary Software Interface to being a Source Software Interface, depending on its compilation level.
  • It can integrate with Interface Documentation Systems for API documentation.
  • It can integrate with Interface Testing Frameworks for contract validation.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Application Programming Interfaces, such as:
    • Library APIs, such as:
      • Standard Library APIs, such as:
        • C Standard Library API for system programming.
        • Java Standard Library API for platform-independent programming.
        • Python Standard Library API for general-purpose programming.
        • .NET Framework API for Windows development.
    • Framework APIs, such as:
      • Web Framework APIs, such as:
        • Spring Framework API for Java enterprise application.
        • Django Framework API for Python web development.
        • Express.js API for Node.js server development.
        • Ruby on Rails API for rapid web development.
      • Mobile Framework APIs, such as:
        • Android SDK API for Android development.
        • iOS SDK API for iPhone development.
        • React Native API for cross-platform mobile.
    • Third-Party APIs, such as:
      • Payment APIs, such as:
        • Stripe API for payment processing.
        • PayPal API for online payment.
        • Square API for point-of-sale transaction.
      • Social Media APIs, such as:
        • Twitter API for tweet management.
        • Facebook Graph API for social network access.
        • Instagram API for media sharing.
  • Operating System Interfaces, such as:
    • System Call Interfaces, such as:
      • POSIX System Call Interface for Unix-like system.
      • Windows API for Windows application.
      • macOS API for Mac application.
    • Driver Interfaces, such as:
      • Windows Driver Kit Interface for Windows driver.
      • Linux Kernel Module Interface for Linux driver.
  • Middleware Interfaces, such as:
    • Message-Oriented Middleware Interfaces, such as:
      • Apache Kafka Interface for event streaming.
      • RabbitMQ Interface for message queuing.
      • Redis Pub/Sub Interface for publish-subscribe messaging.
    • Object Request Broker Interfaces, such as:
      • CORBA Interface for distributed object.
      • Java RMI Interface for remote method invocation.
  • Database Interfaces, such as:
    • SQL Interfaces, such as:
      • JDBC Interface for Java database access.
      • ODBC Interface for cross-platform database access.
      • ADO.NET Interface for .NET database access.
    • ORM Interfaces, such as:
      • Hibernate Interface for Java object mapping.
      • SQLAlchemy Interface for Python ORM.
      • Entity Framework Interface for .NET ORM.
  • Service Interfaces, such as:
    • Web Service Interfaces, such as:
      • RESTful Service Interface for resource-oriented architecture.
      • GraphQL Service Interface for query-based API.
      • SOAP Service Interface for XML messaging.
    • Microservice Interfaces, such as:
      • gRPC Service Interface for high-performance RPC.
      • Apache Thrift Interface for cross-language service.
  • Component Interfaces, such as:
    • Plugin Interfaces, such as:
      • Eclipse Plugin Interface for IDE extension.
      • WordPress Plugin Interface for CMS extension.
      • VSCode Extension Interface for editor customization.
    • Module Interfaces, such as:
      • Node.js Module Interface for JavaScript module.
      • Python Module Interface for Python package.
      • Ruby Gem Interface for Ruby library.
  • Binary Interfaces, such as:
    • Application Binary Interfaces, such as:
      • System V ABI for Unix binary compatibility.
      • Windows ABI for Windows binary standard.
      • ARM ABI for ARM processor compatibility.
    • Foreign Function Interfaces, such as:
      • JNI Interface for Java native code.
      • Python C API for Python extension.
      • Ruby C API for Ruby native extension.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Hardware Interface, which provides physical connections.
  • User Interface, which enables human interaction.
  • Network Protocol, which defines communication standards without software boundary.
• See: Computational Interface, Application Programming Interface, System Interface, Software Architecture, Interface Design Pattern, Software Component, API Documentation, Interface Specification, Software Contract, Dependency Injection, Service-Oriented Architecture.

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References

2017

• (Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interface_(computing)#Software_interfaces Retrieved:2017-3-30.
  • In computing, an interface is a shared boundary across which two separate components of a computer system exchange information. The exchange can be between software, computer hardware, peripheral devices, humans and combinations of these. Some computer hardware devices such as a touchscreen can both send and receive data through the interface, while others such as a mouse or microphone may only provide an interface to send data to a given system.

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