Use of Abstraction (OCR A Level Computer Science)

Use of Abstraction

• Before revising the Use of Abstraction it is important to have a deep understanding of the concept of Thinking Abstractly

What is Abstraction?

• Abstraction is the removal of unnecessary components of a problem to allow focus on only those that are necessary

• Without abstraction, many real world applications would have far too many variables to take into consideration

Use of Abstraction - Computer Games

• Computer games use a large amount of abstraction, removing the elements that a user does not need to consider in order to enjoy playing the game

• When using abstraction in computer games which are designed to simulate real life, the aim is to make the game realistic and visually appealing whilst keeping the game fun to play

• In a game that simulates a sport, it is important to the user that visually they recognise the environment and when they perform an action, they see a response

• However, users do not need to know the complex algorithms used to control the non player characters (NPCs)

Use of Abstraction - Cooking with a Recipe

• When cooking with a recipe, the concept of abstraction has already been applied

• The purpose of a recipe is for the user to follow it and end up with the desired result

• For example, in a recipe that asks a user to ‘brown’ an ingredient, they do not need to understand the chemistry behind the process, only the desired output in order to move on to the next step

• Abstraction gives a user the ability to focus on the recipes intent, rather than the science

Use of Abstraction - Driving a Car

• When driving a car, the driver uses a key or button to start the engine, and uses pedals to start and stop

• The driver does not need to know the intricacies of how the engine works to complete the task

• Abstraction empowers people to utilise complex machines like cars