What is Application Binary Interface (ABI)?

ABI stands for Application Binary Interface. It is a standard that defines how software components should interact with each other in a specific operating system or hardware environment. The purpose of ABI is to ensure that different software components can communicate with each other seamlessly, regardless of their implementation details.

In other words, ABI specifies the rules and protocols that software components must follow to exchange data and functionality with each other. This includes things like function call conventions, data type representations, and memory management practices. By adhering to a specific ABI, software developers can write code that is compatible with other components and can be easily integrated into larger systems.

ABI is commonly used in operating systems, such as Linux and Android, where it defines the interface between the kernel and user-space applications. It is also used in software frameworks and libraries, such as the C standard library, to ensure compatibility between different implementations of the same functionality.