ABIagnostic

ABI-agnostic describes software, runtimes, or tools that operate without depending on a specific application binary interface (ABI). An ABI defines conventions for function calls, data types, and binary representations on a given processor architecture and operating system. A component described as ABI-agnostic attempts to work across multiple ABIs or to shield its logic from ABI-specific details.

Approaches include using intermediate representations or runtimes that provide a uniform execution model, such as virtual machines or bytecode engines; employing binary translation or emulation to adapt calls and data layouts at runtime; and designing portable interfaces that separate program logic from platform-specific ABIs.

Notable examples and domains where ABI-agnostic design is relevant include WebAssembly, which runs compiled code in a host-agnostic sandbox; emulators such as QEMU that execute binaries for one architecture on another; and cross-platform language runtimes and toolchains that generate code or bindings for multiple ABIs.

Benefits include easier porting of software to new architectures, stronger isolation, and simplified packaging in heterogeneous environments. Applications span cross-platform libraries, language runtimes, sandboxed execution, and binary analysis that must interpret multiple ABIs.

Challenges include ensuring correct data layout and calling conventions across ABIs, potential performance overhead, and the complexity of maintaining ABI support for many architectures. Thorough testing is required to avoid subtle ABI-related bugs.

See also: application binary interface, portability, cross-ABI development, WebAssembly, emulation.