interfaceoriented

Interfaceoriented is a software design approach that emphasizes building software around explicit interfaces that define contracts for behavior and service access, rather than around concrete implementations. In this style, components depend on abstract interfaces, which allows different implementations to be substituted without changing the dependent code. The approach is closely related to interface-based programming and is compatible with dependency inversion and the principle of programming to interfaces.

Core principles include small, cohesive interfaces that express specific capabilities, explicit separation of interface from implementation, and the use of dependency injection or composition to assemble systems. Interfaces act as contracts that specify what a component can do, while concrete types provide the details of how it does it. Languages with interface constructs, such as Java, C#, and Go, provide idioms for interface-oriented design: in Go, for example, a type satisfies an interface implicitly by implementing its methods; in Java or C#, classes declare interface implementation and can be substituted by any class that implements the same interface.

Benefits include improved modularity, easier unit testing with mocks, and greater flexibility to swap implementations or mock dependencies. Drawbacks can include interface proliferation, potential over-abstraction, and added complexity in system design. Interfaceoriented design is often used alongside dependency injection, service-oriented architectures, and, more broadly, SOLID principles to produce decoupled, maintainable systems.