# Over-Abstraction

> A defect in which layers, interfaces and factories outnumber the variation they serve.

Record: `architecture:over-abstraction`
Kind: anti-pattern
Layer: [Enforcement Core](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/enforcement-core.md)
Severity: discouraged
Scope: contract_compatibility
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology#architecture-over-abstraction

Listed in [Architecture principles](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/architecture.md), after [Premature Abstraction](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/premature-abstraction.md) and before [Golden Hammer](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/golden-hammer.md).

## Repair

- Refactored by: collapse_layers, inline_interface, remove_unused_indirection, preserve_only_real_boundaries
- Detected by: deep_call_stack_for_simple_task, one_method_interfaces, factory_of_factory, abstraction_ratio_too_high
- Violated by: Add too many interfaces, layers, factories, adapters, or generic types relative to actual variability.
- Measured by: indirection depth for simple operations, abstraction-to-implementation ratio
- Enforced by: abstraction-ratio analysis, [design review](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/design-review.md)

## Severity

- [discouraged](https://banes-lab.com/records/vocabulary/severity-discouraged.md)

## Category

- [Anti-patterns](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture-category/anti-patterns.md)

## Force

- [Contract compatibility](https://banes-lab.com/records/force/contract-compatibility.md)

## Negated by

- [Minimum Viable Architecture](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/minimum-viable-architecture.md)

## Linked from

- [Anti-patterns](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-anti-patterns.md)
- [Architecture Review / Evolution / Governance Artifacts](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-architecture-review-evolution-governance-artifacts.md)
- [Severity levels](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-vocabulary-severity.md)
- [The forces](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-forces.md)