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An ABI is at a relatively low-level of [[abstraction (computer science)|abstraction]]. Interface compatibility depends on the target [[computer hardware|hardware]] and the [[software build]] [[toolchain]]. In contrast, an [[application programming interface]] (API) defines access in [[source code]] which is a relatively high-level, hardware-independent, and [[human-readable]] format. An API defines interface at the source code level, before compilation, whereas an ABI defines an interface to compiled code.
API compatibility is generally the concern for [[system design]] and of the toolchain. However, a [[programmer]] may have to deal with an ABI directly when writing a program in a multiple [[programming language|languages]] or [[compiler]]s.
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