What is Progressive Abstraction?
Progressive abstraction is Naftiko’s layered approach to consuming upstream APIs. Each level adds more structure and intelligence to how a capability interacts with its sources, allowing teams to start simple and progressively add sophistication as requirements grow.
The four levels
- Level 1 – Forwarding HTTP Client – Pass-through proxy with minimal transformation. Routes requests directly to the upstream API with header and path forwarding.
- Level 2 – Templatized Client – Adds URI templates, Mustache expressions, and variable injection to parameterize upstream calls without custom code.
- Level 3 – Structured API Client – Full request/response modeling with typed parameters, JSONPath mapping, and output shaping. The capability owns its own contract independent of the upstream API.
- Level 4 – Functional MCP Client – AI-native interface with semantic tool descriptions, curated schemas, and right-sized context windows. Designed for copilot and agent consumption.
Why it matters
Progressive abstraction means teams do not have to commit to a full abstraction layer upfront. A simple pass-through can be elevated to a structured client or MCP tool over time, protecting prior investment while enabling new AI and automation use cases.
