# Abstraction

Although all General Message Passing (GMP) protocols are designed to enable the exchange of cross-chain messages, each one features its own unique interface and interaction mechanism. Significant variations exist primarily in terms of:

* Interface: Different function names, parameter number and format
* Security: Requirement of pre-approvement of the destination address
* Identification: Arbitrary chain Codification (chainId)
* Payment: Native or ERC20 acceptance, exact amount or overpay/refund approaches
* Interaction: Payment or price quoting in advance

In the following example source and destination contracts are interacting with a GMP that:

* Requires a separated payment function with refund
* Uses string format for the message payload
* Uses an arbitrary vendor defined chain ID
* Requires to implement a specific reception interface

![](/files/vMQj5zDaNVs4icUtq9Q2)

In this other example source and destination contracts are interacting with a GMP that:

* Requires an initial query for the current operation price
* Uses byte array format for the message payload
* Uses an arbitrary vendor defined chain ID
* Requires to implement a specific reception interface

![](/files/QUgr4jUrzSqwLkpCjUko)

These variations can be specifically challenging when trying to work with more than one GMP:

![](/files/CZCqjuTrEK99nWNljDXx)

This translates to:

* Increased complexity: Users or developers have to deal with all the different details of each GMP implementation. New team members have a steeper learning curve of the protocol.
* Less Flexibility: Switching to a new GMP becomes challenging in the event of a hack or downtime of the current one.
* Difficulty in Maintenance: Since the high-level functionality is tightly coupled with the GMP implementation, a change in GMP interface will require rewriting of all the components and related tests.

## Glacis Abstraction

> The Abstraction functionality of Glacis enables users and developers to engage with any compatible General Message Passing (GMP) solution seamlessly, using a singular, streamlined interaction flow, without the necessity to understand the intricate usage details inherent to each solution.

![](/files/6CC8vZKdaWt3qRkQUk9O)

![](/files/ZAETCvdCgytfxTpxDeQv)

When engaging with multiple GMP protocols, the abstraction layer of Glacis ensures a consistent user interface. This means that regardless of the number or type of GMPs involved, users experience a uniform interaction pattern.

![](/files/n698t1Vpc8YacxpHJo9A)


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