𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗣𝗜 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗣𝗜 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀

I stopped hardcoding AI API calls. It creates a maintenance nightmare.

I started with OpenAI. Then a client wanted Claude. I had one function for OpenAI. Adding another provider meant copying code.

I tried environment variables. The code became a mess of if-else blocks. I needed a common interface.

I built an abstraction layer. I used the Strategy pattern.

It works like this:

• Create a base class for providers.
• Write a specific class for each API.
• Let the app call the base class.

Your app ignores which backend runs.

Benefits:

• Add new providers easily.
• Test with mock providers.

Downsides:

• It is overkill for one provider.
• You lose unique API features.
• Error mapping takes work.

My advice: Start with one concrete provider. Refactor when you add a second one.

This saved me from a full rewrite.

How do you handle multiple AI providers?

Source: https://dev.to/__c1b9e06dc90a7e0a676b/why-i-stopped-hardcoding-ai-api-calls-and-built-a-simple-abstraction-layer-27me Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi