FFI

Technology & Computing abbreviation · Programming

FFI
Stands forForeign function interface
CategoriesTechnology & Computing

FFI stands for Foreign function interface, a programming abbreviation.

A mechanism that lets code in one programming language call functions written in another, most often C libraries. Python's ctypes, Rust's extern blocks and Java's Foreign Function and Memory API are examples.

Example: The Ruby gem wraps the C image library through FFI rather than a native extension.

Usage notes

FFIs let high-level languages reuse fast, mature C code, but mistakes can cause crashes or memory corruption that the host language normally prevents. Java's Foreign Function and Memory API was finalized in Java 22 in 2024, replacing the clumsier JNI for many uses.

More programming abbreviations

  • E2E – End-to-end (testing)
  • EDA – Event-driven architecture
  • EOF – End of file
  • EOL – End of line
  • ESB – Enterprise service bus
  • ESM – ECMAScript modules
  • FIFO – First in, first out
  • FORTRAN – Formula Translation
  • FP – Functional programming
  • FSM – Finite-state machine
  • GC – Garbage collection
  • GCC – GNU Compiler Collection

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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.