Wednesday, September 18, 2024

What is API ?

API stands for “Application Programming Interface”. APIs allow one application to “talk” to another to enable the transfer of stored data or instructions. APIs can be found everywhere in your daily life, from YouTube videos embedded in social media apps to the smart speaker on your kitchen countertop. So that software developed by different people at different times interacts, thereby increasing functionality and productivity. APIs operate on an agreement of inputs and outputs.

Application: This could be applications that you use on your smartphone or a software program that you use.

Programming: Developers use APIs to write software.

Interface: How it interacts with the application.

API Architecture:

Unlike API design, which focuses on why the API is built, the output, and how it is executed, the API architecture defines the entire methodology and process for running and deploying APIs. It covers the API gateway (and how API security, caching and orchestration work), developing an API portal for API analysis, API documentation, API marketing, making sure they work with web applications / mobile apps and defines, like them internal, partner and third party developers. The architecture helps your company with the entire API lifecycle management process.

How does an API work?

Many APIs require an authentication token to access. Refer to the API documentation for instructions on how to acquire this token. To call an API, the “caller” must send uniquely identifying information as an identifier to the API service provider. This identifier is known as the API key.

The following url string is your API path and can be found in the API documentation.

const resQuote = “https://techgatorapi.com/v1/quote/”;
$.ajax({
url: resQuote,
method: “GET”
}).then(function(response){
console.log(response);
}

In this example, the variable resQuote is defined as a string that contains an API route. When called by the jQuery .ajax method in line 2, the API is queried and returns either JSON or XML data.
That data is then passed into our .then callback function and rendered to the console in its raw form.

Types of APIs

REST APIs: REST APIs, also called RESTful APIs, stand for Representational State Transfer. REST APIs have been gaining popularity recently as part of web services. for developers to make requests and receive responses via HTTP functions. There are four different HTTP commands on which REST is based. These include GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE. If you go to Instagram and are looking for the latest and greatest meme of the day, this app uses a REST API.
SOAP APIs: SOAP stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. While REST is a style of architecture, SOAP is a protocol defined by a standard. SOAP is based on XML-based systems and programming and usually has larger and more expensive data. A common use case is an application that interacts with a financial institution.
RPC APIs: RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call. RPC APIs were the earliest form of APIs, as they are designed to execute a block of code on a different server. When it is used over HTTP, it can become a Web API.

Examples of APIs

TripFro Travel: TripFro provides API integration services for travel agents, tour operators and travel management companies. With the integration of API JSON / XML, travel companies can improve their customers’ bookings.

Mailchimp Marketing API: Mailchimp is an email marketing platform that meets the email marketing needs of many popular websites. These websites and applications can take advantage of the Mailchimp platform using their marketing API.

OpenWeather API: OpenWeather is a free, open weather data API that can be used to feed everything from small widgets to complete applications. According to reporting site Built With, many news organizations use OpenWeather on their sites.

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