What really is an API?
We’ve all heard of APIs, but what are they exactly? To put it another way, imagine you’re seeking for a method to express yourself in a unique way. Our thoughts, wants, and ideas may all be expressed through language (both written and spoken), gestures, and facial expressions. For interaction with computers, applications, and websites, user interface components such as a screen with a menu and graphical elements, a keyboard, and a mouse are necessary. Software and its components do not require a graphical user interface to communicate with one another. APIs (application programming interfaces) are machine-readable interfaces that allow software products to exchange data and functionality.
Rest API
Roy Fielding first mentioned REST in his doctorate dissertation in 2000. It’s a collection of architectural elements, design concepts, and interactions for constructing distributed systems that employ any type of media (text, video, etc.). REST is a method of system development that provides for flexible transmission and presentation of information over the web while also giving the framework needed to quickly create general-purpose components. REST differs from other web services because it requires delivering data to the requesting application. While this gives the program a lot of freedom, allowing it to do anything it wants with the data, it comes at the expense of efficiency. Delivering data over the internet for processing is much slower than conducting the processing locally and then sending the results.
Private API
These application software interfaces should improve an organization’s solutions and services. In house developers or contractors can use these APIs to integrate a company’s IT systems or applications, as well as to create new systems or customer-facing apps that use current systems.
Partner API
Partner APIs are marketed freely but only shared with business partners that have signed a contract with the publisher. Software integration between two companies is a frequent use case for partner APIs. A firm that gives its partners access to data or capabilities might generate additional income streams. It can keep track of how the exposed digital assets are being used, ensuring that third-party solutions that use their APIs deliver a good user experience, and guarantee that corporate identity is maintained in their apps.
Public API
These APIs, often known as developer-facing or external APIs, are open to all third party developers. When correctly implemented, a public API program may increase brand recognition while also providing an extra source of revenue. There are two kinds of public APIs: open (free) and commercial (for a fee).
Why I chose this topic?
I have always wanted to learn more about APIs because I have used rest api before and I never really knew how it worked or what it was. I only followed the documentation about I’ve always wanted to understand more about APIs because I’ve used them previously but had no idea how they operated or what they were. I only used it after reading the documentation on how to do so. After doing this research, I have a basic understanding of APIs and their various kinds.
From the blog cs@worcester – Dream to Reality by tamusandesh99 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.