API(Application Programming Interface)
If you are a tech enthusiast or work in the tech industry then you must have come across the term "API", else you should understand what actually API is and what are its features and practices in the tech world.
Today API is used everywhere from booking tickets, Hotels, trips, making payments services through various merchants, logging Facebook, and different day-to-day services we all are using API many times in our daily life.
During Human communication, We express our ideas, thoughts, needs through language(spoken or written), gestures, or facial expression. Interaction with computers, apps, and website requires a user interface components screen with a menu and graphical elements, keyboard, and mouse.
In Software or its element, It doesn't need a graphical user interface to communicate with each other. The Software products exchange data and functionalities via a machine-readable interface which is known as Application Programming Interfaces(APIs).
Let's define API-
It is a set of programming codes that allows data transmission between one software product with the other.
In simple terms, It is a set of instructions, requirements, and standards that enable an app or software to exchange the data to employ features or services of some other application, device, or platform to offer better services. It serves as an abstraction layer between two systems, hides the complexity and working details of the systems. It speeds up or simplifies software development and developers used it to add functionality from other providers to the existing solutions. It can be also used to develop a new application by using third-party providers and it specifies the interface so that different applications can communicate.
Components of API-
1. Technical Specification- It describes the data exchange options between solutions with the specification which is done in the form of requests for processing and data delivery protocols.
2. Software interface- It is written with respect to the particular specification where two applications communicate with each other.
How API Work?
To Understand the working of the API in simple terms, let's take an example. Assume you have opened an XYZ website or app to book a flight. First, You filled the form by entering all the details such as departure date, flight, city, and other respective details.
As soon as you submit, a list of flights will appear with details like seat availability, timings, pricing, and all other details. It is happening because of the APIs.
To provide such accurate data, the platform sends the request to the website so that it can access the database and get all the relevant data through API. The website then responds with the data which was delivered via API to the platform. here the API act as an intermediate that streamlines the data sharing process. On the other hand, the airline website and flight booking platform act as the endpoints. When it comes to communicating the endpoints, then API namely works in two ways which are SOAP and REST.
Type of API
Private APIs
In this scenario, The interfaces of this application software are designed to improve services and solutions within the organization. Contractors as well as in-house developers can use these APIs to build new systems.
here, the app’s interface remains available only for those people who are working with the API publisher even if the app is publically available. With a private strategy, the company can take full control of API usage.
Partner API-
These types of API are used for software integration between two parties. These are also openly promoted and are shared with those business partners that have signed the agreement with the publisher. A company can benefit from extra revenue streams by granting its partner's capability benefits and access to data.
Meanwhile, they can also monitor how exposed digital assets are used. Furthermore, they also ensure if the 3rd-party solutions which use their APIs offer a decent user experience or not. They also ensure if they maintain corporate identity in their apps.
Public API-
These types of API are publicly available for everyone to use without any restrictive terms and conditions. The documentation and description are available for third-party developers to test, create applications, and can contribute to their developed feature. This type of API program enabled you to increase brand awareness. also, it generates additional income source if properly implemented in a particular organization.
Composite API
These types of API are known for combining different services and data APIs. These are made by combining existing API function which can perform many tasks in a single call. This boosts the execution speed along with enhancing the performance of the listeners in the web interface.
The remaining part of this will be covered in the next tutorial. Stay tuned!!