What is an API ?

Times call for systems to interact. Today, in this era of technology, there is a heightened need for two systems, not necessarily in vicinity, to collaborate with each other and perform a function that is not possible with a single system.

So, how do we make these two, or perhaps even more systems collaborate? Remember that these systems might be nowhere each other so to connect them on the same Ethernet is not an option.

Well, if you’re wondering, don’t we have you covered. API helps in the integration of two systems to carry out several processes so as to render a result beyond the capabilities of systems individually. But, what exactly is API and what are its significant uses and benefits? We discuss everything. Take a look:

What Is API?

To begin with, API stands for Application Program Interface. As the name suggests, it is an interface, a platform that facilitates in the programming of several applications. It is a set rule of protocols that provides the right tools to build software applications. To understand all this, just consider this: API is like a stage, where different coders, from all around the world, can work together, simultaneously so as to reach a common goal.

What Are API Uses?

So, this brings us to where APIs can be used. To answer that quickly, we would say that almost all the mobile or computer applications that you use today rely on some sort of an API architecture. While it differs according to the type of application it is used to create, its function to facilitate and provide common grounds for two different systems always remains the same. To understand this better, consider this example:

When you buy stuff online and later key in your card details to make the payment for your purchases, what lets the software know if you have entered the correct details or not? So what happens is, after you've entered your credentials, the application sends out signals to a remote server of your bank that verifies the data and then sends it back with a response if it is right or not. So, API is the platform here, that let your app and the servers exchange messages. Even something as common as copying text in your computer and pasting it elsewhere is facilitated by a certain API.

(Image Courtesy: Arxan)

Benefits Of API

Now that we know how crucial API is for a better functioning of software applications, it surely comes with its share of benefits as well. Let’s see how major companies rely on API and that would perhaps give us some amount of closure on how beneficial API can be:

#1. Google Maps API

This particular API lets developers embed Google Maps into their websites. When a user clicks on the map, a signal is sent to the servers of Google Maps that then render the result of the search.

#2. YouTube API

Just like Maps, the YouTube API lets developers embed YouTube videos into their websites. When you click on them, you are redirected to the video website and all that is dictated due to the API.

#3. Twitter API

Starting right from embedding Tweets to getting crucial insight and analytics of a tweet, Twitter’s API lets its user do it all.

#4. Amazon API

Remember the example we have cited above? That is a key feature of Amazon’s API among many other things. Other benefits of an Amazon include letting vendors monetize their websites.

So, there you have it; all you needed to know about APIs and how beneficial they are. Tech giants like Google, Twitter, Amazon among others, all rely upon APIs because it increases productivity and ensures a seamless end-user experience. 

(Featured Image Courtesy: API Academy)