What does api mean

They simply connect their software to another one. In other words, APIs serve as an abstraction layer between two systems, hiding the complexity and working details of the latter.

Private APIs. These application software interfaces are designed for improving solutions and services within an organization. Even if apps are publicly available, the interface itself remains available only for those working directly with the API publisher.

The private strategy allows a company to fully control the API usage. Partner APIs. Partner APIs are openly promoted but shared with business partners who have signed an agreement with the publisher. The common use case for partner APIs is software integration between two parties. A company that grants partners with access to data or capability benefits from extra revenue streams.

At the same time, it can monitor how the exposed digital assets are used, ensure whether third-party solutions using their APIs provide decent user experience, and maintain corporate identity in their apps. Public APIs. Also known as developer-facing or external, these APIs are available for any third-party developers. A public API program allows for increasing brand awareness and receiving an additional source of income when properly executed.

There are two types of public APIs — open free of charge and commercial ones. The definition also states that the API description and any related documentation must be openly available, and that the API can be freely used to create and test applications. A popular approach among publishers is to offer free trials, so users can evaluate APIs before purchasing subscriptions. Learn more about how businesses benefit from opening their APIs for public use in our detailed article on API economy.

Database APIs. Database APIs enable communication between an application and a database management system. Developers work with databases by writing queries to access data, change tables, etc. Operating systems APIs. This group of APIs defines how applications use the resources and services of operating systems. Those building apps for the iOS mobile operating system use Cocoa Touch — a modified version of Cocoa. Remote APIs. Remote APIs define standards of interaction for applications running on different machines.

In other words, one software product accesses resources located outside the device that requests them, which explains the name. Since two remotely located applications are connected over a communications network, particularly the internet, most remote APIs are written based on web standards.

Web APIs. This API class is the most common. Web APIs provide machine-readable data and functionality transfer between web-based systems which represent client-server architecture. Developers can use web APIs to extend the functionality of their apps or sites. Most businesses use more than one API to connect applications and share information.

Learn more about API management in our detailed article. The goal of API specifications is to standardize data exchange between web services. This protocol specifies the interaction between client-server based applications. One program client requests data or functionality from another program server , located in another computer on a network, and the server sends the required response. RPC is also known as a subroutine or function call. One of two ways to implement a remote procedure call is SOAP.

SOAP is a lightweight protocol for exchanging structured information in a decentralized, distributed environment, according to the definition by Microsoft that developed it. Generally speaking, this specification contains the syntax rules for request and response messages sent by web applications.

Extensible markup language XML is a simple and very flexible text format widely used for data storage and exchange over the internet or other networks. There are APIs for requesting text translation from Google Translate, or embedding Facebook comments or tweets from Twitter on a website. The OAuth standard also defines a number of APIs that allow you to sign into a website with another service—for example, to use your Facebook, Google, or Twitter accounts to sign into a new website without creating a new user account just for that site.

APIs are standard contracts that define how developers communicate with a service, and the kind of output those developers should expect to receive back. But, if you see a software platform or service has added new APIs for various hardware or services, it should be easier for developers to take advantage of such features. Browse All iPhone Articles Browse All Mac Articles Do I need one? Browse All Android Articles Browse All Smart Home Articles Customize the Taskbar in Windows Browse All Microsoft Office Articles What Is svchost.

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Best Bluetooth Speakers. Awesome PC Accessories. Best Linux Laptops. Best Gaming Monitors. The browser seems to have done just fine displaying a JSON response. A JSON response like this is ready for use in your code. Then you can do whatever you want with the data. Once incorporated into your code, a library becomes part of your overall app. Being a distinct piece of software, the library would likely have an API which allows it to interact with the rest of your code.

Your application may have hundreds of objects defined that can interact with one another. Each object has an API — a set of public methods and properties that it uses to interact with other objects in your application. From what we have covered, I hope you take away the broader meaning of API as well as the more common uses of the term today. HTTP protocol basics. If this article was helpful, tweet it.