What is an Application Programming Interface (API)?

Advantages of APIs

Real-Time Communication: APIs can be used as real time communication as it is also important for user experience in Apps and Website

Save Time: APIs saved developers time for writing code multiple times

Security: Enhanced security of website and apps.

Types of APIs

There are mainly 3 types of API used in the industry

REST APIs: It stands for Representational State transfer , it is designed for simplicity and scalability for projects. It uses the HTTP method to perform an action and provide JSON in response.

SOAP APIs: it stands for simple object access protocol , it follows a hard and rigid structure and it used XML for data exchanges

GraphQL: these APIs provide high flexibility by allowing users or clients to request only the data which is needed. It is also good for security

APIs in Real-World Scenarios

Social Media Integration

Many social media platforms provided APIs that allow applications to communicate with their services. This integration enables developers to share content from other apps directly to their social media profiles like Google login, Facebook login, and Maps APIs.

E-commerce Transactions

E-commerce websites APIs for payment processing. When users make a payment, the website interacts with a payment gateway's API to securely process their transaction.

Common Terms Associated with APIs

Endpoints

API endpoints are the URLs where developers make a request. Each endpoint is responsible for a particular resource or action.

Authentication

Authentication ensures that only authorized users can access the APIs or Data. it involves using API keys, tokens, or other authentication methods.

Rate Limiting

Rate limiting keep under control the number of requests a user or application can make to an API within a defined timeframe.

Conclusion - what is API?

In the above article, we learned what is APIs, how API works, and the types of API. In summary, API stands for application programming interface and is used for data exchange between two systems. there are 3 types of APIs REST, SOAP and GraphQL.