What is behind the term API?
API is the abbreviation for “Application Programming Interface“. An API is therefore an interface: It connects software and hardware components, such as applications, hard disks, or user interfaces.
When programming, APIs unify the data passing between program parts, such as modules, and programs.
Complex programs no longer work without APIs. In this case, individual program parts, so-called modules, are encapsulated by the actual code. The modules communicate exclusively via the API. Simply put, APIs translate the software into machine language, making it readable for various components.
Why do you need APIs?
Thanks to program modules and associated APIs, complex programs are easier to maintain. An API tests by means of transferred data whether the module is working properly. This makes it easier to locate and fix errors. In addition, APIs act as data providers in the software domain: Content can be exchanged between various websites and programs using APIs.
The word API (English for “application programming interface”) means translated “programming interface” and forms for programmers accordingly an access point to the software. The API is released by the owners of the software and allows external programmers with limited access to the software. The API thus provides a bridge between providers and users (programmers).
This is what the API offers its users
Unlike direct access to the source code of programs, APIs offer their owners and external programmers:
- A manageable access point to parts of the company’s software system for the programmers.
- A way for publishers (owners) to hide certain parts of their software from the programmers.
- A communication between programming and software, where the API transmits the inputs of the programmer and returns their response to the programmer.
- A network of countless programs, which so-called code reuse (reuse of programming code), the benefits of this code immensely. Thus, countless apps are created.
- For example, APIs are very important for web services. Through the shared interface, programmers are able to insert existing content into the program. Further processing of content is possible.
- The term API comes from the English language area and is the short form of “Application-Programming-Interface”. Freely translated into German, this means something like “interface to application programming“. Colloquially, however, API is usually referred to as a programming interface.
- This interface provides other programs with a tool to connect to the software system. This allows developers to influence the hardware, such as the monitor or the data on the hard disk, without having to address them directly. The operating system serves as the interface, which receives requests from the programs via the provided libraries and forwards them to the hardware.
- APIs and digital content
- However, the term “API” has become relevant mainly through its use of web services. These allow developers to use the interfaces provided to dynamically integrate content provided into their own program. APIs thus serve to exchange and further process data and content between different websites, programs, and content providers. In addition, they allow third parties access to previously closed data pools and user groups.
- In a more technical logic, APIs are like the machine equivalent to the user interface, which has been optimized for people and thus is “human-readable”. The API is a software-specific interface, i.e. machine-readable. The application programming interface provides clear abstracted and structured access to the functions of the backend. In addition, data can be exchanged, for example, in a particularly easy-to-process and reduced form.
- There are four different types of Web APIs:
- Internal APIs
- External APIs
- Platform APIs
- Authentication APIs and Authorization APIs
Example
Through the YouTube API, developers have the ability to search for videos with desired parameters, such as name or length. The API returns the answer in the form of an XML file. This can then be used after an evaluation for your own website.
