What is an API, and what is its use? With some examples
What is an API?
What is an API : Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are mechanisms that allow two software components to communicate with each other using a set of definitions and protocols. They enhance the communication between different technologies to improve and enhance the product’s user experience.
APIs are essential tools that can be useful for any company. From a technical perspective, APIs allow the software to benefit from the capabilities of another computer program, allowing two separate programs to work together.
It is worth noting that APIs are used in four different platforms: libraries and frameworks, operating systems, remote APIs, and Web APIs. Since API is mainly used in the sense of Web APIs in today’s society, we will often focus on this type of API. In today’s blog, we will delve deeper into the world of APIs and examine their types, uses, and importance, along with a few examples. So stay tuned.
How do APIs work?
API architecture is usually explained in terms of client and server. The client is the program that sends the request, and the server is the program that sends the response. When using an application, the user causes an API to be called to do something; then, the application uses an API to request the webserver to do something.
Depending on when and why APIs are used, there are four different ways how they work, which we call API protocols. Below, we will name and explain them.
SOAP API
SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. In this type of API, messages are exchanged between the client and the server via XML and are less flexible. This type of API was more popular in the past.
RPC API
RPC (Remote Procedure Calls) is a type of web service (API) in which the client completes a function or procedure on the server, and the server returns the output to the client.
WebSocket API
WebSocket API is another modern type of API development that uses JSON objects to send data. It supports two-way communication between client and server applications. The server can send callback messages to connected clients, making the WebSocket API more efficient than the REST API.
REST API
REST APIs are the most popular and flexible APIs available on the web today. They work by having clients send requests as data to the server. The server uses this client input to initiate internal operations and returns output data to the client.
Types of API Usage
There are four types of APIs: private, public, partner, and composite. We will explain them below.
Private
Private web services are used internally by a company to connect internal business systems and data.
Public
Public web services are for public use, and anyone can use them. Of course, some of these APIs may require a license or payment.
Partner
Partner web services are not for public use but are licensed for specific companies’ use for specific purposes. Partner APIs can be exchanged between different businesses.
Composite
As the name suggests, these types of APIs are a combination of several different APIs that are used for complex behaviors of some systems.
Importance of APIs in Business
APIs can provide a better experience for customers of various businesses and simplify operations without requiring companies to pay a lot of money. Some of the benefits of using APIs in business include:
Ease of integration
An API is a component that allows different platforms, applications, and systems to connect, share information, and perform various tasks. For example, one particular software can be used within another or connected to other tools to simplify specific processes.
Better integration
APIs facilitate integration and allow different software to reorganize their interactions according to your business’s specific needs. This can help your company achieve better results while reducing costs. Externally, you can integrate your apps with third parties to optimize app performance and improve usability.
Automate tasks
Integrating apps is a big part of automation strategies, for which APIs are essential. Integration APIs automate manual tasks to make the transition between related apps smooth and seamless. Thanks to automation and process integration, your business can save money, time, and effort.
More advanced services
APIs simplify implementing new applications, business models, and digital products. They also allow for useful complements to third-party products or services while improving their development. For this reason, many web developers and entrepreneurs are willing to pay to use them.
Innovation
APIs are essential for digital transformation and the creation and development of innovative business models. They are the economic building blocks of an application that can be developed faster, better, and cheaper.
How to build an API?
Building an API that other developers want to work with and trust takes effort. Here are five steps to designing a high-quality API:
1. Plan for the API.
An API specification, such as OpenAPI, provides the blueprint for your API design. It’s a good idea to consider different use cases in advance and ensure the API adheres to current API development standards.
2. Build the API.
Web service designers prototype APIs using boilerplate code. After testing the prototype, developers can customize it with internal specifications. You can also hire a developer to build your API.
3. Test the API.
API testing is like software testing and is essential to prevent potential bugs. API testing tools can also test an API’s strength against cyberattacks.
4. Document the API.
While APIs are self-explanatory, API documentation acts as a guide to improving its capabilities. Documented APIs that provide a wide range of functions and use cases are more popular in service-oriented architecture.
5. Offer the API in a marketplace.
Like Amazon, an online retailer marketplace, API marketplaces allow developers to buy and sell other APIs. Listing your API can allow you to monetize it.
Where to find new APIs?
New web services can be found in API stores or directories. API stores are gaming platforms where anyone can list an API for sale. API directories, on the other hand, are controlled resources set up by the directory’s owner. Directories are more reliable because experienced API designers may have reviewed and tested a new API before adding it to their directory.
Here are some good websites to find new APIs:
Rapid API
Rapid is the world’s largest API marketplace, with over 10,000 public APIs and a million active developers. RapidAPI allows users to test APIs directly on the platform before purchasing.
Public APIs
The platform categorizes remote APIs into 40 distinct categories, making browsing and finding the right one for your needs easier.
APIForThat and APIList
Both websites have a list of over 500 web APIs and in-depth information on how to use them.
Some examples of daily use of APIs
APIs are in many different places in our lives, and we use them unconsciously daily because APIs are the main infrastructure of software and allow two separate software to work with each other. You may not have paid much attention to the role of APIs in your daily life before, but below, you will understand their presence better with five good and tangible examples.
Weather Awareness
Today, all smartphones, tablets, and even laptops can check the weather through applications, snippets, etc. This feature would not have been possible without the weather snippet API. Even when you Google “Tehran weather,” the weather of Tehran is shown in the bar at the top of the page; this is a clear example of using APIs.
Login with XYZ
Have you ever seen the option to log in with Google, Yahoo, Facebook, or Twitter when registering or logging into a site or app? Of course, this is also the work of APIs! This option saves you the hassle of creating a new account and improves your experience.
Online Payment Gateways
Online shopping has somehow become an inseparable part of many people’s lives today. Whether you are paying your bill or buying a new pair of pants from your favorite site, when you pay, you are redirected to an online payment gateway that has the API footprint of the banking gateway in question.
Transportation and Accommodation Reservations
Today, we even make hotel and flight reservations through sites and apps. But have you ever wondered where this real-time data on the number, time, and price of available tickets with detailed details comes from? Yes, APIs! When you enter a site to book a train ticket from Tehran to Rasht, that site uses the API of the railway company in question so that you can book your ticket in just a few minutes.
Google Maps
It is clear to everyone that having a business with a physical office or store is excellent. But how can those who want to visit you find you? If you have a physical store, it is better to remind the web designer when hiring him to use the Google Maps API for more straightforward navigation for your users! In this regard, we recommend that you read the article “How to Add Google Maps to a WordPress Site.”
Resources
https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/api/