API – What It Means and How It Works

In this article, we will discuss what an API is and how it works.

So, what does API mean? API is an acronym that stands for application programming interface. APIs expose various components of software (or computer programs), as well as the routines, tools, and protocols that access other applications’ features and data. APIs are generally used for user interface infrastructure and front-end graphics.

In other words, it is the language that all programmers must use to communicate with programs and communicate efficiently. APIs allow computers to “talk” to each other and pass along data or information to carry out connections. There are three main components of APIs: the user (the individual making a request), the client (the computer sending a request), and the server (the computer responding to a request). There are also various types of APIs, some of which are used every day. These APIs can be classified into 3 main sections: Ownership Web APIs, Communication Level APIs, and Web Service APIs.

Ownership Web APIs

According to Postman, there are 4 commonly used Web APIs.

• Composite APIs – Combine various service and data APIs, with the primary purpose of enhancing performance and execution
• Internal (or Private) APIs – Run on internal systems, generally for in-house/in-company use only, with the primary purpose of enhancing services and products
• Open APIs – Are available to the public with no restrictions, also referred to as Public APIs
• Partner APIs – Generally not accessible without specific licenses or rights

Communication Level APIs

There are two types of Communication Level APIs. Programmers use High-Level APIs to remove details or attributes, focusing on the main elements to be performed with limited functionality. The purpose is to simplify programs for specific users or to provide limited access to safety protocols.

The other type is simply a Low-Level API, which is more detailed than the High-Level, “which allows the programmer to manipulate functions within an application module or within hardware at a granular level. Usually, Low-level APIs are used in sending real-time video or media feed.”

Web Service APIs

These APIs use web addresses (URLs) to connect services to mobile, desktop, and other web applications. In other words, these APIs allow web services to be accessible to users on the internet. The programming is broken down into four subcategories based on behaviors and communication styles.

• SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol uses a unique communications protocol that provides a much higher level of security
• XML-RPC – Extensible Markup Language – Remote Procedure Calls uses a specific XML format to transfer data, is simpler, older, and utilizes less bandwidth
• JSON-RPC – JavaScript Object Notation – Remote Procedure Calls uses a specific JSON format to transfer data, which is easy for humans to read/write and machines to parse/generate
• REST – Representational State Transfer uses “URIs (Uniform Resource Identifier) HTTP protocol, and the use of JSON for a data format, which is super browser-compatible. REST APIs can be simple to build and scale as compared to other types of APIs.”

API Uses

Knowing what APIs are and what types or categories they fall into distinguishes everyday API uses. Common areas that use APIs include Email, Finance, Cloud, Sports, Music, Video Games, Mapping, Data, and virtually every company that uses a website. The following are various platforms that commonly use APIs.

• Facebook
  • Facebook uses various APIs to support its daily operations. The Facebook API is a platform for building applications available to members of the Facebook social network. The API allows applications to use the social connections and profile information to make applications more involving, and to publish activities to the news feed and profile pages of Facebook, subject to individual users’ privacy settings.”
• eBay
  • eBay has a list of all the APIs it offers to enhance users’ selling experience. An example of an eBay API is the ‘Buy APIs,’ which communicate with other applications on the platform to perform actions such as retrieving purchased items, tracking orders, and even checking out.
• Google Maps
  • Google Maps uses a series of intricate APIs. An example of which could be when you search for an address and various options pop up when it is located, i.e., to call, reviews, and images, each separate option operates on an API to retrieve this information and aggregate it for the end-user.
• Twitter
  • Twitter also offers a series of APIs. A specific example of a Twitter API is when users ‘Direct Message’ each other, which requires interacting with an API to connect Twitter Profiles and to send the appropriate message.

Without APIs, the platform would not have messaging, retweets, or a feed.APIs with the data they store and transfer make almost all of our internet communications between each other, websites, and servers possible. GeoTel leverages advanced APIs to power one of the largest telecommunications location-based databases. Be sure to fill out the form below and be the first to know of its new and advanced API releases.

Author: Valerie Stephen

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