If you would like to know more about the concept of API, you have come to the right place! A simple way to better understand the use of APIs is to think about the apps you use daily. In today’s world, all mobile apps and web pages are designed for us human beings, while APIs are designed for digital systems. Web pages and APIs both do similar things. In fact, they bring us back information, content, images, videos and more, but the APIs do not need all the details that make the content look beautiful to our people. In fact, the APIs only need raw data and information readable by cars to do their work. Below we fully explain what the API is and we examine its application in programming. Stay with us.
What is API or Applied Programming Interface?
The API is an application for application programming. APIs are small codes that allow digital devices, software applications and servers together. In fact, they are the main spine of many of the services we now use.
What is API integration?
“API integration” is a term that is typically very much searching on Google. The good news is that the main purpose of the APIs is to support integration and integration, and the integration of the APIs makes it easy to communicate between two or more apps, applications, services or systems using APIs. Here’s a look at the history of the API and the application of the API, example and other API -related items.
API History
The use of web APIs began when business startups were looking for changes to their business method on the web. They used the new media to make their services and goods available to a website, and while working with their business partners, they decided to automate powerful businesses such as EBay, Amazon and SalewForce.
In year 4, with the advent of a new group of API providers and ways to share information with local and global social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, a change in the API vision began to emerge. With the powerful start of commercial and social apps and the emergence of clouds, the APIs continued to grow and, by creating more dynamics, provided the infrastructure of the next -generation devices.
We suggest reading the “Overview of the History of APIs” as well.
What are the APIs used?
APIs are used for a variety of cases, including:
- APIs are mostly behind web applications.
- APIs make it possible to build mobile apps.
- APIs with their integration capability can provide coding solutions.
- APIs connect the devices to the Internet.
- APIs define networks – or transmitted information between applications, systems and devices.
- APIs even connect daily items such as cars, alarm, dishwasher and wearable devices.
Why should you care for APIs?
Until this part you realized what the API is and we have examined its application. But why is it important to use APIs? Here’s a very brief list:
- API helps you access the data needed to do everyday tasks.
- APIs allow the integration of different systems, such as customer relationship management systems, databases, or even school learning management systems.
- APIs make offices, teams and groups more agile.
- APIs help organizations, schools, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations strengthen their relationships with other organizations, research institutes and agencies.
How do APIs work?
APIs help to talk to each other by sharing data and information between applications, systems, and devices.
To explain the performance of the APIs, consider a common customer, waitress and restaurant kitchen scenario: The customer speaks to the waiter and tells the waiter what he wants. The waiter lowers the order and transfers it to the kitchen. The kitchen starts its work and prepares the food, and then the waiter delivers the order to the customer.
In this metaphor, the customer is like a user who tells Garson what food he wants. The waiter is like an API and receives the customer’s order and translates it into simple instructions to prepare the kitchen according to them (in fact looking for a set of codes or inputs so the kitchen can easily recognize). The kitchen performance is like a server that we hope to make the order in the way the customer wants! When the food is ready, the waiter removes the order and delivers it to the customer.
Why should I use API?
Until this section of the article, we explained what the API is and we also examined the use of the API, the importance and how the API works. Here’s how to use APIs?
There are numerous reasons for using APIs. To answer this question more accurately, thousands of professional developers have been asked why they prefer to produce or use APIs. Some answers are as follows:
Integration with internal and external systems:
One of the most important reasons developers use API is to integrate one system with another. For example, if you want your customer relationship management system (CRM) to integrate with your marketing automation system, you can use an API to allow these two systems to talk to each other if a new customer is added to the CRM by the sales representative , Automatically send marketing email.
Add or improve the performance of internal and external systems:
Another common reason that developers use API is to improve the performance of internal systems and external systems. For example, if you have an internal system that tracks holidays for managers, they may allow staff to request holidays through their email using an API.
Add or improve performance for customers:
Increasing or improving efficiency will improve customer experience and help them interact with your organization. For example, if you work in a food delivery company, using an API can automatically tell customers that their food is close to the delivery site.
Accelerated Software and System Development:
APIs allow developers to encode and deliver the code as a set of micro -services instead of large and integrated applications. This capability allows developers to accelerate software development and system development by eliminating dependencies and reducing additional costs such as coding, testing and more. Another way that the APIs help to accelerate development is to allow the Franz and Backdown programming teams to work in parallel.
In other words, a Frante developer can work on the Frante section (the part they see), while a backbone developer can work on the basic sections (or what users and customers do not see).
Reduce Operational Costs:
Another reason for developers’ use of API is reducing operating costs. A number of tasks, such as reporting or sending emails and sharing data with other systems performed by humans, can be done by APIs. APIs can help reduce operational costs in many ways. For example, the launch and shutdown of production systems automatically, the creation of a schedule for workers, or even reducing the number of people who need software permits.
Reduce Software Development Costs:
One of the most important ways that APIs can reduce software development costs is to allow developers to create reusable components. For example, a backbone developer can create a system that provides customer information including name, email address, recent product purchases, and more. Other developers throughout the organization can then use APIs to get this information and track payments for finance and accounts, help customers solve problems quickly, or even make suggestions for marketing campaigns. API can also help reduce software development costs by reducing architectural complexity and reducing the time needed to change systems.
Improving Software and System Test:
APIs can help improve software and system testing by providing separate testing of the franc and back components. Also, the health, quality and performance of the API can be checked using automatic testing, and the API test can be integrated into the CI/CD pipeline.
Improving Organizational Security:
APIs can be used to improve organizational security. For example, they are often used to allow a single -stage entry and enables users to use a username and password to log in to different systems. This feature helps to get rid of important notes containing usernames and passwords, which are considered a major security danger. APIs can also be used to enforce and automate corporate rules and policies such as the need to verify before paying costs to employees.
Activate mobile apps:
Many mobile applications rely on API to provide important information to users. For example, if you use your cellphone to check your flight and choose your seat, the APIs can book the desired seat for you to keep the hostesses when you are riding your flight.
Reduce defective disconnections and systems:
Finally, APIs can help reduce definitive and defective systems. For example, a company may quickly detect a specific problem in the production line using the API and even recommend a solution to repair the system and faster online to help maintenance staff.
Different types of APIs
Until this section of the article, we explained what the API is and we also examined the use of the API, the importance, how to work, and the reason for using APIs. Now let’s see what the APIs have and what are the API architectural styles?
There are different types of APIs and different ways to categorize them. Here are some of the most common of them.
1. Internal and external APIs and private partner
One way to categorize API is to determine who has access to them:
- Internal APIs are private APIs and are only used by your team, department, company or organization.
External APIs, also known as public APIs or open APIs (not confused with Openapi), are general APIs available for use.
- Private partner APIs are only shared with special partners and outside your organization.
2. API architectural styles
When it comes to API architecture, there is a different number of style, some newer, some are older and all have a place in the API ecosystem. With this widespread definition of “Architectural Styles”, we are going to introduce a list of the most popular styles in the number of uses:
REST API:
REST stands for the word Republica State Transfer. The REST API relies on several guides such as the client-server structure, simple and uniform interfaces for communicating throughout the system, non-state operations, and so on.
Webhooks:
Webhooks are event -based, and in other words they are automatic messages sent from one system to another at the time of an event. Webhooks is also referred to as “reverse APIs” as a concept for investigating data changes.
Soap:
The SOAP API stands for Simple Protect Access Protocol. The SOAP APIs have a more structured structure than other APIs, but they can be slower than other APIs. The model uses an XML -based messaging protocol that includes the Endpoint labels required by the Endpoint.
Graphql API:
Graphql stands for Graph Query Language. Graph Query Language specifies how to apply for an API from another API and instead of relying on how the server is defined from the end point, a Graphql Query Query can request specific information. Initially, Graphql was created by Facebook as an internal tool in year 6, but later published it publicly as a source language for the APIs.
WebSocket API:
This model is from the API based on the WebSocket Computer Communications Protocol, a two -way communication channel on a TCP connection.
However, the HTTP protocol (Hypertext Transmission Protocol) is a half -way connection. The WebSocket API provides a standard way to send data and data to the servers even when the customer does not request. WebSocket APIs also allow the connections to communicate between the client and the server while keeping the connections open.
GRPC API:
RPC in GRPC stands for the word Remote Procedure Call. GRPC APIs are created by Google. In the GRPC, the client, like a local object, can call the server, which allows distributed programs and systems to communicate with each other.
API Send Event from Server (Server-Sent Event API):
This API model, also known as SSE, is a technology that relies on the data given from the Push server. This will allow the client to automatically receive updates through HTTP connection.
AMQP API:
AMQP stands for Advanced Message Queuing Protocol and is in fact a protocol that follows open standards and works in the program layer. AMQP is suitable for messenger -driven middle -class, and like other protocols, AMQP determines how to communicate with message and client providers. There are several features that distinguish AMQP; Including its ability to queue and routing messages that support AMQP reliability and security.
MQTT API:
MQTT stands for Message Queuing Telemetry Transport. The MQTT messaging protocol is defined by the organization of structural information standards, known as Oasis. MQTT is perfectly suitable for IoT because of its lightness. MQTT allows devices to publish or share messages.
EDI:
EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange and has a long history of the 1980s! The main idea behind EDI is to allow jobs to make electronic communication to each other by sending information written on paper, such as receipts or factors for payment accounts or information such as ordering.
API production challenges and API consumption
Until this section of the article, we explained what the API is and we also examined the use of the API, the importance, how to work, the reason for use, the types and styles of the API architecture. Now let’s see what are the challenges of API production and API consumption?
When it comes to making APIs, there are many challenges and obstacles that makers and teams face. Here we have received information from thousands of developers and experts across the API industry to see what they think about the most common challenges:
lack of time:
The first obstacle to manufacturers and many API consumers is the lack of time. Creating and applying API, depending on what you want to do API, may require a lot of effort.
Documentation Lack of Documentation:
The number one barrier is the API consumers. API documents are information that API providers provide to help consumers understand how to use APIs.
Lack of knowledge:
Another obstacle of many producers and Egypt
Finers are sufficient, lack of knowledge and information. In some cases, people who work with APIs need deeper technical knowledge, or in other cases technically skilled but are unaware of specific API features.
Network of people:
Lack of time actually refers to the lack of time and knowledge. Many teams of production and consumption of APIs consider their current team infrastructure challenging and need more people in their team to expand their technical knowledge and increase the time of work on the APIs.
Complexity:
While the concept of API is relatively simple, their implementation can be very complex. Many people who both produce and consume APIs see complexity as a major obstacle.
Prioritization of stakeholders:
Stakeholders or people who “share” projects are often those who control the resources, employees and budgets allocated to projects. If stakeholders do not prioritize API projects, they will prevent consumers and producers.
Lack of funds:
Most API production and consumption teams require funding. Sometimes this budget is spent on staff, training and tools, while some APIs require budget to regularly use them.
Shareholders’ expectations (unrealistic / uncertain):
Stakeholders or people who “share” projects and efforts often do not have a technical background and are not clear about what they want to obtain with API, or in worse cases their need is sometimes unrealistic!
Network of tools:
There are few developers who start coding from zero. There are numerous tools available to developers that help them to cod smarter, faster and better. But the obstacle is that every developer does not have access to the tools they need.
Real examples of API
To this part of the article, we explained what the API is and we also examined the use of the API, the importance, the reason, the reason for use, architectural types and styles, and the challenges of the production and consumption of APIs. Now we want to look at the actual samples of the API.
Looking for real examples of API? The following is a list of APIs, most commonly known as the Postman API Network. Postman API Network provides a central location for API consumers and API manufacturers to easily discover and explore APIs.
You can find many popular APIs in Postman API Network, some of the famous examples are listed below:
1. Twitter API:
With this API you can do a variety of things like searching specific users, searching specific tweets, filtering real -time tweets and more.
2. API imgur:
This API shows the entire IMGUR infrastructure. In fact, using the imgur API, you can implement all the things you can do at imgur.com. Like finding and sharing the most interesting, informative, and inspiring images, behavioral patterns and GIF images.
3. OKTA API:
OKTA offers a wide range of APIs, including endpoints to authenticate users and recover passwords. It also offers Endpoints to configure resources such as users, applications, sessions and factors.
4. Surveymonkey APIs:
Surveymonkey application programming interfaces allow you to explore Surveymonkey data, including survey questions, poll answers, contacts, criteria, errors and more.
5. Yelp’s Fusion API:
This allows you to get the best information about local businesses and review users of over one million businesses in nine countries.
If you still need more samples, we recommend reading the different types of APIs influencing online businesses.
Last word
In this article, we explain what the API is and we explain the use of the API, the importance, how to work, the reason for use, the types and styles of architecture, the challenges of production and use of APIs, and the actual API examples.
We said that the API allows developers to devise new and lucrative ways to provide product or service and provide you with access to a broader network of contacts. Since API is an independent connection line to your information, you can reuse them every time you develop a new product for your business. This product can be a site, a business app or even software on your internal network. Therefore, the APIs increase the speed of development and receive more feedback and have an impact on your performance.
Try APIs for yourself!
Do you think you may be ready to try the APIs? Using the Platform API Postman, you can explore the APIs, send requests, see what data is returned and many more. In addition, it is completely free to get started.