What is an API?
What is an API?
API Stands for Application Programming Interface (No need to memorize or know this 😅).
Let’s make things as simple as possible.
API allows programmers and developers to interact with a specific platform or access data and tools directly from their custom application (code).
Let’s take an example.
Suppose a programmer wants to develop social media management software like Buffer or Hootsuite.
In that case, he will need access to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social platforms directly from his code so he can publish, schedule, access analytics, and do other stuff from his own application.
💡 Note: what is social media management software?
Social media management software is a tool used to manage and schedule posts on various social media platforms, monitor and track engagement, and analyze social media traffic and audience behavior. It helps businesses and organizations to streamline their social media presence and improve their online reputation.
But this is not possible by default because if you want to post on social platforms, you must use their interface. So what to do?
How do social media management tools access platforms like Facebook and Twitter?
Here, the API solves this issue and acts as a gateway or a broker between the programmer and the target platform.
For example, Facebook allows programmers to access Facebook through Facebook API, just like Twitter, Pinterest, Google, and many other platforms.
Question ❓
If a developer wants to run a Google search through his own application, how can he do that?
🟢 Answer: Using Google’s API
Another Example of APIs is allowing programmers to access data on a specific server or database.
We can’t give programmers public access to our servers and databases. So we create an API that can manage and handle this securely.
And if you like reading technical definitions, here we are:
API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a set of rules and protocols for accessing a web-based software application or web tool. Simply, it allows communication between different software systems and enables them to exchange data.
I think that’s enough; hopefully, you’ve grasped the concept of APIs.