What You Should Know about APIs

They say software runs the world, and it’s all thanks to the capability to merge with one-another via the use of APIs. API, short for application programming interface, is imperative to comprehend what these do in our modern technology environment.

An application’s API is usually a web-based interface that returns data, but the API is actually just the code that governs the access point or points for the server. All an API does is supply the ability to receive data from outside sources. Think of it as the door into the software.

The developer sees the API as a method for their software to communicate with other pieces of software. For example: a database that is accessed by your application might be structured outside of your development platform, meaning that you’ll need an API to permit developers a way to call the data from the database for use in your development platform.

In this way, developers utilize data from other applications in your favorite solutions, allowing for integration between them. One great example of how APIs work is how you can log into your favorite news site using your Facebook or Google account. This is because the developer of the website uses the Facebook or Google API to give you access to the content.

It’s clear that APIs are extremely imperative for mobile application development. APIs offer the following benefits to mobile application developers:

• Accelerated app development: APIs provide developers the ability to eliminate wasted time via building specific integration methods.
• Increased app functionality: APIs offer access to data from other applications, allowing for enhanced functionality.
• Improved application marketability: More integrations mean more usability in various markets, meaning that it will be more common and useful for more people.

This only scratches the surface of what an API is and can accomplish. What are some other tech terms that you’d like to see covered on our blog?