Learn about API basics in 2 minutes.
What is API
The API or Application Programming Interface is a set of rules and standards that allow software programs to interact with each other.
It acts as a middleman between two applications, allowing them to exchange data and information.
Benefits of using APs:
- Ease of use: An API makes it easy for developers to access data and functionality from another application.
- Data sharing: APIs allow different applications to share data with each other.
- Increased security: By using an API, developers can keep their sensitive data by giving access to only small pieces of data.
Different types of APIs
- REST APIs: One of the most common types of APIs. REST APIs use HTTP requests to GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE data.
- SOAP APIs: Based on the Simple Object Access Protocol. They use XML-based messages.
- GraphQL: Newer type of API that provides an alternative to REST and SOAP APIs.
Where APIs are Used?
- They are used to request data from a server and display it on a client, such as a web browser.
- APIs are most commonly used to fetch data from a server, such as weather data or stock prices.
- APIs can also be used to update data on a server, such as updating the status on social media or adding items to a shopping cart.
Different categories of APIs:
- Public APIs: These are open to the public and anyone can use them.
- Private APIs: These are only available to select partners or developers.
- Partner APIs: These are similar to private APIs, but are designed to be used by business partners of the company that owns the API.
HTTP methods for REST APIs
- GET: Used to retrieve information about a resource.
- POST: Used to create new resources.
- PUT: Used to update existing resources.
- DELETE: Used to delete resources.
Free APIs for Testing:
- Facebook Graph API: The Facebook Graph API allows developers to access data from Facebook.
- Twitter REST API: The Twitter REST API provides access to tweets and other data from Twitter.
- Google Maps API: The Google Maps API allows developers to access map data from Google Maps.