Technical Foundations of API (Application Programming Interface) 🌐

Advanced

APIs serve as intermediaries that enable different software systems to communicate and operate together smoothly. They provide a set of rules and specifications that developers follow to interact with a service, often over HTTP for web APIs.

Core Features of API:

  • Endpoints & Methods: Specific URLs and actions (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).
  • Data Formats: Typically JSON or XML for data exchange.
  • Authentication & Authorization: Secures API calls.
  • Documentation & Standards: Guides for developers.

Real-World Analogy: An API is like a restaurant menu: it lists what you can order (services), how to request it, and how to receive your food (response).

Example: A client application retrieving user data from a cloud server via REST API:

GET /api/users/123
Authorization: Bearer xyz

The server responds with a JSON object containing user details.

Diagram:

sequenceDiagram
participant Client
participant Server
Client->>Server: Send API Request (e.g., GET /api/data)
Server-->>Client: Return Response (JSON/XML)