Sometimes, we don’t even notice how technologies surround us and affect the actions we make. We take the automated operation of an application or a website for granted without realizing that the numbers of algorithms and protocols drive this automatization. For websites, apps, or programs in general, creators must know those algorithms to make their products work.
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What is an API?
Programs, just like people, need to communicate and cooperate with each other. Short-way and simplified cooperation is what makes the internet and technology in general so comfortable for regular users. Application Programming Interface is a way that provides these contacts. In other words, it contains tools, algorithms, and protocols that allow different programs and apps to interact and use the functions of one application within another.
An obvious example that comes to mind first - is quick registration using a social media account. An app can use the social network API to provide the user with simplified access.
By applying the API, programmers can use the capabilities of different apps without thinking about how these applications process requests and what code they have. That makes it a universal tool integrated into the majority of modern programs. If the APIs were disabled, most Internet and computer programs services would stop working.
Various websites and apps use APIs for external programs to:
● Operate the file system;
● Work with graphics;
● Store data;
● Make use of network capabilities, etc.
If the API creators release an update to fix bugs and vulnerabilities or improve its efficiency, all applications using this API will automatically perform better.
Types of APIs
APIs have been around for a while now. And, of course, there are older versions and newer ones. API is not a unified tool, though. The types vary depending on the creation period, purpose, and feature set.
They are usually identified from the point of view of the client and server. A client is a requesting party, and a server is the one that responds to the request.
RPC API
RPC API is one of the simplest API principles in which the client calls the execution of a code block on the server. RPC takes into consideration actions themselves. Clients usually pass the method name and arguments to the server and get JSON or XML messages back.
In short, the client performs a function (or procedure) on the server, and the server sends the result back to the client.
SOAP API
SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a public standard for inter-program interaction. The client does not need to know anything about the server - neither its language nor the platform.
This is the simplest way for the client to reach the server, using XML messaging. Due to the stiffness of SOAP, today, it’s less popular. This API is one of the oldest ones.
Websocket API
This advanced technology allows the client (browser) and server to establish an interactive connection for real-time messaging. Websockets enable work with a bidirectional data flow, making this technology unique. Websockets do not require repeated requests to respond. It's enough to send only one request and wait for a response. It's just a matter of monitoring the server, which will send messages as they arrive.
REST API
REST API is a way to create an API using the HTTP protocol. REST does not have a single standard of work: it is called the "architectural style" for server operations.
It has 7 principles of work:
● Client-Server: The request code remains on the client side, and the code for accessing data remains on the server side.
● Stateless: The server should not store information about the status of the client's operations.
● Cacheable: The request data should indicate whether the data needs to be cached. The client will have the right to access this buffer if necessary.
● Uniform Interface: All data must be requested via one URL using standard protocols like HTTP.
● Layered System: Servers can be located at different levels.
● Code on Demand: Servers can send code to the client upon request.
● Starting with the Null Style: The client knows only one entry point to the server.
Conclusion:
The use of APIs is likely to become even more widespread in the future as technology advances. A programmer must be able to create their own interfaces for program interaction and understand how to use others'.
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