Application Programming Interface (API)

An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of rules, protocols, and tools for building software applications. API's specify how software components should interact.

In the context of web development, API's often refer to web services or RESTful API's, which allow for communication between different pieces of software over the internet.

A web API allows external applications to access data or features of the serving application or platform. This is done over a web protocol (typically HTTP or HTTPS). The data exchanged is often in JSON or XML format.

Sharing Functionality

API's are designed to enable the integration between different systems, allowing them to communicate and share data. They can be public, allowing developers to access features of external services (like social media or maps), or private, for internal use within organisations.

API's abstract the complexity of a software component, providing only the tools necessary for the programmer. This means that the developer doesn't need to understand the intricate details of how the software works internally to use it.

• Social Media Integration: Web API's are used to integrate social media sharing, login, or data access features into websites and applications.

• Payment Gateway Integration: API's provided by services like PayPal or Stripe are used to integrate payment processing into e-commerce platforms.

• Cloud Services: API's are used to interact with cloud service providers like AWS or Azure for services like storage, computing, and database management.