API (Application Programming Interface) is a communication interface between software components.
One of the main functions is to provide a set of commonly used functions, as well as to represent a method to achieve abstraction in programming.
What is API in Programming?
An API is a set of functions and procedures that a particular library provides for other software to use as an abstraction layer. They are often used in libraries.
Properties
A programming interface represents a communication interface between software components.
It is a set of calls to specific libraries that provide access to particular services from processes and generally represents a method to achieve abstraction in programming between lower and upper levels or layers of the software.
One of the primary purposes of an API is to provide a set of commonly used functions, such as drawing windows or icons.
This way, programmers take advantage of the API by using its functionality, avoiding the work of programming everything from scratch.
APIs are abstract software that allows a particular API to be commonly referred to as an implementation of that API.
For example, Hello World printing functions on the screen at different levels of abstraction;
- Doing a Job Over: Creates a matrix of black and white squares on graph paper that resembles the letter order of the letters “H, e, l, l, o, W, o, r, l, d.” It then writes the sequence information to the display buffer using the assembly instructions. Using the correct instruction allows the graphics card to dump this information onto the screen.
- Using the Operating System to Do Part of the Job: A font provided by the operating system is installed, and this font is used to enable the operating system to write the text “Hello World.”
- Using an Application to Do Most of the Work: An HTML document with the words “Hello World” is created so that a Web browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, or Internet Explorer can display it on the monitor.
As you can see, the first option requires more steps, each of which is much more complex than the next option steps.
Additionally, it is impractical to use the first approach to represent large amounts of information, such as a comprehensive article, on the screen. The second approach simplifies the task by eliminating one step and making the rest more accessible, and the third way requires writing.
However, high-level APIs often lose flexibility. For example, rotating text around a point with a flickering frame in a web browser is more complicated than programming at a low level.
When choosing to use an API, a certain balance must be struck between its power, simplicity, and loss of flexibility.
API Applications for Sending Data
- Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs)
With RPCs, programs can communicate through procedures running on shared information buffers.
- Standard Query Language (SQL)
It is a procedural data access language that allows data exchange between applications and accesses common databases.
- File Transfer
File transfer enables data exchange by sending formatted files between applications.
- Sending Message
It enables data exchange through direct programmatic communication through small messages formatted between paired applications.
Programming Interfaces
We can give an example the Microsoft WMI, Microsoft Win32, Microsoft Framework .NET, OpenGL, Java EE, API for SCSI, Carbon APIs for Macintosh Operating System, Common Object Request Agent Architecture (CORBA), Symfony, and Drupal for programming interfaces.
Network Access Interfaces
APIs can be developed for any platform and operating system or all these systems simultaneously.
They have also been developing as a way to access web services for several years. In this sense, the best known APIs are Google Search, Flickr, Amazon, and Google Maps.
Benefits of Using API
A good API makes the development of the program easier because it should provide all the blocks to build it. The programmer puts all the blocks together.
The API is specifically designed for programmers as it guarantees that all programs using the API will have similar interfaces.
This also makes it easier for the user to learn the logic of new programs.
When a request is made, the server calls the API, offering the advantage of having a more significant number of services available.
TolgaBagci
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