What is an API?
API is the acronym for Application Programming Interface, it acts as an intermediary between two application.
Connectivity is a very amazing thing. In today’s world we are very much habituated to instant connectivity across the globe. Ever thought about how does the data travel from one place to another or from a device to an application.
Each time we use any online shopping site or our phone to check weather or Facebook we are using an API.
In a layman’s term an API acts as a messenger, which takes the request from a user and inform the system what a user wants to do, and return the response back to the user.
Example: When you would go to a restaurant you would look into the restaurant menu and place an order to a waiter of the restaurant. The waiter is the person who would take your order from your table to the kitchen where your order would get prepared.
In the above example the waiter acted as a critical link between your order to the kitchen and deliver your food back to your table.
That’s how an API works. It acts as a messenger which takes your request to the system (in our case its kitchen) which tells the system what to do and deliver the response back to you (in our case its the food.)
Now let’s understand the API in a more realistic way. Most of us might have booked a movie ticket using an app or a website. Let’s take an example of BookMyShow app, this app helps us in booking the movie tickets online. Any thought how does the app gets you the movie timing and the tickets fares from different multiplex/malls which are currently running which show. Yes, its the API which play a very important role, the unsung warrior of our connected world.
I would say API acts as an engine who plays a very important role behind the scene, because of API only it is possible to get what we expect and rely upon.
Hope now you are clear with what is an API and its use.
Building Solutions - Avinash Verma 