Understanding Application Programming Interface
Introduction
APIs are mechanisms that enable two software components to communicate with each other using a set of definitions and protocols.
API stands for Application Programming Interface. In the context of APIs, the word Application refers to any software with a distinct function. Interface can be thought of as a contract of service between two applications. This contract defines how the two communicate with each other using requests and responses. Their API documentation contains information on how developers are to structure those requests and responses.
Most organizations are prioritizing digital transformation to remain competitive. To achieve this competitive advantage, the use of application programming interfaces (APIs) is skyrocketing — and not just among tech companies. Today, there are many industries that use APIs, some of the most prominent ones are E-commerce, healthcare, government, manufacturing, and financial services.
APIs are being implemented across nearly every industry to satisfy the internal needs of companies, meet consumer expectations, and ensure regulatory standards. Whether you’re in telecommunications, manufacturing, healthcare, or one of many other fields, now is the time to join the industries that use APIs to avoid getting left behind.
How do APIs work?
PI architecture is usually explained in terms of client and server. The application sending the request is called the client, and the application sending the response is called the server. So in the weather example, the bureau’s weather database is the server, and the mobile app is the client.
There are four different ways that APIs can work depending on when and why they were created.
SOAP APIs:
These APIs use Simple Object Access Protocol. Client and server exchange messages using XML. This is a less flexible API that was more popular in the past.
RPC APIs:
These APIs are called Remote Procedure Calls. The client completes a function (or procedure) on the server, and the server sends the output back to the client..
Websocket APIs:
Websocket API is another modern web API development that uses JSON objects to pass data. A WebSocket API supports two-way communication between client apps and the server. The server can send callback messages to connected clients, making it more efficient than REST API.
REST APIs:
These are the most popular and flexible APIs found on the web today. The client sends requests to the server as data. The server uses this client input to start internal functions and returns output data back to the client. Let’s look at REST APIs in more detail below.
What are REST APIs?
REST stands for Representational State Transfer. REST defines a set of functions like GET, PUT, DELETE, etc. that clients can use to access server data. Clients and servers exchange data using HTTP.
The main feature of REST API is statelessness. Statelessness means that servers do not save client data between requests. Client requests to the server are similar to URLs you type in your browser to visit a website. The response from the server is plain data, without the typical graphical rendering of a web page.
What is web API?
A Web API or Web Service API is an application processing interface between a web server and web browser. All web services are APIs but not all APIs are web services.
A web API is an API that can be accessed using the HTTP protocol. This is a broad category—really too broad to be very useful. Not all APIs are web APIs; some APIs are used only to communicate between two applications on the same computer, never making use of a web connection. But in practice, when developers talk about APIs, they are almost always talking about web-based APIs used to communicate between two computers connected remotely over the internet.
Web APIs serve a truly vast array of purposes. If you’ve used JavaScript to work with a browser’s Document Object Model (DOM), you’ve used a web API. When you ask the DOM to do something, like change from light mode to dark mode or close a modal menu, you’re making a call to a web API using native features within the browser. Even people who’ve never written a line of code make use of APIs. When someone tweets a New York Times article link, both a Twitter API and a New York Times API are being called, though the tweet author likely never stops to think about it.
These ubiquitous web APIs are a tool modern web developers must be comfortable leveraging. The HTTP protocol is lightweight and fast, and it can be adapted to work with almost any framework, platform, or language. Some use cases are concrete and commonplace, as in the examples above, while others are truly niche operations. So under the very large umbrella of “web APIs,” developers will find that different use cases demand different types of API.
What are API integrations?
API integrations serve as crucial software components facilitating the seamless exchange of data between clients and servers. They play a pivotal role in automating various processes, enhancing user experiences, and ensuring data consistency across different platforms.
Consider scenarios where API integrations prove invaluable. Imagine your smartphone's image gallery automatically syncing data to the cloud, ensuring that your latest photos are effortlessly backed up and accessible from multiple devices. Similarly, when you travel and your laptop adjusts its time and date automatically as you enter different time zones, it's thanks to API integrations that enable this smooth synchronization.
Enterprises leverage API integrations to streamline and automate an array of system functions, fostering efficiency and productivity. Whether it's integrating customer relationship management (CRM) systems, payment gateways, or other business-critical applications, API integrations enable organizations to create a cohesive and interconnected digital ecosystem.
In essence, API integrations act as the connective tissue of the digital world, enabling applications and systems to work harmoniously, share data seamlessly, and respond dynamically to user actions. Their versatility makes them a fundamental building block for modern software development, driving innovation, and creating richer, more interconnected digital experiences.
API Types by Architecture
1. Monolithic APIs:
Architecture:
Single-Tier: Monolithic architecture consists of a single, tightly integrated unit.
Single Codebase: All components are interconnected within a single codebase.
Characteristics:
Simple Deployment: Easier deployment as the entire application is deployed as a single unit.
Tight Coupling: Components are closely interconnected, making it harder to modify or scale.
Scalability Challenges: Scaling requires replicating the entire monolith.
Use Cases:
Small to medium-sized applications where simplicity is more critical than scalability.
2.Microservices APIs:
Architecture:
Decentralized: Application is broken down into small, independent services.
Distributed: Services communicate over a network, often using HTTP/REST or messaging protocols.
Characteristics:
Scalability: Independent services can be scaled individually for better resource utilization.
Flexibility: Easier to update and deploy specific services without affecting the entire application.
Isolation: Fault isolation - a failure in one service doesn't affect others.
Use Cases:
Large and complex applications requiring scalability, flexibility, and ease of maintenance.
3.Composite APIs:
Architecture:
Aggregation: Combines multiple endpoints or services into a single API.
Orchestration: Manages the flow of requests and responses between different services.
Characteristics:
Simplified Client Communication: Clients interact with a single API instead of multiple endpoints.
Aggregation of Data: Gathers and presents data from various sources in a unified manner.
Centralized Control: Provides a centralized point for controlling access and managing data flow.
Use Cases:
Integrating data from diverse sources or legacy systems into a unified API.
Presenting a simplified interface for clients that need data from multiple services.
4.Unified APIs:
Architecture:
Abstraction Layer: Provides a unified interface that abstracts underlying complexities.
Backend Integration: Integrates with various backend systems, databases, or services.
Characteristics:
Standardized Access: Offers a standardized way to access diverse functionalities.
Simplified Client Interaction: Clients interact with a single API, regardless of backend complexities.
Loose Coupling: Allows backend systems to evolve independently without affecting clients.
Use Cases:
Legacy System Integration: Providing a modern, simplified API layer for legacy systems.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Offering a unified API for clients with diverse technology stacks.
Choosing the right architecture depends on factors such as the size and complexity of the application, scalability requirements, and the need for flexibility in development and deployment. Each architecture has its strengths and weaknesses, and the choice often involves a trade-off based on specific project goals and constraints.
API protocols
1. HTTP/HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol/Secure):
Overview: HTTP is the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web. It defines how messages are formatted and transmitted between web browsers and servers.
Characteristics:
Stateless: Each request from a client to a server is independent and doesn't rely on previous requests.
Request Methods: Uses methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE to perform operations.
Status Codes: Responses include status codes indicating the outcome of the request.
Use Cases: RESTful APIs commonly use HTTP/HTTPS.
2. REST (Representational State Transfer):
Overview: REST is an architectural style for designing networked applications. It doesn't prescribe a specific protocol but is often used with HTTP.
Characteristics:
Resources: Modeled as URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers).
Stateless: Each request from a client contains all the information needed.
CRUD Operations: Uses standard HTTP methods for CRUD operations.
Use Cases: Web services, cloud services, and many public APIs.
3.SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol):
Overview: SOAP is a protocol for exchanging structured information in web services. It defines a set of rules for structuring messages.
Characteristics:
XML-Based: Messages are formatted using XML.
Standards-Driven: Follows a set of standards for communication.
Stateful or Stateless: Can be designed to be stateful or stateless.
Use Cases: Enterprise-level web services, often used in B2B communication.
4.GraphQL:
Overview: GraphQL is a query language and runtime for APIs. It allows clients to request only the data they need.
Characteristics:
Efficient Queries: Clients define the structure of the response.
Single Endpoint: Typically has a single endpoint for all operations.
Use Cases: APIs where clients have varying data requirements, such as social media platforms.
5.WebSocket:
Overview: WebSocket is a communication protocol that provides full-duplex communication channels over a single, long-lived connection.
Characteristics:
Real-Time Communication: Supports bidirectional communication.
Low Latency: Suitable for applications requiring low-latency communication.
Use Cases: Real-time applications, chat applications, online gaming.
6.gRPC (Remote Procedure Call):
Overview: gRPC is a high-performance RPC (Remote Procedure Call) framework. It uses Protocol Buffers as the interface definition language.
Characteristics:
Efficient: Serialization with Protocol Buffers leads to smaller and faster payloads.
Bidirectional Streaming: Supports bidirectional streaming of messages.
Use Cases: Microservices architecture, inter-process communication.
These protocols play a crucial role in enabling interoperability between different systems, applications, and services, facilitating the seamless exchange of data and functionality. The choice of protocol often depends on the specific requirements of the application and the nature of the data being exchanged.