API Full Form – Application Programming Interface

Application Programming interface is used to communicate and share data between two parties i,e. Client and the server. Let us know what is API full form and more about it in this blog.

If you are planning your career in tech or web development then being familiar with APIs (Application Programming Interface) is important. API is a simple application tool which is used by software applications to communicate with each other.

People generally use APIs when they need to fetch data from another website and hence it acts like a bridge connecting these two dots together. In this blog, we will learn more about APIs, their importance and applications.

What is an API (Application Programming Interface)?

The abbreviation API stands for Application Programming Interface. API is a messenger that allows two software applications to communicate easily without requiring you to know all of the messy details that are going on behind the scenes.

Consider API as an equivalent of a restaurant menu. When you enter a restaurant, you don’t go into the kitchen and start cooking your own food, right? Instead, you look at the menu, choose what you want, and inform the waiter.

The menu clearly indicates which dishes (services) are available and what you must provide, such as saying, “I want a pizza with extra cheese.” The kitchen then prepares it, and the waiter delivers it to you; you don’t have to know how they did it.

Most of you must be confused about how this example is connecting dots, like how they are even related but look at it this way in our tech world.

• Our app or program is like a restaurant customer.
• The API is the menu and the waiter combined.
• The server or system in the background is the kitchen.

Whenever our app requires some data, it orders it through the API. The API takes your request to the system, gets the data, and brings it back neatly.

API Full Form: Key Takeaways

• The API Full form is Application Programming Interface.
• API acts as an intermediary between an application and server sharing data.
• Most of the application nowadays provide users with API option which can be integrated or used on third party applications such as Whatsapp APIs, Google Map APIs, etc.

Example of API (Application Programming Interface)

Let us consider Whatsapp API, they are used by businesses to send messages, updates, notifications using whatsapp in bulk. For example, A travel company sends booking confirmation to all its users on Whatsapp. This is done using whatsapp APIs.

Whatsapp APIs offer two way communication, end to end encrypted messages, notification templates, and more. Another example is Google Maps API which helps applications, websites to embed and integrate maps and location on their platform easily.

How Exactly Do APIs Work?

Okay, let us get back to our restaurant example to understand APIs and their role. We already said the API is like a waiter or the menu. Now let us see exactly what steps are involved in bringing the dish after you place the order.

1. Make a Request, i.e., You Place Your Order: You tell the waiter; similarly, the app asks the API. Suppose the app sends a request to an API saying, “Give me the weather in New York” or “Show me my latest Instagram photos.” This request generally comes from the client side.

2. The API delivers Your Request to the Kitchen (The Server): The waiter does not make the food, instead they are the one who takes your order to the kitchen, where the real work happens. In the software world, the API takes your request and delivers it to a server or another application that has the data or functionality you need.

3. The Kitchen Prepares the Response (Development): The kitchen (server) cooks up your order just the way you want. Similarly, the Server processes your request, finds the right data or performs the required action, and gets everything ready. This is where your data is finally onboarded.

4. The API Brings the Response Back to You : When the order is ready, the waiter (API) brings it back to your table. In software, the API returns data to your app in an organized, ready-to-use format known as JSON, which is similar to a neatly packed food box.

What is the Importance of APIs?

Well, based on what we understood above, we can notice that APIs are a mediator between the server and the app. APIs are important because they save time, connect apps, make development faster, help businesses work together, and keep everything safe and smooth. Let us discuss some major important APIs and their roles in the tech field.

1. APIs Save You From Cooking Everything Yourself: API is the reason you can easily fetch information or data from a third party website and use it for executing a specific function that might be for your project or something else.

Without these APIs everyone will have to build every little function from scratch i,e. All by themselves. This would become a lot tedious and might affect the overall software development life cycle. With APIs you just have to connect with the source and it’s done.

2. They Make Apps Faster and Better: Application programming interfaces are like pre-made ingredients which can be used anywhere for any function based on requirement. There are many APIs available for numerous categories.

With APIs you do not need to build every little functionality of your application from scratch which saves time and even a lot of your resources too.

3. They Help Apps Talk to Each Other: APIs act as universal translators that help different apps and systems understand each other. For instance, your bank app can show your payment history from other services.

4. They Help Businesses Grow and Work Together: Big companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc., offer APIs so other businesses can build on their services. This saves time for small developers. Also, this spreads their services everywhere and creates partnerships and new ideas.

5. They Make Things More Secure: APIs set clear rules on what data can be shared and how, like a secure window to pass information instead of letting someone walk into your kitchen.

APIs vs SDK vs Library: What is the Difference?

Well, APIs tell you what to do, SDKs give you everything you need to build it, and libraries give you ready-made code to make life easier. To get a better understanding, recall the previous example in mind.

• Think of API like a menu at a restaurant.
• Think of SDK like a full cooking kit.
• Think of a library like a pre-made batter.