API Fundamentals
/Beginner
What is an API?
Definition
API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a set of rules and protocols that allows one software application to talk to another software application.
Explain Like I'm New
Imagine you are at a restaurant. You (the client) look at the menu and want a burger. The kitchen (the server) has the burger. You cannot just walk into the kitchen. You need a waiter. The API is the waiter. You tell the waiter your order, the waiter takes it to the kitchen, gets your burger, and brings it back to you.
Real World Example
When you use the Uber app, it needs to show a map. Instead of Uber building their own global satellite mapping system from scratch, they just use the Google Maps API. Uber talks to the Google Maps API, and Google gives them the map data.
Common Use Cases
- •Connecting different systems
- •Fetching data from third parties
- •Abstracting complex code
Interactive Example
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Interview Questions
basic
- What does the acronym API stand for?
intermediate
- How does an API protect the internal logic of a system?