What is API? An Easy to Understand Guide

What is API? An Easy to Understand Guide

API is the acronym for application programming interface — a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other. APIs are an accessible way to extract and share data within and across organizations.

Didn’t get the point? Let’s talk about it in an easy way. Suppose you are feeling hungry and you need to find something to eat. You will think that:

You could go to the store to buy groceries and cook it yourself. But this requires a lot of work on your part. You first need to buy things, wash them, find the recipe and then cook them. A Hard Job Right?

So If you don’t want to prepare your food you can get it from a restaurant. Professional chefs could have all the resources you need.

However, the chef doesn’t want you to access all of their items (like their recipe) for safety and security reasons. The same is the case for API.

API is software that helps two applications communicate with each other. A negotiator must ensure that services can be provided smoothly and effectively from one end to the other.

What is API?
What is API?

One common way to use APIs is to make payments on different websites using PayPal or Debit/ Credit Cards. An API is needed to connect different applications so that they can share data and work together.

I hope this guide helps to understand APIs. Comment below to let me know what else you like to learn and if you want me to add some more points to this guide then please also let me know about that. Thanks for reading and keep visiting