API, TPS, AI, SDK, DAU… so many acronyms. Never fear! DevSpeak is here!
Welcome back to DevSpeak, the series where we try to improve your understanding of the often dense and confusing language developers use to communicate about their craft. There’s no shame in not knowing these kind of tech terms… but in case you don’t want to ask your dev friends, DevSpeak has your back.
Today, we’re talking about APIs. You’ll hear this term tossed around a lot, and with good reason! APIs are a fundamental part of how software is developed, utilized and expanded upon throughout the entire tech world!
API, Defined
API stands for Application Programming Interface, and they are one of the primary tools developers will use to integrate data, services and functionality from previously made software into their new applications. APIs allow developers to call the resources of another application so that not everything has to be built from scratch every time.
APIs are a set of rules that govern the framework by which different pieces of software communicate. These rules can be customized to only share specific information, meaning developers can create and call on a wide variety of APIs for different purposes, knowing that no one is getting full, unadulterated access to software just from this kind of connection.
Let’s say that you have your collection of non-fungible teddy bears ready to release on GalaChain. You’ve got an amazing multiplayer platformer – ”Grizzly Picnic” – developed and ready to release… but you need to access the Gala platform’s data to see how much BearPower a user has when they log in. Well, hook up that API and there’s already a pipeline made for you!
Anytime you need to get information from an existing piece of software for your software to use, there’s probably an API for that.
Why APIs?
Without APIs, a new tool or system would need to be developed every time data needed to get from one application to another. That is simply not how tech grows. Applications are highly specialized, and rather than waste development time on building data pulling systems from the ground up, specialized developers would rather work on what they’re best at and plug in tested, standardized tools to build the foundation for inter-app communication.
This standardization is better for everyone. When someone builds new software, it’s usually because they want people to use it. Creating robust tools for other developers to integrate your app into their project is a great way to provide more utility, but also to ensure that your product is being used in the best way possible. You give people the ability to get more out of your app, while ensuring that you are still in control of the data within your application.
Have you ever wondered why you’d see “Pay with PayPal” buttons on sites that aren’t PayPal? Let’s be honest, most of us don’t even think about these anymore before we click. At first deeper thought though, this may seem a little suspicious. If you’re on some obscure store page, why would you give them your credentials? PayPal has created an API for people to verify encrypted info and initiate payments on their platform. More for retailers, more for customers… and it has been absolutely critical in PayPal’s rise to a ubiquitous payment method on all sorts of different transactions.
Ever wonder why your phone seems to know when you travel? Google Maps APIs allow tons of apps to call all sorts of data about your location and the services around you. Or sometimes the other way. You know exactly where that driver with your tacos is because their phone is sending data to an API, then the app you’re seeing it through is calling that data through an API.
APIs are ways a piece of software can be connected to, meaning they can be customized in a huge variety of ways. There are definitely APIs for specific data calls, but there are also private APIs that can only be used by specific entities or apps. Companies will often have private internal APIs just for managing and calling customer or employee data.
APIs Are Everywhere
It’s important to understand that we’ve discussed some examples, but APIs are incredibly varied. We are not exaggerating when we say that they are everywhere. Think of APIs as the nerve tissue connecting all the disparate parts of our body of technology in the modern world. The APIs are what keep our tech working together and building on the foundations created by each other.
Most apps you engage with are constantly using multiple APIs to call data. Why embed everything in the front end and bog it down when you can create a secure API for the front end to communicate with the back end?
Any upgrade to any of your programs or devices at any time is using an API to distribute those new files.
Anytime you stream, you’re being sent that information through an API.
Swipe a card? API.
Any time that two or more pieces of software are communicating with each other, you’ll find APIs behind it.
AP-Bye
That’ll do it for this DevSpeak, but we’ll be back soon to dispel the confusion around other common tech terms. If you’ve missed any of our previous editions, check them out below!
