API

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules and definitions that lets two programs communicate without knowing each other’s internal details. It acts as a go-between with a menu of possible requests: one application asks for something — the weather in a city, processing a payment, showing a map — and the other answers with the data or the result. They are everywhere: when a phone app fetches information from a server ✕ A server is a powerful computer that provides data or services to other devices — for example serving a website or storing your cloud files. More in the glossary → , or a website shows videos from another platform, an API is involved. They usually use standard formats like REST ✕ A REST API is the most common style for building web APIs: it uses web addresses (URLs) and standard HTTP methods to request and send data, usually in JSON format. More in the glossary → and JSON that are easy for machines to read. Their great value is letting different services connect and combine, which makes it possible to integrate tools and build on what already exists.