An API can be one of the most abstract things in the technology industry, but it is also one of the most useful, signifying a revolution in terms of communications and integration. Its acronym in English stands for Application Programming Interfaces, which refers to a series of protocols that make the design and integration of software and applications possible.
What does an API allow? An article in the BBVA API Market defines it perfectly: An API “facilitates the exchange of messages or data. A set of functions and procedures that provides a library for use by other software as an abstraction layer, a space for accessing and exchanging additional information on top. Thus one uses the information of the other while remaining independent ".
In the industry there are different types of APIs depending on their functionality, for example, there are web services APIs, library-based APIs, class-based APIs and function APIs in operating systems. Everything will depend on the objective and the need that your company has in that sense.
How does an API work?
There are several characteristics that define the operation of an API, which is explained in detail on the Red Hat website:
- "APIs allow your products and services to communicate with others, without needing to know how they are implemented", he noted in a recent article.
- The benefit of this is that it simplifies application development, thereby saving time and money.
- With APIs you get more flexibility when managing and using your applications.
- It is also an advantage as it enables collaboration between the commercial and IT teams, since they "simplify the way in which developers integrate the elements of new applications into an existing architecture".
"Sometimes APIs are seen as contracts, with documentation representing an agreement between the parties: if one party sends a remote request with a certain structure in particular, that same structure will determine how the other party's software will respond", they manifested on how an API works.
The important thing is that when doing API integrations, security is always maintained. There is no risk of any leakage of important data or information about operations.
“APIs allow you to provide access to resources while maintaining security and control. You decide how you enable access and to whom you grant it. The security of the APIs depends on their good management, which includes the use of an API gateway”, added the Red Hat experts.
By developing or implementing APIs in your company you are opening the doors to success, since it allows you to connect your business to all kinds of applications and services that can greatly complement your processes and workflows, both internal and external for the public. APIs also allow the automation of processes, which in the long run saves costs, team effort and time.
In this article we explain the basic aspects of an API and how it works, hoping that you are now a little clearer on this subject. At Rootstack we are experts developing APIs, if you have questions or are interested in this digital solution, contact us!
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