Understanding APIs
The acronym API stands for Application Programming Interface. APIs allow software to communicate between systems and interchange data – to share computer system resources and software functionality. Because functionality can be shared, they also enable code reuse. This generally improves the quality of systems while also reducing development efforts.
Web-based APIs are exposed over the internet using HTTP, the same protocol you use when you visit a URL in a web browser. So, using a web-based API is very much like using a website. For example, when you use an API, you make requests to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), just like you do when you access a website. The URL provides the reference for a resource, data, or functionality provided by the API.
Like a website, each API is a collection of one or more URLs, which are also referred to as endpoints. Each endpoint provides access to a specific resource or functionality. Some endpoints might take input...
