APIs: An introduction
Before we delve into the details of this chapter's specific project, let's spend a moment talking about APIs in general.
What is an API?
As we mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, API stands for Application Programming Interface.
This interface is designed to act as a connection layer between computers, or computer programs. It is therefore a type of software interface that provides a service to other pieces of software, in contrast to user interfaces, which instead connect computers to people.
An API is normally accompanied by a specification document, or standard, which describes how to build the API and how it works. A system that meets the specification is said to implement, or expose, the API. The term API can describe either the implementation or the specification.
An API is normally made of different parts, which are the tools that the programmers who write software use to interface with it. These parts are known by...
