APIs is a word that has been heard over a million times. But what does it mean and what are its uses? How do we benefit from them? What does API development stand for? Many such questions flood our minds when we hear this one word. App development heavily relies on APIs to provide the best customer satisfaction. Keep reading further to learn more about API Development, the Working of API, and how they provide app development assistance services.
Deep Dive into API Development
APIs are a small set of coding lines that execute a particular function. They are an instruction set that assists any app to deploy or run certain functions on a particular platform with ease. In easier terms, it is a connection system between two apps.
For instance, when you sign up for your Spotify Account with a previously registered google account all that the machine does is access the data stored and collected with obvious permission and help create a new database entry for your account. This all is made possible due to APIs.
APIs are the base for app development for any niche that uses communication of two or more apps. App development companies use APIs for mobile app development that help enhance the user experience for the customers without appointing a whole new team of developers. Another major advantage of using APIs in app development is that it helps us with previously coded data. This helps to save a large amount of time as the coders may now not necessarily develop the app from scratch. This is one of the main reasons why app development companies are so biased about using APIs.
Terminologies in API Development
API development involves a variety of terms that you might want to know before deep diving into it. The list given below gives you a brief introduction to terminology to help you get started with inculcating APIs in your app development process.
1) API keys
API keys as the name suggests are a request or the header of the whole set of instructions that act as an acknowledgment.
2) Endpoint
It is the end of a certain communication channel when the API of an app interacts with another.
3) JSON
The full form of JSON is a JavaScript Object Notion which is a set of formats of data that is used for APIs to request parameters and get responses to the code body of that request. It is widely used during the app development process.
4) GET
It is a method used to obtain in the RESTful interface of a Hypertext Request.
5) POST
This method is used for the collection of resources from the Hypertext Resources.
6) SOAP
It is an abbreviation that means simple object access protocol. This is used for the methodic transfer of data in the execution of a request in a computer application system.
7) REST
REST stands for Representational State Transfer. It is used for effective communication between the request part and the fetching of data from the host network. It helps to request a particular functionality rather than starting it from scratch and hence has a lot of importance in the world of API development.
8) OAuth
It means open authorization and helps to authorize the user before giving access to reserved services on the home page.
9) Latency
This one is quite similar to its scientific terminology. It means the total time taken by the API to complete a particular request.
10) API Throttling
This means regulating the use of APIs by the customers. This is used to set a certain limit. It can be based on days, weeks, and so on.
Working Model of API Development
Now that you are familiar with the basic terminology associated with API development, let us look into how APIs work.
APIs establish communication between any two networks with the help of SOAP and REST methods. These methods are heavy to load and are dependent upon the platform they are mounted on. Mobile app development companies use these methods to retrieve data sets.
The four main parts of the API cycle are as follows:
1) User end
This is the part that the user interacts with. It is also known as the user interface.
2) Developer's End
This part is where the API development takes place and it consists of the backend of that application.
3) API set
All the APIs used for the App dev are mentioned in this subsection. It helps prevent the coding to start from scratch.
4) Database System
This is the second side of the request processing by the API. It contains all the essential and private data of registered and unregistered users. Mobile App Development companies need to stay careful about third-party authorization and the grants they provide to access these databases.
Hence, it is easy to conclude that APIs are an essential part of the App Development process.
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