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Easy translator 2 cd pc5/27/2023 ![]() For example, the company Stripe began as an API with just seven lines of code. Without APIs, many enterprises would lack connectivity and would suffer from informational silos that compromise productivity and performance.Įasier innovation: APIs offer flexibility, allowing companies to make connections with new business partners, offer new services to their existing market, and, ultimately, access new markets that can generate massive returns and drive digital transformation. Through this integration, companies can automate workflows and improve workplace collaboration. APIs enable integration so that these platforms and apps can seamlessly communicate with one another. Improved collaboration: The average enterprise uses almost 1,200 cloud applications (link resides outside of IBM), many of which are disconnected. Some of the main benefits of APIs include the following: Whether you’re managing existing tools or designing new ones, you can use an application programming interface to simplify the process. This ensures a higher level of security against potential hacking threats. The payment processor doesn’t require access to the user’s bank account the API creates a unique token for this transaction and includes it in the API call to the server. Customers can enter their card details on the frontend of an application for an ecommerce store. ![]() Also, during the exchange, HTTP headers, cookies, or query string parameters provide additional security layers to the data.įor example, consider an API offered by a payment processing service. API calls usually include authorization credentials to reduce the risk of attacks on the server, and an API gateway can limit access to minimize security threats. Whereas a graphical user interface provides humans access to an application’s data and functionality, an API provides that access to computers or other applications.ĪPIs offer security by design because their position as middleman facilitates the abstraction of functionality between two systems-the API endpoint decouples the consuming application from the infrastructure providing the service. While the data transfer will differ depending on the web service being used, this process of requests and response all happens through an API. The API transfers the data to the initial requesting application. ![]() The server sends a responseto the API with the requested information. This request is processed from an application to the web server via the API’s Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and includes a request verb, headers, and sometimes, a request body.Īfter receiving a valid request, the API makes a call to the external program or web server. APIs sit between an application and the web server, acting as an intermediary layer that processes data transfer between systems.Ī client application initiates an API call to retrieve information-also known as a request. (Typically these rules are documented in an API specification). How an API worksĪn API is a set of defined rules that explain how computers or applications communicate with one another. Programmers don't need to know how an API is implemented they simply use the interface to communicate with other products and services. API use has surged over the past decade, to the degree that many of the most popular web applications today would not be possible without APIs. This allows services and products to communicate with each other and leverage each other’s data and functionality through a documented interface. ![]() Manage your APIs with IBM → What is an application programming interface (API)?Īn application programming interface, or API, enables companies to open up their applications’ data and functionality to external third-party developers and business partners, or to departments within their companies. Application programming interfaces, or APIs, simplify software development and innovation by enabling applications to exchange data and functionality easily and securely. ![]()
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