Last updated on July 20th, 2023
You’ve probably heard the term API if you are in the tech industry, or a geek about technology a zillion times. API is playing a greater role in today’s economy than ever before. API is everywhere, and we use them every day. API is used every day by many people, including booking tickets and logging onto Facebook. We also use API to make payments via PayPal.
There are many fun APIs, such as FUN Translations, which can translate English into languages like Minion, Dothraki, and Klingon. Apart from these, there is Pokemon API, which allows you to access all of the Pokemon data from one location.
APIs are a vast field that deserves to be explored. This is exactly what iTechnolabs will be sharing with you throughout this article. This article will cover everything you need to know about APIs. Let’s get started without further delay.
What is API?
API (Application Programming Interface), is nothing more than a set of requirements and guidelines that allow an app or software to use features or services from another application, device, or platform to provide better services.
It is a set of programming codes that allows data transmission from one software product to the other. It also includes terms for this data exchange.
The Application Programming Interfaces are made up of two parts:
- The technical specification describes data exchange options between solutions with specifications in the form of data delivery protocols or requests for processing.
- A software interface that is written according to the specification.
This is where the software that needs access to information or functionality calls its API. It also specifies the requirements for how the functionality or data should be provided. The other software returns the functionality requested by the previous application. API specifies the interface through which these two applications can communicate.
Function calls are the language statements used to as API?
APIs are essential for developing robust apps because they simplify the coding process and allow for functionality to be recovered. They also provide secure connections between servers which increases security. Application programming interface (API), which acts as an intermediary, converts data formats into ak the software to perform specific services or actions. Function calls are phrases that include nouns or verbs. The API documentation also describes function calls.
APIs have many uses. APIs can be used to speed up or simplify software development. APIs are used by developers to add functionality to existing solutions. They can also be used to create new applications using third-party suppliers.
format that the other program can understand. This reduces incompatibility and saves money on software conversions. You might be still unsure if an API is right for you.
- APIs allow third-party apps or websites to access company systems, which helps companies grow.
- APIs enable data integration across multiple platforms.
- APIs make data easier to access and more manageable.
Terminologies for API development
(1) APIKey: An API Key is an authorization code that is passed to an API request via a header or parameter to identify the requester.
(2) Endpoint – An API that interacts with another system is called Endpoint.
(3) JSON – JavaScript Object Notion (or JSON) is a data format that’s used to create API request parameters and response bodies.
(4) GET – The RESTful program interface’s HTTP method for obtaining resources is called GET.
(5) POST – This is the RESTful API’s HTML method for building resources.
(6) OAuth – This is essentially an Open standard authorization framework that grants access to the user’s side, without sharing credentials.
(7) REST: REST is a Representational state Transfer. It is a type of programming architecture implementation that aims to improve the efficiency of communication between two devices/systems. It is lightweight and works on the principle of making data only available when requested. Instead of sharing the entire data, it shares references to it. These systems are called ‘RESTful’ systems. The World Wide Web is the best example of RESTful systems.
(8) SOAP – This is a Simple Object Access Protocol that allows sharing of structured information during the execution of web services over computer networks. It can be used with XML and application layer protocols (like HTTP or SMTP) to format messages and negotiate and transmit them.
(9) Latency – Latency refers to the time it takes for an API interface to process a request and return a response.
(10) Rate Limiting – API Rate-limiting is the process of limiting the speed at which end users can access APIs. It refers to limiting the number of requests that a user can make to an API at any given time.
(11) API Throttling – is the process of controlling API usage by users over a certain period. This can also be used to limit API usage. You can set a limit of 1000 API requests per calendar day, for example. The server will send 429 HTTP status messages to the user when they reach the 1001 request.
These are some useful tools for API development
There are many API development technologies and tools available. However, these API tools and technologies are the most popular for creating APIs for developers.
1. Apigee
Apigee, an API management tool provided by Google, helps companies to build and scale applications, APIs, data, and apps. Apigee is used by hundreds of businesses to build, protect, test, and grow APIs. They also keep control and visibility.
2. Dredd
It allows you to validate API description documents against backend API implementations. It validates your API responses, step by step.
3. Sand
The sandbox allows developers to quickly mock SOAP and RESTful API web services. It generates mock web service from API definitions and allows for instant deployment.
4. PostmanÂ
Provides a complete suite of API development and testing tools. It is the most popular API testing tool online. Millions of developers use Postman to simplify API development.
5. SoapUI
SoapUI can be used as an automated SOAP and REST API testing tool. It’s widely used for web service inspection and development, invoking and mocking, as well as load and compliance testing. It supports many standard protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, and REST.
6. Swagger
Swagger provides an open-source framework for API development. It allows you to design, build, document, and consume REST APIs according to the Open API specification. Swagger is the most widely used API design framework. It was transferred to Linux Foundation recently under The Open API Initiative. Supported by companies like Google, Microsoft, and Intuit, it is also supported by Atlassian.
7. LoadView
LoadView allows you to test website load and stress using a browser. It allows developers to predict how websites, web applications, APIs, and other applications will perform under different traffic and workload scenarios.
8. Jmeter
JMeter has been a popular and easy-to-use tool for API testing.
Also, read: How does DevOps Methodology accelerate the Software Development Process?
What makes a good API?
1. Authorization & Authentication
Authentication is used to verify a client’s API connections. To preserve stateless transfer, every call to the REST API must be authenticated separately even if the client has already connected. Authorization is after authentication. After verifying that the client connection is valid and authenticated, authorization must be granted to restrict what the client can do and what resources they have.
2. Search by Criteria
An API (application programming interface) that allows you to search for datasets using certain criteria should be a good choice. The function is extremely useful and convenient when a user wants to view a particular dataset based on certain conditions or filters.
3. Paging
You should also implement paging when creating RESTful APIs that can provide large amounts of data.
4. Sorting
The sorting feature is another on the list. It’s essential for any endpoint that returns large amounts of data. If you are returning a list of API users, your API users might want to sort the data by email or last modified date. Many APIs have a sort option or sort by URL that can be set as a field name to allow sorting.
5. JSON Support
JSON API can be used as an HTTP-compatible format. It describes how clients can request and change data from a server, as well as how the server should respond.
6. Validation of data
Data validation refers to ensuring that source data is accurate and of high quality before importing or processing it. Depending on the destination constraints and objectives, there are many types of validation. Data validation can be described as data cleansing.
Now that you are more familiar with API development terminology, let’s dive deeper into the technical side. Let’s start with API working and how to create API (how to make an API).
Best Practices for API Development
1. Get With Error Code
A status code can be used to do everything from finding a missing service or determining why a session has been rejected. Status codes are useful for developers. Status codes allow developers to quickly detect issues, which reduces the time it takes to analyze all types of problems.
2. Rate Limit
Rate-Limiting is a broad concept that limits the request volume for an API endpoint at any user. Rate-limiting is used by public APIs to increase their revenue. A common business model must pay a subscription fee to leverage the API. They can only request API requests from their business model before they upgrade to a more costly plan.
3. Logging/Analytics
Logging into the HTTP response code for each request is a must. This will allow you to check if there were any issues with a particular submission and then initiate automated retries.
4. Documentation that is well-compiled
Makes sure your API documentation is understandable to developers by providing the following information: A brief overview of the API’s capabilities. Each API service has instructions, examples, as well as code samples. It is easy to understand and the writing is concise.
5. Throttling
It limits the number of API requests a user can execute within a given period. If the throttle configuration isn’t implemented correctly, infrastructure could be malicious or accidentally overwhelmed.
6. Support X-HTTP-METHOD-Override
One should support X-HTTP-Method-Override as the HTTP header works similarly to a hack. You can add the header value PUT or DELETE to your Web API by calling it via JavaScript from a web browser.
7. Security
This is the most important API development practice that you should be focusing on. It is the prevention of attacks on APIs. Because APIs are so widely used and allow access to important program functionalities, they are increasingly being targeted by attackers. API security is an essential aspect of online security.
Important Article: 10 Best API Testing Tools to Use in 2023 – (SOAP and REST Tools)
Are You Looking for an API Development Company For Mobile App?
It is safe to say that APIs have gained importance not only from a software development perspective but also from a business collaboration point of view. APIs have been proven to increase business profits by providing the necessary technological connectivity. It is possible to create and integrate an API for your business.
After reading this article you should have a better understanding of what APIs are, how they work, and how to create a high-quality API for your business. Hire our remote development team if you are interested in developing an API for your business or solution.
How Can iTechnolabs Help you?
At iTechnolabs, we understand your business methods and strategies and recommend you, which API is suitable according to your business data. iTechnolabs has experience in building and integrating real-time APIs to running applications. Our Software developers have in-depth knowledge and keep upto date latest technologies and architecture while following the agile methology. We have worked on several APIs such as twilio, Stripe, Facebook, Braintree and more.
iTechnolabs remote development team is made up of dedicated developers who have a reputation for developing top-quality APIs. What are you waiting to do? Get in touch with us to start your API!
