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Application Programming Interface (API)

maker

A set of protocols and tools for building and interacting with software applications.

expanded

An API facilitates communication between different software components by providing defined methods and data formats for interaction. It is crucial in enabling the integration of different systems and is widely used in software development for creating seamless functionality across platforms, such as connecting a mobile application to a web service.

examples

A weather application using the OpenWeatherMap API to retrieve real-time weather data, including temperature, humidity (%), and wind speed (m/s).

This API is typically utilized by developers to integrate up-to-date meteorological data into their applications without needing to maintain a data infrastructure.

A payment processing system utilizing the Stripe API for secure transactions with features like transaction amount calculations, currency conversion, and fraud detection.

Used by e-commerce platforms to handle customer payments while ensuring security and compliance with financial regulations.

related terms

Library
A collection of precompiled routines used in programming to optimize development.
Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
A software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development.
Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)
Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) is a synchronous serial communication protocol used for short-distance communication, primarily in embedded systems.
Arduino
An open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software.
Repository
A storage location for digital data and files, often used in software development for version control.