In this video.
Let's explain what is API.
So let's get started.
Well, API stands for application programming interface.
So what does it mean?
We will explore more as we move on.
The next point is that it is a set of functions that allow you to access data from a server.
Do you remember this project called Making HTTP requests?
But as soon as I click fetch post, you can see that I'm able to fetch a post from a different server.
This data is not from our application but instead from a different server.
That's why it says that it is a set of functions that allow you to access data from a server.
The next point is that it's allow many different kinds of applications to access data from a server.
Remember, we are using an API to develop this application and I named my eyes at HTTP request application.
A different developer might use the same API or data and describe his or her projects as latest post
project.
So it means that with one API, many applications can be built out of it.
And the next point is that API allows you to create your own applications for a different application.
So what does this point mean?
That is why I say that with a certain API that has been developed by a different party or different
developer, we can create our own application on top of it and we can create many applications like
whether application or booking application and many more using third party APIs.
And next point is that it creates a connection between two or more applications.
And indeed it is, right?
Let's say that this is our front end application that we have designed with CSS, JavaScript and HTML.
And for this data that we got here, this data is coming from a back end server being developed by a
different party or us who has developed this.
So it creates a connection between our front end and then the back end data for a certain server.
The next point is that API is like a waitress that waits for a request from a client.
For this point we will explore more with diagram.
So now let's move on.
So let's talk more about API.
Let's say that this is the API that we have developed or it has been developed by a different party
like Google.
Google has many API, for example, translation API, geolocation API, mapping API, YouTube API and
many more.
So let's say that this API is for Google and for this many applications can interact with it.
One developer can say that, well, for me, I want to develop a translation application using the Google
API in this way.
One application is making a connection to the API.
And the same point.
We can have many applications coming in the mix by using this API.
So you can see that many devices are now interacting with the same API to develop different applications
and this is possible because of the API.
So what is API in a nutshell?
So let's say that this developer has no experience how to create API.
Even if he has some experience, he cannot develop the entire translation API.
In this way.
He needs to seek for help.
That is why he needs a third party API.
In this way we are going to use what is called Google API.
And for google they have a bunch of API like translation API.
Now we have the developer or the front end and then the API.
So definitely the developer will talk to what the Google API.
So now let's see how it's work.
That's why we say that API stands for application programming interface.
So what make it possible for a different application to access external server is what we call the API.
So we regard the waitress here as an API.
Meaning the waitress would be sitting somewhere.
So any time a request comes in to a server, the waitress will take that data and then send to the user.
Then when a user wants to make a request again, the waitress will now take the data and sent to the
server again.
So that's how the API works in a nutshell.
So the waitress is between the developer here and then the actual server.
So it goes back and forth.
Right.
So that's what API is all about.
So for this one, as soon as we make a request, we can see that something is happening.
So the function that happens to get back this data is what we call the API.
So the next video we will explore how we can make use of what APIs in the next video.