What is an Application Programming Interface (API)?
APIs are a series of rules in computer programming that allow an application to extract information from a service and use it in their application or data analyses. It’s like a phone for applications to have conversations — an API literally “calls” one application and gets information to bring to you to use in your software. APIs help the data needed to provide solutions to customer problems. This is a critical aspect of the digital ecosystem, offering numerous examples and case studies that illustrate its application across different industries and scenarios.
Example
APIs are ideal for travel services because they enable machines to rapidly and independently communicate data and requests — in this API example, trip availability and reservation requests. Without using APIs, a booking service representative must personally email the airline or hotel to inquire about their availability. Then, after they receive an email from the supplier, they must confirm it with the passenger. When the travel broker sends another email to the supplier confirming the trip, it will most likely be unavailable!