Web APIs
A Web API is a developer’s dream.
- It can extend the functionality of the browser
- It can greatly simplify complex functions
- It can provide easy syntax to complex code
What is an web API?
API stands for Application Programming Interface. A Web API is an application programming interface for the Web. A Browser API can extend the functionality of a web browser. A Server API can extend the functionality of a web server.
Why we use web APIs?
A Web API services are preferable over other services to use with a native application that does not support SOAP but require web services. For creating resource-oriented services, the web API services are the best to choose. By using HTTP or restful service, these services are established. If you want good performance and fast development of services, the web API services are very helpful. For developing light weighted and maintainable web services, web API services are really helpful to develop that service. It supports any text pattern like JSON, XML etc. The devices that have tight bandwidth or having a limitation in bandwidth, then the Web API services are the best for those devices.
Examples for web APIs.
Lets talk about the some of the most popular Web APIs.
· Google Maps API’s: Google Maps APIs allows developers to use Google Maps on Webpages using a JavaScript or Flash interface.
· YouTube API’s: Google’s API lets developers integrate YouTube and functionality into websites or applications. YouTube APIs include the YouTube analytics API, YouTube Data API, YouTube live streaming API, YouTube Player APIs and others.
· The Flickr APIs: It is used by developers to access the Flick photo sharing community data.
· Twitter APIs: Twitter offers two APIs, the REST API allows developers to access core Twitter data and the search API provides methods for developers to interact with twitter search and trends data.
Limitations of web APIs.
Not suitable for continuous services. · Web API is not a platform for continuous services. Its purpose is just to provide an interface to your application over HTTP. Latency in request processing times and bandwidth usage.
