When it comes to learning about API and what integration API means the best way of making it make sense, is to look into some examples of how this works. API stands for Application Programming Interfaces and it is important because it is something which is being used by many companies around the world. The integration of API means that we can have a multitude of applications and programs which are able to talk’ to each other, and therefore provide better and more intuitive solutions.
There are many examples of this which we actually use in our daily lives, let’s take a look at some of them to understand better how this tech solution works.
Checking The Weather
What you may not know is that when you open up your phone and click on the weather app, that information is not coming directly from that application, at least not in the main. What you are usually looking at is a description of the weather and further information relating to it, which has been pulled from a 3rd party source. How does this information get pulled? From an API.
Login Using…
When you are about to sign into an account online, or indeed register for an account with a certain website, you will often be given the choice to login using Twitter or Facebook, or perhaps Google. This is an API at work, which is designed to make your life easier, using your accounts with other parties to create an account with another.
Paying With PayPal
It is so convenient when you decide to buy a certain product online and then you are given the magical option of paying with PayPal. Once again we see here the use of an API which was designed by the online payment company, to both make the user experience better and to ensure that customers used their PayPal accounts more often.
Twitter Bots
If you have ever been confused at what bots are on Twitter then all you need to know is that they are APIs. These bots range in their effectiveness, with some doing nothing more than causing mischief and others providing some good information. For example Netflix have a bot on Twitter which instantly tweets when new content is released, this is the perfect example of an API being used to boost a business.
Travel Booking
When you head to a flight aggregator you are watching APIs live doing the work for you. These sites are able to scan multiple airlines and find the exact information which you are looking for and then it breaks it down into price order and presents it to you in seconds. This is one of the finest examples of an API and it greatly increases customer satisfaction and promotes higher use of the site thanks to how easy it is made.
Perhaps thinking about these examples is the best way to work out what API is all about.