APIs in modern applications
What is API

APIs in modern applications

Grover Alice

To make things a bit clearer, let’s look at a couple of examples of using APIs for mobile applications.
For example, the API of the Twitter application gives the application information about the user’s tweets and followers. Youtube’s API allows you to search, watch and manage content on the platform of the same name. Google and Apple have APIs for machine learning tools. Facebook API allows you to register in applications through authorization in the social network. Even NASA space agency has its own API – with it it is possible to realize an updated database about space and post fresh photos from Mars.

The scope of API application has no boundaries, today such interfaces are considered as a separate product for developers. API applications are approached to creation of APIs as to creation of software: with testing, user support and version control.

Why API is needed

Someone may notice that the above “features” can be realized without third-party APIs. Then why are they so popular? The whole point is that there is no more convenient solution today.

With the help of APIs for mobile applications, developers clearly separate the application from the source of information, easily implement new functions of service architecture in their product.

Using APIs can give businesses tools that they don’t have the resources or the right expertise to create. In addition, it can be used to test a hypothesis or service idea in practice without investing in in-house development.

Pros and cons of working with APIs

API technology is used very widely today. What are its advantages for developers? At a quick glance, we can name such advantages:

  • Acceleration of development. When using third-party APIs, coders do not have to delve into low-level functions of software and solve trivial tasks. This means that the work on the project will progress faster.
  • Security. Program interfaces reduce the risk of vulnerabilities in software.
  • Simplification of integration. APIs provide a structured format for communication between applications, which makes the introduction of new services much easier.
  • Savings. Why pay for the development of something that is already implemented in third-party projects? In typical situations, a third-party API for writing an application allows you to save a lot of money: you don’t need to write accounting or video hosting functionality for the application, for example.

All this makes API application development highly demanded. But the technology also has disadvantages that limit the potential for further growth. Let’s list the three biggest disadvantages here:

  • Each API has a unique structure. Although APIs have gained immense popularity, the process of creating unified standards for program interfaces is moving very slowly. This limits the scenarios for their use.
  • Quality Control. API application development is not constrained by standards or common certification. As a result, many interfaces suffer from general “raw” execution.
  • Dependence on other people’s development. By relying on APIs in their application, developers are relying on someone else’s product in one way or another. API creators can do what they want with it: suddenly change the terms of use, or close the resource altogether.