API stands for Application Programming Interface. API itself is an interface that can connect one application with another application. In other words, the role of the API is as an intermediary between various different applications, both within the same platform or across platforms. An example that can be used to explain API is a waiter in a restaurant. The waiter's job is to connect the restaurant guests with the cook. So, guests simply order food according to the existing menu list and the waiter informs the cook. Later, the waiter will return to the guest with the food that is ready to order.
Generally, services of IoT cloud can be enjoyed by customers via application programming interfaces (APIs) remotely. APIs can make necessary functionalities or data easier for developers to work with, enabling IoT cloud infrastructures and resources to be utilized and controlled by developers. In this way, applications of IoT cloud can be easily developed and deployed. APIs define the methods and data formats for clients and servers to interact with each other. APIs are acted essentially by programs that run on servers, while programs that run on client/device side need to be able to manipulate APIs. In this way, APIs integrate the applications on server side and on client/device side. In the meantime, APIs decouple the implementations of clients from servers; thus, services that are provided by servers can be enjoyed by clients that run on different platforms. Therefore, well-designed and properly implemented APIs are significant for minimizing the deployment time of applications and enabling cloud services for IoT.
Fig. How the API Works
The way the API works is as follows
a. Application Access API
The first part of how an API works is when a user accesses an application. To make it easier to explain, we use the Agoda example. When you want to book a Hotel for a specific area, Agoda will access the API of the Hotel that has been linked.
b. API Makes Requests to Server
Once the application has successfully accessed the API address, the request will be forwarded to the Hotels server. So, the API will notify you that Agoda requires check in data for the dates and how long you will be stay.
c. Server Responds to API
When it finds data that matches the request, the server again contacts the API. The data is in the form of information such as seat availability, check in times and others.
d. API Delivering Response to Application
Next, the API passes information from the server to your application. In this example, Agoda will get information obtained from the contacted Hotel.
Comentarios