API (Application Program Interface) - What is...

API's allow external application to connect to and use cloud based services such as Facebook and Dropbox. Platforms create API's for specific programming languages and use specific procedures to allow access to data and services.

API's are not standard across platforms, and access to API's is completely at will by the platforms. API's can be changed or discontinued at any time.

[AzaLPs]

It doesn't matter what programming language you use. API or no API.
What an API does, in this specific case with services, is it dictates how your application communicates with their servers.

The benefits of it is that your application is less likely to break as they change things on their site as you have a formally agreed upon way to communicate with it rather than relying on what the site just happens to be doing at the moment. And yes, it is useful to hide certain things like databases behind the API, although it is bad practice to expose the database directly either way.

There are actually multiple types of APIs, ones for services and other ones, but this video seems to focus mainly on services.
The overarching concept itself is actually a fairly abstract one which is difficult to explain without knowledge as to various types of it.

[deepanjannag]

And API is not necessarily language-specific. I can use C# to communicate with an API written in Python.
The client language matters when the API service provider only provides you with language-specific API that be used in conjunction with a library you download and add to your own codebase.

[tanishamatthews]

Great video. Old Eli back? You were made for this Eli. Thanks for posting.

[annoyingmime]

Wow, I was just going to request this video last night! Great video really helped me out. I find that a
lot of videos either over simplify concepts or over complicate them, but your videos seem to be just right.

[shahab]

Actually you can use any language to connect to an API. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you follow the http protocols with your requests and conform to any regulations the API might set to things like the request body or any headers that it requires you to provide.

[nirvfan]

Very detailed and easy to understand. Thanks for these videos Eli!

[Rex-uetn]

Love your videos.You can tell the theory very clearly. Make a small suggestion, could you mind open the settings of subtitle for the non-native speakers? Thanks a lot.

[JimVincitore]

Great video! You're the BEST! Thank you!

[peaceandfood]

I dont agree with this video an API is independant of any language it gives you a way to send and retrieve information to a software (server) using socket and network exchanges. What you are describing sounds more like an SDK.

[Marckillius]

First.

Also, good info Eli! Love your videos.

[Xerceis]

What the???
Is this a request? Is Eli back?!

Does the terms of service also apply to software like Excel? Can Microsoft stop my macros from working?

[yiannisserpico]

Nice saying, Eli, but, can you give us an online example?

[Jarrod_C]

Sorry I was not able to really get a good understanding from this explanation.