API Basics

Question 1

What does API stand for

Answer 1

Application Programming Interface

Question 2

What does an API do?

Answer 2

An API allows two applications to talk to each other.

Question 3

Why do we use APIs?

Answer 3

2 reasons.

1. They may it simple to integrate different application components, by structuring how requests are made between applications and existing architecture.
2. They make development quicker by allowing for repeatability of structured requests and decoupling service requests from infrastructure.

Question 4

What is a cloud-native application?

Answer 4

They are a collection of small, independent, and loosely coupled services that deliver business value. These application can be hosted on public, private or hybrid clouds.

Question 5

What is an API Gateway?

Answer 5

It is an API management tool that sits between the client and the collection of backend services. It acts a a reverse proxy to accept all API calls.

Question 6

What is an API call?

Answer 6

It is the process of a client application submitting a request to an API and that API retrieving the requested data from the external server or program and delivering back to the client.

Question 7

How do you make an API call?

Answer 7

1. Find the URL of the external server/program
2. Add an HTTP verb
3. Include a header
4. Include and API key or access token
5. Wait for the response.

Question 8

What in an API endpoint

Answer 8

The endpoint is the end of the communication channel. When a request is made of an API it will send the outputs to the endpoint it is normally the URL of the server or service.

Question 9

What is a RESTful API?

Answer 9

A RESTful API utilises REST which are a set of architechtural constraints.

Question 10

What makes an API a RESTful API?

Answer 10

1. a client server architecture made up of clients, servers and resources
2. stateless communication, meaning that no client information is stored between requests.
3. Cachable data
4. a uniform interface between components
5. layered system that organizes each type of server (those responsible of security, load-balancing ect)
6. Code-on-demand: the ability to send executable code from the server to the client when requested.

Question 11

What is SOAP?

Answer 11

SOAP stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. It is a messaging protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of web services.

(the protocol in verbose, and XML parsing speeds are slow so it has been superseded by REST)