Application Program Interface (API) in AP Computer Science Principles

Definition

An Application Program Interface (API) is a set of rules and protocols that allow different software applications to communicate with each other. It specifies how certain tasks can be performed, what data formats are accepted, and what responses are expected.

Related terms

SDK (Software Development Kit): An SDK is a collection of tools, libraries, documentation, and sample code that helps developers create applications for specific platforms or technologies.

RESTful API: REST stands for Representational State Transfer. A RESTful API follows architectural principles where resources are accessed via standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. It is commonly used in web development.

SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol): SOAP is a protocol for exchanging structured information in web services using XML. It defines a set of rules for communication between applications over a network.