By Vangie Beal
An application programming interface (API) is an interface or communication protocol between a client and a server intended to simplify the building of client-side software. It has been described as a “contract” between the client and the server, such that if the client makes a request in a specific format, it will always get a response in a specific format or initiate a defined action.
Related Terms
An application program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. Basically, an API specifies how software components should interact. Additionally, APIs are used when programming graphical user interface (GUI) components. A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing all the building blocks. A programmer then puts the blocks together.
Different Types of APIs
There are many different types of APIs for operating systems, applications or websites. Windows, for example, has many API sets that are used by system hardware and applications — when you copy and paste text from one application to another, it is the API that allows that to work.
Most operating environments, such as MS-Windows, provide APIs, allowing programmers to write applications consistent with the operating environment. Today, APIs are also specified by websites. For example, Amazon or eBay APIs allow developers to use the existing retail infrastructure to create specialized web stores. Third-party software developers also use Web APIs to create software solutions for end-users.
Popular API Examples
ProgrammableWeb, a site that tracks more than 15,500 APIs, lists Google Maps, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Amazon Product Advertising as some of the the most popular APIs. The following list contains several examples of popular APIs:
1. Google Maps API: Google Maps APIs lets developers embed Google Maps on webpages using a JavaScript or Flash interface. The Google Maps API is designed to work on mobile devices and desktop browsers.
2. YouTube APIs: YouTube API: Google's APIs lets developers integrate YouTube videos and functionality into websites or applications. YouTube APIs include the YouTube Analytics API, YouTube Data API, YouTube Live Streaming API, YouTube Player APIs and others.
3. Flickr API: The Flickr API is used by developers to access the Flick photo sharing community data. The Flickr API consists of a set of callable methods, and some API endpoints.
4. Twitter APIs: Twitter offers two APIs. The REST API allows developers to access core Twitter data and the Search API provides methods for developers to interact with Twitter Search and trends data.
5. Amazon Product Advertising API: Amazon's Product Advertising API gives developers access to Amazon's product selection and discovery functionality to advertise Amazon products to monetize a website.
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An application layer is an abstraction layer that specifies the shared communications protocols and interface methods used by hosts in a communications network. The application layer abstraction is used in both of the standard models of computer networking: the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) and the OSI model. Although both models use the same term for their respective highest level layer, the detailed definitions and purposes are different.
In TCP/IP, the application layer contains the communications protocols and interface methods used in process-to-process communications across an Internet Protocol (IP) computer network. The application layer only standardizes communication and depends upon the underlying transport layer protocols to establish host-to-host data transfer channels and manage the data exchange in a client-server or peer-to-peer networking model. Though the TCP/IP application layer does not describe specific rules or data formats that applications must consider when communicating, the original specification (in RFC1123) does rely on and recommend the robustness principle for application design.[1]
In the OSI model, the definition of the application layer is narrower in scope. The OSI model defines the application layer as the user interface responsible for displaying received information to the user. In contrast, the Internet Protocol Suite does not concern itself with such detail. OSI also explicitly distinguishes additional functionality below the application layer, but above the transport layer at two additional levels: the session layer, and the presentation layer. OSI specifies a strict modular separation of functionality at these layers and provides protocol implementations for each layer.
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Application layer |
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- 1Protocols
Protocols[edit]
(Session Layer under OSI model) The IETF definition document for the application layer in the Internet Protocol Suite is RFC 1123. It provided an initial set of protocols that covered the major aspects of functionality of the early Internet.[1]
- Remote login to hosts: Telnet
- File transfer: File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)
- Electronic mail transport: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
- Networking support: Domain Name System (DNS)
- Host initialization: BOOTP
- Remote host management: Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Common Management Information Protocol over TCP (CMOT)
Examples[edit]
- 9P, Plan 9 from Bell Labs distributed file system protocol
- AFP, Apple Filing Protocol
- APPC, Advanced Program-to-Program Communication
- AMQP, Advanced Message Queuing Protocol
- BEEP, Block Extensible Exchange Protocol
- CFDP, Coherent File Distribution Protocol
- CoAP, Constrained Application Protocol
- DDS, Data Distribution Service
- ENRP, Endpoint Handlespace Redundancy Protocol
- FastTrack (KaZaa, Grokster, iMesh)
- Finger, User Information Protocol
- FTAM, File Transfer Access and Management
- Gopher, Gopher protocol
- HL7, Health Level Seven
- HTTP, Hypertext Transfer Protocol
- H.323, Packet-Based Multimedia Communications System
- IMAP, Internet Message Access Protocol
- IRCP, Internet Relay Chat Protocol
- IPFS, InterPlanetary File System
- LDAP, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
- LPD, Line Printer Daemon Protocol
- MIME (S-MIME), Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions and Secure MIME
- MQTT Protocol
- NFS, Network File System
- NIS, Network Information Service
- NNTP, Network News Transfer Protocol
- NTCIP, National Transportation Communications for Intelligent Transportation System Protocol
- NTP, Network Time Protocol
- OSCAR, AOL Instant Messenger Protocol
- POP, Post Office Protocol
- PNRP, Peer Name Resolution Protocol
- RDP, Remote Desktop Protocol
- RELP, Reliable Event Logging Protocol
- RFP, Remote Framebuffer Protocol
- Rlogin, Remote Login in UNIX Systems
- RPC, Remote Procedure Call
- RTMP, Real Time Messaging Protocol
- RTP, Real-time Transport Protocol
- RTPS, Real Time Publish Subscribe
- RTSP, Real Time Streaming Protocol
- SAP, Session Announcement Protocol
- SDP, Session Description Protocol
- SIP, Session Initiation Protocol
- SLP, Service Location Protocol
- SMB, Server Message Block
- SMTP, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
- SNTP, Simple Network Time Protocol
- SSH, Secure Shell
- SSMS, Secure SMS Messaging Protocol
- TCAP, Transaction Capabilities Application Part
- TDS, Tabular Data Stream
- TSP, Time Stamp Protocol
- VTP, Virtual Terminal Protocol
- Whois (and RWhois), Remote Directory Access Protocol
- X.400, Message Handling Service Protocol
- X.500, Directory Access Protocol (DAP)
- XMPP, Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol
References[edit]
Application Protocol Interface Definition
- ^ abRobert Braden, ed. (October 1989). 'RFC 1123: Requirements for Internet Hosts – Application and Support'. Network Working Group of the IETF.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Application layer protocols. |
Wikiversity has learning resources about Application layer |
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