What is an API?

Summary

The video script explains the concept of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) as the unsung heroes of our interconnected world. APIs act as messengers, facilitating communication between different systems and devices, allowing for seamless online activities like booking flights or making reservations. Using the analogy of a waiter in a restaurant, the script illustrates how APIs take requests, interact with databases, and return responses, enabling the instant connectivity we rely on daily.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Connectivity has transformed how we interact with the world, making it possible to perform various tasks instantly through devices and the internet.
• 🔌 The Application Programming Interface (API) is the unsung hero behind the scenes of our connected world, facilitating the interactivity we rely on daily.
• 📚 The textbook definition of an API is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications, but in simpler terms, it's the messenger that facilitates requests and responses.
• 🍽️ An API can be likened to a waiter in a restaurant, taking your order and communicating it to the kitchen, then delivering the food back to you.
• 🛫 The script uses the example of booking airline flights online to illustrate how APIs work, showing how they enable interactions between different systems and services.
• 🔍 When using an online travel service, it's the API that communicates with the airline's system to retrieve information and book flights on behalf of the user.
• 🔗 APIs are crucial for the connectivity between applications, databases, and devices, allowing for seamless data exchange and operation.
• 🌐 APIs enable the aggregation of information from multiple sources, such as different airlines, to provide users with a comprehensive view of options.
• 🛍️ Beyond flight booking, APIs are integral to all online interactions, including making reservations, placing orders, and more.
• 🤖 Whenever we think of APIs, we should consider them as the facilitators that run between applications, databases, and devices to deliver data and create connectivity.
• 🛠️ For developers, creating an API involves building a system that can efficiently handle requests and deliver responses, much like a well-organized service in a restaurant.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script?

The main theme of the video script is explaining the concept and importance of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) in our connected world.

What does the script compare APIs to in order to explain their function?

The script compares APIs to a waiter in a restaurant who takes your order and communicates it to the kitchen, then delivers the food back to you.

Why are APIs considered the 'unsung hero' of the connected world?

APIs are considered the 'unsung hero' because they are the underlying technology that enables connectivity and interactivity between different devices and applications, which many people take for granted.

What is the textbook definition of an API according to the script?

The textbook definition of an API is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications, which the script simplifies to a messenger that facilitates requests and responses between systems.

How does the script illustrate the process of using an API in the context of booking a flight online?

The script illustrates this by explaining that when you use an online travel service instead of an airline's website, the service interacts with the airline's API to access information and book seats, preferences, and options on your behalf.

What role does an API play in the interaction between an online travel service and an airline's system?

An API acts as the interface that the online travel service uses to request information from the airline's system over the Internet and receive the airline's response to display to the user.

Why is the API necessary when using an online travel service to book a flight?

The API is necessary because it allows the online travel service to access and retrieve data from multiple airlines' systems, enabling the aggregation of information and providing users with a range of options.

How does the script suggest we should think of APIs in our daily interactions with technology?

The script suggests we should think of APIs as the facilitators or messengers that run back and forth between applications, databases, and devices to deliver data and create connectivity.

What is the purpose of APIs in creating connectivity between applications, data, and devices?

The purpose of APIs is to allow computers to operate and communicate with each other, enabling the seamless flow of data and creating the interconnectedness that we experience in our daily lives.

What does the script imply when it says 'think MuleSoft' at the end?

The script implies that when considering the creation or use of APIs, one should think about the company MuleSoft, which is known for its integration solutions that connect applications, data, and devices.

What is the significance of APIs in the modern digital ecosystem?

APIs are significant in the modern digital ecosystem as they are the building blocks that enable different systems to communicate and share data, allowing for the creation of complex and interconnected digital services.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Magic of Connectivity and APIs

This paragraph introduces the concept of connectivity in our modern world, highlighting how APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) act as the unsung heroes behind the scenes. APIs are described as the messengers that facilitate communication between different systems, allowing for actions like online purchases and bookings. The paragraph uses the analogy of a restaurant to explain how APIs function, comparing the waiter's role to that of an API in taking orders and delivering responses. The example of booking airline flights online is used to illustrate how APIs enable interactions between different applications and databases, creating the seamless connectivity we enjoy today.

Keywords

💡Connectivity

Connectivity refers to the ability to access and interact with information and services instantly through various devices. In the video, it is the central theme illustrating how the world is made accessible through technology. The script mentions how we are 'connected to the world and each other like never before', highlighting the importance of connectivity in our daily lives.

💡Application Programming Interface (API)

An API is a set of protocols and tools for building software applications, allowing different systems to communicate with each other. The video defines it as the 'unsung hero of our connected world', emphasizing its crucial role behind the scenes of our digital interactions. The script uses the analogy of a waiter in a restaurant to explain how an API facilitates communication between the user and the system.

💡Data

Data represents the information that is transmitted and processed through digital systems. The video discusses how data moves 'from here to there', which is fundamental to the concept of connectivity. The script also touches on how APIs enable the movement of data between applications and databases.

💡Devices

Devices are the hardware tools, such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, that enable us to access and interact with digital services. The video mentions devices as the means through which we connect to the world, underlining their importance in facilitating instant connectivity.

💡Interactivity

Interactivity is the ability of a system to respond to user inputs, creating a dynamic and engaging user experience. The video script describes how APIs make possible 'all the interactivity we've come to expect and rely upon', showing how APIs are essential for interactive digital services.

💡Routines and Protocols

Routines and protocols are standardized procedures and rules that govern the operations of a system or network. In the context of APIs, the video script refers to them as part of the 'set of routines protocols' that define how an API functions, ensuring that data is transmitted and received correctly.

💡Messenger

In the video, the term 'messenger' is used metaphorically to describe the role of an API. It is the entity that 'takes requests and tells a system what you want to do and then returns the response back to you'. This analogy helps to simplify the complex function of APIs in facilitating communication between users and systems.

💡Restaurant

The restaurant analogy is used in the script to explain the concept of an API. It likens the API to a waiter who takes the customer's (user's) order and communicates it to the kitchen (system), then delivers the food (response) back to the customer. This analogy helps to illustrate the API's role in facilitating communication in a relatable context.

💡Online Travel Service

An online travel service is a digital platform that aggregates information from various airlines to assist users in booking flights, among other services. The video script uses this as an example to demonstrate how APIs are used by such services to interact with airline systems, retrieve data, and enable users to make informed decisions.

💡Database

A database is a structured collection of data, often used to store and manage information for easy retrieval. In the context of the video, databases are mentioned as the systems that APIs interact with to 'get information' and 'book seats', emphasizing their role in storing and providing data for various applications.

💡Connectivity Creation

Connectivity creation is the process of establishing connections between different systems, applications, and devices to enable seamless data exchange and service provision. The video script highlights APIs as the facilitators of this process, 'delivering data and creating the connectivity that puts the world at our fingertips'.

Highlights

Connectivity has become an integral part of our daily lives, allowing instant access to global information and services.

The Application Programming Interface (API) is the unsung hero behind our connected world, facilitating interactivity and reliance on technology.

An API acts as a messenger, taking requests from users and delivering responses back, similar to how a waiter operates in a restaurant.

APIs are essential for the functionality of online services, such as booking flights, making reservations, and placing orders.

The process of searching for flights online involves interacting with an airline's database through their website or an API.

Online travel services aggregate information from multiple airlines by interacting with their APIs.

APIs enable the travel service to request information from the airline system over the Internet, such as seat availability and pricing.

APIs also handle the airline's response to user requests, such as booking seats and meal preferences, and deliver it back to the service.

The connectivity created by APIs allows for the seamless operation of applications, databases, and devices.

APIs are the critical link that connects different systems and services, making the world more accessible.

Understanding APIs is crucial for anyone involved in the creation or use of digital services and applications.

APIs are the backbone of modern technology, enabling the complex interactions between systems that users take for granted.

The concept of APIs can be easily understood through the analogy of a waiter in a restaurant, facilitating communication between the customer and the kitchen.

APIs are not just limited to travel services; they are used across various industries for data exchange and service integration.

The importance of APIs in creating a connected world cannot be overstated, as they are the driving force behind digital innovation.

APIs are the invisible workhorses that power the digital ecosystem, often overlooked but indispensable.

Whenever you use an online service, remember that it is likely powered by APIs working behind the scenes.

MuleSoft is mentioned as a key player in the creation and management of APIs, highlighting its role in the digital landscape.

Transcripts

[Music]

connectivity is an amazing thing by now

we're all used to the instant

connectivity that puts the world at our

fingertips from desktops or devices we

can purchase post pin and pick anything

anywhere we are connected to the world

and each other like never before but how

does it happen how does data get from

here to there how do different devices

and applications connect with each other

to allow us to place an order make a

reservation or book a flight with just a

few types of things the unsung hero of

our connected world is the application

programming interface or API it's the

engine under the hood and is behind the

scenes that we take for granted but it's

what makes possible all the

interactivity we've come to expect and

rely upon but exactly what is an API

it's a question everyone asks ok not

really but we're glad you did

the textbook definition go something

like this in computer programming an

application programming interface API is

a set of routines protocols okay to

speak plainly an API is the messenger

that takes requests and tells a system

what you want to do and then returns the

response back to you to give you a

familiar example think of an API as a

we're in a restaurant imagine you're

sitting at the table with a menu of

choices to order from in the kitchen is

the part of the system which will

prepare your order what's missing is the

critical link to communicate your order

to the kitchen and deliver your food

back to your table that's where the

waiter or API comes in M the waiter is

the messenger that takes your request or

order and tells the system in this case

the kitchen what to do and then delivers

the response back to you in this case

food now that we've whetted your

appetite let's apply this to a real API

example you are probably familiar with

the process of searching for airline

flights online just like at a restaurant

you have a menu of options to choose

from a drop-down menu in this case you

choose a departure City and date a

return city and date tabbing clasp and

other variables in order to book your

flight you interact with the airlines

website to access the airline's database

to see if any seats are available on

those dates and what the

cost might be based on certain variables

but what if you're not using the

Airlines website which has direct access

to the information what if you are using

an online travel service that aggregates

information from many different airlines

the travel service interacts with the

airline's API the API is the interface

that like you're helpful where can be

asked by that online travel service to

get information from the airline system

over the Internet to book seats choose

meal preferences or baggage options it

also then takes the Airlines response to

your request and delivers it right back

to the online travel service which then

shows it to you so now you can see that

it's AP is that make it possible for us

all to use travel sites the same goes

for all interactions between

applications data and devices they all

have api's that allow computers to

operate them and that's what ultimately

creates connectivity so whenever you

think of an API just think of it as your

waiter running back and forth between

applications databases and devices to

deliver data and create the connectivity

that puts the world at our fingertips

and whenever you think of creating an

API think mule soft