What is an API? Have you ever ordered food at a restaurant? The internet works in a similar way! An API (Application Programming Interface) is like a waiter - it takes your request, delivers it to the kitchen (backend), and brings back the response. The API Restaurant Analogy You (Client) = Hungry and placing an order (making a request) Waiter (API) = Takes your order and sends it to the kitchen (transmits the request) Kitchen (Backend) = Prepares your food (processes the request) Waiter (API) = Brings back your food (i.e. delivers the data!) Real-Life Examples of APIs Instagram - The API fetches new posts from the backend. Weather App → The API pulls the latest weather data. Online Payments → APIs process transactions securely. Without APIs, apps wouldn't be able to talk to servers to get the information they need! The 4 Main API Actions (CRUD) APIs follow a structure called CRUD: Create → POST (Add new data) Read → GET (Fetch existing data) Update → PUT/PATCH (Modify data) Delete → DELETE (Remove data) Example: GET/users → Fetches a list of users POST/users → Creates a new user Follow Gigaversity for more analogies like APIs that simplify complex tech concepts.
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