What are APIs?

What are APIs and why are they important?

Put simply, an API is a piece of software that allows two computers or applications to communicate with one another.

It stands for Application Programming Interface and you’re already using them.

These systems can have very independent purposes. For example, one system can be designed to measure the earth’s atmospheric pressure and the other to display pictures of rain clouds or sunshine.

The API is the language they have in common. “What’s the weather like?” “It’s sunny.”